Faith in action: Warren Baptist Association helps bus crash victims – The Vicksburg Post

Early Saturday morning (August 31), a horrific bus crash left seven people dead, over 30 injured and even more stranded in Vicksburg. The survivors were disoriented and unable to communicate due to language barriers. As a temporary measure, they were taken to the atrium of Merit Health River Region Hospital.

Rev. Ron Burch, director and association strategist of the Warren Baptist Association (WBA), responded immediately to the call for help for accident victims. The WBA office is located at 3040 Indiana Ave B. in Vicksburg.

After learning of the accident, Burch headed to the hospital early Saturday morning. As he observed the aftermath of the mass accident on employees and victims, he realized there were many things that needed to be done.

“There were a lot of emotions involved,” Burch said. “We wanted to support them as best we could. And then we prayed for them to give encouragement to the staff and the people who were caring for them.”

Recounting his prayers with hospital staff and victims, Burch said, “There was a lot of suffering. It can be hard not speaking their language.”

Although there was a communication barrier, Burch was able to distribute small crosses that represented a universal recognition of the shared faith.

The WBA is made up of 16 local churches of the Southern Baptist Convention. When needs are identified, Burch coordinates communications with the pastors of those churches, who in turn reach out to the congregations for help. When the idea of ​​preparing relief packages for the survivors and hospital staff came up, volunteers from local churches came forward. An assembly line was set up at the WBA office, and volunteers assembled more than 125 relief packages in less than an hour and a half.

The care packages consisted of apples, sweets and chips of various kinds and were all delivered by Tuesday at 10 a.m.

This isn't the first time WBA has been the hands and feet of Christ, Burch said, explaining that the group brought people together to help after a tornado struck Rolling Fork in 2023.

“We were very active during the tornado in Rolling Fork,” Burch said.

The WBA was able to help churches in the area after the tornado's destruction. From electrical work to roofing, the WBA coordinated reconstruction efforts in the devastated community. They were also able to provide Easter baskets to children in the area.

Burch explained that the WBA strives to fulfill four aspects of the Great Commission.

“We have Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the rest of the world,” he said.

Jerusalem refers to the immediate community, Judea to outlying communities like Rolling Fork, and Samaria to the rest of Mississippi.

“We are active in the rest of the world with foreign missions,” Burch added.

In addition to the WBA's missionary work, the office also provides a conference room for church-related matters when needed and space for a counselor from Summit Counseling of First Baptist Jackson to visit weekly to provide counseling services to area residents.

“We work together to develop a strategy on how we can meet certain needs,” said Burch, referring to the partnership with churches and pastors. “When something like this (a bus accident) happens, you have to act immediately. You have to be present.”

Burch acknowledged that such times are also difficult for front-line workers.

“I can only imagine how emotionally traumatizing it must be to have the hospital system affected so suddenly. From the emergency room to the intensive care unit to the wards, everyone is involved. Even the emergency room staff are coming to every ward … the entire Merit medical spectrum is involved,” Burch said.

Burch said he hopes to continue helping after the bus crash.

“We still have some other things to take care of,” he said.

Burch said he finds guidance in Titus 3:14 (New King James Version), which says, “And let our people also learn to do good works to meet the most pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”

“God expects Christians … to meet the needs of people,” Burch added.