CONGRESS MISSION ACTIVITIES
By Dean Miller
The more than 4,000 participants who attended the Baptist World Congress did more than engage in
worship and fellowship – they also made a difference to the hungry and homeless in Hawai‘i’s capital.
More than 300 participants volunteered a portion of their time during the congress to be involved in mission
opportunities both at the convention center and with the Institute for Human Services (IHS) – a local homeless
shelter. There was a desire from the very first meeting of the International Program Committee and the Local
Arrangements Committee that this congress needed to make a difference beyond what happened within the
walls of a convention center.
Many of the local Baptist churches were busy volunteering time and energy to assist with the actual
congress so it was decided that partnering with another agency would prove to be the best channel of
resources. Many of the Baptist churches in Honolulu work with the Institute for Human Services so it seemed
like a natural partnership. And, Stop Hunger Now, a hunger relief advocacy group, is an organization that
had a great desire to partner with Baptist unions across the globe to find avenues of distribution for their prepackaged
meals that are distributed through schools and other ministry sites.
Leaders from Stop Hunger Now led participants in a meal packaging event where a total of 30,000 ricebased
meals, consisting of dehydrated, high-protein and highly-nutritious food, were packaged. These meals
would normally be packaged and delivered throughout the world to aid organizations and agencies in the fight
against hunger. However, these meals will remain in Honolulu and be distributed to the homeless and hungry
through IHS and local Baptist churches.
In addition to packaging meals, nearly 800 hygiene kits were packaged by congress participants and
given to the IHS for distribution. Many of the items placed in the hygiene kits were donated by local hotels that
desired to be a part of the process. Other volunteers sorted clothing and other donated items at the IHS. And
yet another group painted a hallway and stairwell at the homeless shelter.
The IHS also serves two meals per day, five days per week to Honolulu’s homeless population and
congress volunteers were able to assist in serving three of those meals.
Much of what happened during these mission opportunities may go unseen by the majority of the public in
Honolulu. However, there were many relationships established and the assistance that was offered will extend
for many months to come. Leigh Smith, volunteer coordinator at the IHS, sent a note of thanks expressing
her appreciation for all of the volunteers who ministered at the IHS. “It really made a big impact here…without
people like yourselves the IHS would not be the success that it is today.”
Our only hope is that people can say that about Baptists wherever we choose to serve!
Dean Miller is Virginia Missions Coordinator for Glocal Missions and Evangelism, a program of the Virginia
Baptist Mission Board in the United States.
PHOTOS: Volunteers at the congress make packages of meals and prepare hygiene kits for the homeless in
Hawai‘i

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