Meet the Affiliates: Cutting Edge Relief

Did you know that SEAPC is affiliated with ministries around the world? As part of an ongoing blog series, we’ll be introducing you to each of the ministries over the next few months, and we’re excited for you to learn how to better pray for and support them!

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

Psalm 4:1

David, in Psalm 4, identifies his need for ‘relief when I was in distress.’ In our modern society, we think of relief as purely disaster related. But is this all it means? Cutting Edge Relief sees a greater purpose, an expanded meaning of the concept of relief work.

What about distress? It is suffering. It is pain. It is grief. And so much more. Think about poverty, illness, hunger, thirst, exposure, fear, persecution, war—these are all agonizing situations with real people crying out for real help.

CER is stepping into the lives of those with multiple needs, assessing the big picture, and offering solutions in Jesus’ name. They will be in partnership with believers from around the world to bring aid and hope to those on the edge.

As Friends of SEAPC, Bill and Kim Richardson are following God’s plan to meet emergent needs in local communities, national neighborhoods, and global regions. They work in conjunction with others who follow Jesus to achieve a common goal: furthering the Kingdom of God. Gifts, talents, and calls are individual; serving the Lord draws people together.

As Matt Geppert of SEAPC puts it, “We build platforms for others to dance on.”

What platform is Cutting Edge Relief building? And what dances do they plan to do on it? The plans are varied, ambitious—and exciting!

Disaster Relief: Teams will be developed, trained, and mobilized. When a disaster strikes anywhere in the world, CER will join with others to put together a comprehensive strategy to address immediate and long-term needs. This includes medical outreach.

Training: Teaching materials and instruction will be available on Scripture and on both theory and practical relief in action. Those who answer this call from the USA or other nations will receive the benefit of Bill’s multiple years of Biblically-based relief experience.

Construction: Home repair and support will be available for widows and single parents; orphan needs are a concurrent goal. This includes local families as well as those affected by disaster or poverty globally.

Revitalization: Local communities will be restored through projects to rebuild blighted areas and develop businesses.

In light of this, relationships in Kashmir will continue to be expanded through outreach to Muslim and Hindu peoples, and by supporting Urdu churches. Rebuilding John Bishop Memorial Hospital School of Nursing is a joint goal with SEAPC, as is opening a School for the Blind. Additionally, believers in Nepal will be able to access leadership development, training and help in setting up microeconomics projects, and assistance with church planting.

These are broad goals that will be honed into individual projects with Cutting Edge Relief stepping into the gap. Bill brings thirty-two years of missions experience, twenty-nine of them with his wife, Kim. They have tackled a wide variety of issues. In Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, they led the effort to rebuild 340 homes. In the Pittsburgh area, they partner with agencies working with refugee families. Sheep are being provided to develop economic stability in Kashmir, India, while in Nepal the same is being accomplished with goats.

Recently, Bill and his team partnered with Samaritan’s Purse in Michigan to combat the devastation left by flooding. He will lead a SEAPC medical team to Nepal later this year. Rural clinics will provide treatment and medication to the sick, while praying for each patient and supporting local churches. Other plans include church construction in Alaska, repair of widows’ homes locally, and on-call readiness when disasters strike.

Bill and Kim have five children, with one on the way. They are an international family. After having two boys Bill says, “We felt our family wasn’t done and were led to adopt.” God blessed them with a daughter from Ethiopia, two sons from China, and soon child number six, a little girl from China.

When asked how Cutting Edge blesses him, Bill had a ready answer. “Maybe it sounds too easy, but we are blessed to serve. Actually, we just want to be a blessing and serve those who are lost and in need. It gives us joy in serving the Lord.

We are told in 1 Timothy 6:18 that we are to …do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. This is not a suggestion. It is a mandate that Cutting Edge takes very seriously.

Partner with Cutting Edge Relief to be the good, to share your time, talents, and treasures, and to provide relief to our brothers and sisters both near and far. Be part of the blessing!

Learn more at www.cuttingedgerelief.org