Months after a record-breaking earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan, missionaries are still dedicated to aiding in relief efforts. COGIC Charities, the benevolent arm of the nearly 6.5 million member Church of God in Christ, plans to give funds to aid the relief efforts in Japan.
Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. is leading a COGIC delegation that will leave for Tokyo at the end of July. The group will meet with Japanese and American officials to discuss the additional needs of the country, and Blake will lead a prayer for the natural disaster victims. The charity also plans to present a check for $100,000, which will aid in the purchase of rice cookers and any additional items the victims need.
“We Care is not just a slogan for COGIC Charities, but we believe that it is our duty to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless,” Blake says.
Bishop Carl D. Hodges, COGIC jurisdictional bishop of Japan, said the COGIC churches in Japan are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Blake and his delegation, and they are looking forward to the opportunity to share with him the great cultural experience that is Japan.
While this will be Blake’s first time traveling to Japan, COGIC Charities, part of the fourth largest Protestant and second largest Pentecostal denomination in the U.S., is no stranger to assisting other countries amid a crisis.
The charity, founded in 2003, has given over a million dollars to Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort, $1 million to the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina, $50,000 to the Uganda Women’s Health Initiative and more.
