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The Bible makes many references to wateroften as symbolic of life. The woman at the well was promised living water. Jeremiah refers to the fountain of living water, and Revelation bids, let him take the water of life freely.

A local church recently saw a need for literal water in another state and acted quickly to meet the need. Heavy rains that flooded the Pearl River near Jackson, Mississippi, and technical problems with what some media outlets described as the capital citys frail water system left more than 150,000 Jackson residents without safe drinking water. Senior Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia in response to the crisis announced on Sept. 8 a partnership created to provide thousands in Mississippi with bottled water.

New Birth has always had a mission to love, lead, and live like Christ and in that same vein we are actively stepping outside of the four walls of the ministry to do just that, Bryant said.

Amid what Bryant described as a lingering water crisis that has impacted families and businesses for weeks, the church partnered with Life Beyond Water and others to send 25 tractor trailers of bottled water on the second weekend in September. The water distribution took place Sept. 10 at New Horizon Church, 1770 Ellis Ave. in Jackson, Mississippi. There was a separate donation to Tougaloo College on the same day.

Its truly unfathomable for many of us to navigate one day without clean running water but for an entire city to be forced to endure unimaginable strife for an unseen amount of time is truly a crisis of monumental proportions, said Bryant, who noted the situation in Jackson was called to his attention when former Falcons football player Deion Sanders and others really started ringing the bell on the issue in a big way. We are blessed to join Deion Sanders and others to rally around a community that still needs us more than ever. The local and national press zeroed in on the reality and challenges happening in Jackson.

Additional partners joining this critical effort include the Congress of National Black Churches; Rev. Al Sharpton, National Action Network; Tamika Mallory of Until Freedom; Dharius Daniels, Change Church; Bishop William Murphy III, The dReam Center Church of Atlanta; Bishop Samuel L. Green Sr.,7th Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church; Bishop TJ McBride, Tabernacle of Praise Church International; Bishop Kevin Adams, Olivet Baptist Church; Pastor Carlton Lynch, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church; and Dr. John Faison, Watson Grove Baptist Church.

We are immensely grateful for the initial financial support from our members and partners that have enabled us to advance this most urgent effort, said Bryant. However, we know that the citys infrastructure remains in a dire state and will likely take some time to be fully repaired. Our goal is to remain connected to this community, local faith organizations, and outside partners to provide relief in these urgent days. Prayerfully, the water crisis in Jackson will be resolved as quickly as possible. Until that time, we believe the body of Christ and local leaders have a duty to support this community.

Bryant said he hopes his churchs gesture will prompt others to act. We hope this sparks additional support and that people dont turn a blind eye to this crisis until it is fully resolved. Clean water is not just a need of this community, it is a life-saving necessity.

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is not a water donation site.

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Church helps life-giving water flow to city in need - - Champion