ST. LOUIS, May 19, 2025 – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) is deploying alongside Samaritan’s Purse to St. Louis, Missouri, and London, Kentucky, after tornadoes claimed the lives of at least 28 individuals. In the St. Louis area alone, news reports have said more than 5,000 homes were damaged.
“Thousands of people across the mid-South have been impacted by the deadly tornadoes that hit overnight. The road to recovery will be long, but we want these communities to know they are not alone,” said Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT. “The crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are heading to Missouri and Kentucky to provide spiritual and emotional care to those affected by the destruction caused by this week’s tornadoes and to share a message of hope with them.”
Chaplains will arrive today, Monday, May 19, to minister to those in the community who suffered damage and loss due to the storms. The BG-RRT deploys to natural disasters in coordination with Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian disaster relief organization also headed by Franklin Graham. Together the two ministries will address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of impacted homeowners.
In addition to Missouri and Kentucky, chaplains are also offering hope and providing emotional comfort and spiritual care to families who have been forced to flee their homes in war-torn Ukraine.
For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit the BG-RRT press kit or BillyGraham.org/RRT. Updates can also be found at Facebook.com/RRTChaplains.
Media Opportunities
- Interviews with:
- Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT
- Chaplain coordinators in St. Louis, Missouri, and London, Kentucky
- B-Roll and photos (please use with credit to Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)
- Interview request form
About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 870 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Lisa Moseley
lmoseley@bgea.org