CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 22, 2026 – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) is deploying alongside Samaritan’s Purse to Saipan, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, after a powerful typhoon caused widespread devastation across the island.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck the Northern Mariana Islands on April 14 before intensifying into a Category 5 system, bringing sustained winds of up to 150 mph, severe flooding and extensive damage.
“The people of Saipan have faced the strongest tropical cyclone of the year so far and are now reeling in the aftermath,” said Josh Holland, vice president of the BG-RRT Global. “In times like these, the physical devastation is immense, but so is the spiritual need. Chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team will come alongside those who are hurting and point them to the hope of Jesus Christ. We want people to know they are not alone or forgotten. God sees them and cares for them.”
The BG-RRT deploys to natural disasters in coordination with Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian disaster relief organization also led by Franklin Graham. Together, the two ministries will serve the people of Saipan by meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
In addition to Saipan, chaplains are ministering to communities in Lena, Illinois, following a tornado. The BG-RRT also continues to offer emotional 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, vice president of the BG-RRT Global
• Chaplain coordinators in Saipan - B-Roll and photos of deployments (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 940 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Claisse Opulencia
copulencia@bgea.org
+1 (704) 401-2717