Meraz said of the nearly 3,000 people Mission:Dignity serves nationwide, between 65-75 percent of them are widows of retired Southern Baptist pastors.
Financial support is offered in the form of monthly honorariums, Christmas checks and a fund for emergency needs.
Meraz said fulfilling this ministry assignment comes down to being obedient to God’s commands.
“This verse is rooted in Old Testament verses that talk about God being a defender of the widow, so we as believers should be defenders of widows as well,” Meraz said.
“We should wrap our arms around the widows, especially those of our pastors because they were involved in ministry just as long as their husbands were. We ought to not only be praying for them, befriending them, loving them but also providing for them.”
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He added it is important for the SBC to not only care for widows, but also to appreciate the spiritual leadership and wisdom they can still provide.
“The widows that we serve continue in ministry in some form or fashion,” Meraz said. “They play the piano for their churches, they keep nurseries, they teach Sunday school and they serve in hospitality ministries.
“Ministry is in their blood, and they give back in so many ways. They are not finished with ministry just because their husband has passed away. It is a joy to walk alongside them as they walk through these final years in their life giving all that they can for the Gospel to be advanced.”
This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.
 marking Orphans and Widows Sunday on the SBC Calendar, Southern Baptists are reflecting on the important ministry of caring for widows.){kind=link}