The National Evangelical Association is urging Christians to unite in support of “life-saving foreign aid” through a new petition scheduled to be presented to lawmakers next month.
The campaign highlights that it has historically led efforts to care for the “most vulnerable people in the compassionate world” to a compassionate world in a world in need.
With the future of US foreign aid “at a vital intersection,” the NAE says evangelicals need to speak in one voice in supporting the role of international aid focused on poverty and the faith-based partners that provide it.
According to the NAE’s August 6 UDPATE, NAE President Walter Kim is scheduled to meet with members of Congress in early September, with 500 signatures “to demonstrate evangelical support to protect life-saving foreign aid.”
“For thousands of years, Christians have led the way in dealing with human suffering around the world,” the statement said. “Bible-guided and caring, the church has given it hungry, dressed the poor, cared for orphans and widows, embodying the call of Christ, which serves the most vulnerable.
NAE says that the current compassion for the world of need has been revised for a wider audience, following the previous draft adopted by the board in March 2025.
Below is the complete NAE statement:
I encourage you to participate in the call for greater compassion for a world in need.
God loved the world so much that he gave him one of him and one son.
This beloved poem captures the heart of evangelical faith. It is a firm belief that God loves all humans and provides eternal salvation to all who trust in Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we emulate generosity and love for our neighbors in need across all barriers of race, ethnicity, nationality, or geography.
For 2000 years, Christians have followed Jesus’ commands, entered the world, preaching the gospel with words and deeds, and making disciples of all nations. We accept the call to respect the dignity of God’s image of all people, to protect the holiness of all human lives, to show compassion for orphans, widows and vulnerable people in the places they discover.
As citizens of a country with rich and unparalleled global influence, we also recognize our responsibility to manage our country’s resources in a way that leads to a more peaceful and prosperous world. Such a world contributes to the prosperity and security of our people.
But more is at stake than our own safety and prosperity. Jesus taught, “(f) Every man who has been given much, many is requested; and more will be asked by those who have been given much” (Luke 12:48).
We celebrate the lives of millions saved and the enormous contributions to human prosperity achieved through public and faith-based aid initiatives in the United States and around the world. The Bible offers multiple examples of public-private partnerships (Nehemiah 2:1–10, Ezra 1:1–8, Luke 7:1–6), and several Supreme Court decisions establish that if the government is affiliated with secular organisations, it may not exclude faith-based groups.
But there’s more to be done and to be done. Millions of people die from preventable causes each year, and millions live in extreme poverty. War, persecution and natural disasters have evacuated more than 100 million people from their homes. The total response to these needs, focusing on US poverty, accounts for less than 1% of our national budget, with Americans giving only about 0.1% of their personal income to international charities.
Christians are not utopians. We recognize that some aid programs are ineffective or have been adopted to promote values that many Americans do not share. These programs must be reformed or discontinued. We also understand that human suffering will last until Christ returns. But this reality should spur our greater involvement and generosity. As the apostle Paul urged the Corinthians:
Remember this: who will spit and snatch a sparingly, and sows will also generously reap. Because God loves the cheerful giftor, you should give what you have given in your heart, reluctantly or decided to give under forced enforcement. And God can bless you with enrichment. Then you are full of all good work, as you always have everything you need (Corinthians 9:6–8).
Therefore, we call all Christians:
We pray and generously offer to support both ministries of evangelism and compassion, both at home and abroad. Advocate for members of Congress and the administration for international support focused on poverty, with a particular focus on partnerships with effective faith-based charities. And make friends and share the love of Jesus with the immigrants and refugees in our community.
The NAE has also called on Congress and the administration to:
Understand a review of the effectiveness of foreign aid in a way that does not hamstring the current operation. Maintains international support focused on poverty and support for refugee resettlement, and, where appropriate, continue to work with faith-based implementation partners. and clarify the persuasive basis for the American people of continued global engagement, international humanitarian development cooperation and US leadership in refugee resettlement.
