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94-642: World Relief is the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals . The organization was founded in 1944 in response to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in war-torn Europe.  Members of Park Street Church in Boston raised money to send food and clothing to displaced people throughout Europe. More evangelical churches in America joined this effort, and they formed the War Relief Commission. In

188-630: A purity ring . In some evangelical churches, young adults and unmarried couples are encouraged to marry early in order to live a sexuality according to the will of God. A 2009 American study of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reported that 80 percent of young, unmarried evangelicals have had sex and that 42 percent were in a relationship with sex, when surveyed. The majority of evangelical Christian churches are against abortion and support adoption agencies and social support agencies for young mothers. Masturbation

282-412: A "moratorium" on use of the term. Historian D. G. Hart has also argued that "evangelicalism needs to be relinquished as a religious identity because it does not exist". Christian fundamentalism has been called a subset or "subspecies" of Evangelicalism. Fundamentalism regards biblical inerrancy, the virgin birth of Jesus , penal substitutionary atonement, the literal resurrection of Christ , and

376-418: A biblical framework and also provides specific principles of engagement. The NAE's political action is based on the document, which outlines eight different issues that are important to evangelicals, including religious freedom, family life and protection of children, sanctity of life, caring for the poor and vulnerable, human rights, racial justice and reconciliation, peacemaking, and caring for creation. While

470-492: A biblical lens. The organization also has a team based in D.C. that participates in policy briefs, press conferences and congressional meetings to influence the laws and policies that impact immigrant communities in the U.S. as well as communities in need outside the U.S. World Relief also regularly invites evangelical Christians to join them in their advocacy efforts. Some of their recent advocacy initiatives have been : U.S. Offices : World Relief has multiple offices throughout

564-483: A charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), World Relief meets the 7 Standards of Responsible Stewardship , as well as The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance’s 20 Standards for Charity Accountability as a Charity Seal Holder . World Relief also has been granted GuideStar's Platinum Seal of Transparency, a 3-star rating by Charity Navigator and we have also earned

658-506: A constituency of millions. The mission of the NAE is to honor God by connecting and representing Evangelicals in the United States . The NAE seeks to strengthen denominations and ministries by offering resources to inform and inspire Evangelical leaders, and facilitating collaboration among Evangelical leaders and groups. The NAE also represents its membership's concerns to the U.S. Congress ,

752-492: A denominational member, strongly deemphasize its ties to such, such as a church name which excludes the denominational name) within the broader evangelical movement. In the words of Albert Mohler , president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , confessional evangelicalism refers to "that movement of Christian believers who seek a constant convictional continuity with the theological formulas of

846-589: A framework for evangelical civic and political engagement for the 21st century under the direction of Richard Cizik , then-vice president of governmental affairs. The project generated a major volume edited by Diane Knippers and Ronald Sider and published by Baker Books titled "Toward an Evangelical Public Policy." "For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility" calls evangelicals to address seven spheres of social involvement from

940-593: A function of supervision over churches on a regional or national scale is present in all the Evangelical Christian denominations , even if the titles president of the council or general overseer are mainly used for this function. The term bishop is explicitly used in certain denominations. Some evangelical denominations are members of the World Evangelical Alliance and its 129 national alliances. Some evangelical denominations officially authorize

1034-521: A majority of evangelical Christians, a belief in biblical inerrancy ensures that the miracles described in the Bible are still relevant and may be present in the life of the believer. Healings, academic or professional successes, the birth of a child after several attempts, the end of an addiction , etc., would be tangible examples of God's intervention with the faith and prayer , by the Holy Spirit . In

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1128-678: A meeting in Chicago, Illinois in 1941. A committee was formed with Wright as chairman, and a national conference for United Action Among Evangelicals was called to meet in April 1942. Harold Ockenga was appointed the first president (1942–44). Carl McIntire and Harvey Springer led in organizing the American Council of Christian Churches (now with 7 member bodies) in September 1941. It was a more militant and fundamentalist organization set up in opposition to

1222-402: A middle position between conservative and charismatic evangelicals, while others would combine conservative theological emphases with more liberal social positions. British author Dave Tomlinson coined the phrase postevangelical to describe a movement comprising various trends of dissatisfaction among evangelicals. Others use the term with comparable intent, often to distinguish evangelicals in

1316-622: A particular Christian school of thought or churchmanship , primarily in Great Britain (especially in the Church of England ). Open evangelicals describe their position as combining a traditional evangelical emphasis on the nature of scriptural authority, the teaching of the ecumenical creeds and other traditional doctrinal teachings, with an approach towards culture and other theological points-of-view which tends to be more inclusive than that taken by other evangelicals. Some open evangelicals aim to take

1410-673: A presence in the Anglosphere before spreading further afield in the 19th, 20th, and early 21st centuries. The movement gained significant momentum during the 18th and 19th centuries with the Great Awakening in the United States , and also in Great Britain 's reformations. As of 2016, there were an estimated 619 million evangelicals in the world, meaning that one in four Christians would be classified as evangelical. The United States has

1504-509: A quadrilateral of priorities that is the basis of Evangelicalism." Conversionism, or belief in the necessity of being " born again ," has been a constant theme of evangelicalism since its beginnings. To evangelicals, the central message of the gospel is justification by faith in Christ and repentance , or turning away, from sin . Conversion differentiates the Christian from the non-Christian, and

1598-452: A whole-picture approach. It provides humanitarian assistance at the first point of safety, providing emergency aid to families living in temporary shelters — including clean water, food, tarps, hygiene kits and other essential items. World Relief also resettles refugees in the United States and provides legal services to asylum seekers and other immigrants. Some of the programs World Relief provides to immigrants and refugees are: World Relief

1692-498: Is congregational polity . This is especially common among nondenominational evangelical churches. Many churches are members of a national and international denomination for a cooperative relationship in common organizations, for the mission and social areas, such as humanitarian aid , schools, theological institutes and hospitals. Common ministries within evangelical congregations are pastor , elder , deacon , evangelist and worship leader . The ministry of bishop with

1786-420: Is a broader "evangelical streak" in mainline Protestantism. Mainline Protestant churches predominantly have a liberal theology while evangelical churches predominantly have a fundamentalist or moderate conservative theology. Some commentators have complained that Evangelicalism as a movement is too broad and its definition too vague to be of any practical value. Theologian Donald Dayton has called for

1880-400: Is a wide variety of thought among evangelicals and evangelical churches, but they tend to be conservative and prescriptive in general. Many evangelical churches promote the virginity pledge (abstinence pledge) among young evangelical Christians, who are invited to commit themselves, during a public ceremony, to sexual abstinence until Christian marriage . This pledge is often symbolized by

1974-558: Is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that puts primary emphasis on evangelization . The word evangelic comes from the Greek word for ' good news ' ( evangelion ). The Gospel story of the salvation from sin is considered "the good news". The process of personal conversion involves complete surrender to Jesus Christ (commonly referred to as being " born again "). The conversion process

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2068-518: Is also a member of the Welcome Corps, a private sponsorship program under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Through Welcome Corps, World Relief mobilizes churches and communities to sponsor refugee families as they adapt to their new life in the U.S. In partnership with the local church, World Relief works to educate the general public on local and federal laws that impact communities, while also informing Christians on how to respond to policy through

2162-734: Is authoritatively guided by the Bible , the God in Christianity 's revelation to humanity. Critics of the conceptualization of evangelicalism argue that it is too broad, too diverse, or too ill-defined to be adequately seen as a movement or a single movement. The theological nature of evangelicalism was first explored during the Protestant Reformation in 16th century Europe . Martin Luther 's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 emphasized that scripture and

2256-493: Is commonly applied to describe the interdenominational Born-Again believing movement. Christian historian David W. Bebbington writes that, "Although 'evangelical,' with a lower-case initial, is occasionally used to mean 'of the gospel,' the term 'Evangelical' with a capital letter, is applied to any aspect of the movement beginning in the 1730s." According to the Oxford English Dictionary , evangelicalism

2350-503: Is presented by some churches as a protection against sexual misconduct and a compulsory step to obtain a position of responsibility in the church. This concept, however, has been challenged by numerous sex scandals involving married evangelical leaders. Finally, evangelical theologians recalled that celibacy should be more valued in the Church today, since the gift of celibacy was taught and lived by Jesus Christ and Paul of Tarsus . For

2444-453: Is reverence for the Bible and high regard for biblical authority . All evangelicals believe in biblical inspiration , though they disagree over how this inspiration should be defined. Many evangelicals believe in biblical inerrancy , while other evangelicals believe in biblical infallibility . Crucicentrism is the centrality that evangelicals give to the Atonement , the saving death and

2538-462: Is secondary to spiritual experience shaped by Scripture . Postconservative evangelicals seek greater dialogue with other Christian traditions and support the development of a multicultural evangelical theology that incorporates the voices of women, racial minorities, and Christians in the developing world. Some postconservative evangelicals also support open theism and the possibility of near universal salvation . The term "open evangelical" refers to

2632-556: Is seen as forbidden by some evangelical pastors because of the sexual thoughts that may accompany it. However, evangelical pastors have pointed out that the practice has been erroneously associated with Onan by scholars, that it is not a sin if it is not practiced with fantasies or compulsively, and that it was useful in a married couple, if his or her partner did not have the same frequency of sexual needs. Some evangelical churches speak only of sexual abstinence and do not speak of sexuality in marriage. Other evangelical churches in

2726-531: Is termed neoevangelicalism , the new evangelicalism , or simply evangelicalism in the United States, while in Great Britain and in other English-speaking countries, it is commonly termed conservative evangelicalism . Over the years, less conservative evangelicals have challenged this mainstream consensus to varying degrees. Such movements have been classified by a variety of labels, such as progressive , open , postconservative , and postevangelical . Outside of self-consciously evangelical denominations, there

2820-463: Is the cause of many social problems, such as terrorism. Some churches have a conservative moderate position. Although they do not approve homosexual practices, they claim to show sympathy and respect for homosexuals. Some evangelical denominations have adopted neutral positions, leaving the choice to local churches to decide for same-sex marriage . There are some international evangelical denominations that are gay-friendly . Christian marriage

2914-406: Is usually run by a Christian pastor . A service is often divided into several parts, including congregational singing, a sermon, intercessory prayer , and other ministry. During worship there is usually a nursery for babies. Children and young people receive an adapted education, Sunday school , in a separate room. Places of worship are usually called "churches." In some megachurches ,

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3008-478: The Articles of Religion , and some confessional Lutherans with pietistic convictions. The emphasis on historic Protestant orthodoxy among confessional evangelicals stands in direct contrast to an anticreedal outlook that has exerted its own influence on evangelicalism, particularly among churches strongly affected by revivalism and by pietism . Revivalist evangelicals are represented by some quarters of Methodism ,

3102-682: The Brethren Church ) are evangelical, and some Lutherans self-identify as evangelicals. There are also evangelical Anglicans and Quakers . In the early 20th century, evangelical influence declined within mainline Protestantism and Christian fundamentalism developed as a distinct religious movement. Between 1950 and 2000 a mainstream evangelical consensus developed that sought to be more inclusive and more culturally relevant than fundamentalism while maintaining theologically conservative Protestant teaching. According to Brian Stanley , professor of world Christianity , this new postwar consensus

3196-758: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada , and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England , who are not evangelical in the evangelikal sense but Protestant in the evangelisch sense, have translated the German term evangelisch (or Protestant) into the English term Evangelical , although the two German words have different meanings. In other parts of the world, especially in the English-speaking world, evangelical (German: evangelikal or pietistisch )

3290-877: The National Baptist Convention, USA . In 1969, in the Progressive National Baptist Convention . In 1975, in The Foursquare Church . For evangelicals, there are three interrelated meanings to the term worship . It can refer to living a "God-pleasing and God-focused way of life," specific actions of praise to God, and a public worship service . Diversity characterizes evangelical worship practices. Liturgical , contemporary , charismatic and seeker-sensitive worship styles can all be found among evangelical churches. Overall, evangelicals tend to be more flexible and experimental with worship practices than mainline Protestant churches. It

3384-477: The National Council of Churches , founded in 1950), and making separatism (rigid separation from nonfundamentalist churches and their culture ) a true test of faith. Most fundamentalists are Baptists and dispensationalist or Pentecostals and Charismatics . Great emphasis is placed on the literal interpretation of the Bible as the primary method of Bible study as well as the biblical inerrancy and

3478-471: The Outreach Group Initiative , which has allowed us to get more people in more places the tools they need to build the thriving communities they’ve longed to create. World Relief believes mass displacement is the greatest crisis currently facing our world. According to UNHCR , more than 120 million people were displaced by mid-2024. World Relief is addressing the global displacement crisis with

3572-566: The Second Coming of Christ as fundamental Christian doctrines. Fundamentalism arose among evangelicals in the 1920s—primarily as an American phenomenon, but with counterparts in Britain and British Empire —to combat modernist or liberal theology in mainline Protestant churches. Failing to reform the mainline churches, fundamentalists separated from them and established their own churches, refusing to participate in ecumenical organizations (such as

3666-620: The Wesleyan Holiness churches, the Pentecostal and charismatic churches, some Anabaptist churches, and some Baptists and Presbyterians. Revivalist evangelicals tend to place greater emphasis on religious experience than their confessional counterparts. Evangelicals dissatisfied with the movement's fundamentalism mainstream have been variously described as progressive evangelicals, postconservative evangelicals, open evangelicals and postevangelicals . Progressive evangelicals, also known as

3760-542: The White House , and courts. The NAE Chaplains Commission endorses and supports chaplains in the U.S. military and other institutions. World Relief is the NAE's humanitarian arm. While the NAE headquarters are located in Washington, D.C. , its staff and constituency live and work all throughout North America . The association is currently led by NAE President Walter Kim . The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)

3854-814: The confessions of the Reformed churches ) provides such protection. Confessional evangelicals are represented by conservative Presbyterian churches (emphasizing the Westminster Confession ), certain Baptist churches that emphasize historic Baptist confessions such as the Second London Confession , evangelical Anglicans who emphasize the Thirty-Nine Articles (such as in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney , Australia ), Methodist churches that adhere to

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3948-539: The evangelical left , share theological or social views with other progressive Christians while also identifying with evangelicalism. Progressive evangelicals commonly advocate for women's equality, pacifism and social justice . As described by Baptist theologian Roger E. Olson , postconservative evangelicalism is a theological school of thought that adheres to the four marks of evangelicalism, while being less rigid and more inclusive of other Christians. According to Olson, postconservatives believe that doctrinal truth

4042-745: The infallibility of their interpretation . Mainstream evangelicalism is historically divided between two main orientations: confessionalism and revivalism . These two streams have been critical of each other. Confessional evangelicals have been suspicious of unguarded religious experience , while revivalist evangelicals have been critical of overly intellectual teaching that (they suspect) stifles vibrant spirituality . In an effort to broaden their appeal, many contemporary evangelical congregations intentionally avoid identifying with any single form of evangelicalism. These "generic evangelicals" are usually theologically and socially conservative, but their churches often present themselves as nondenominational (or, if

4136-626: The ordination of women in churches. The female ministry is justified by the fact that Mary Magdalene was chosen by Jesus to announce his resurrection to the apostles. The first Baptist woman who was consecrated pastor is the American Clarissa Danforth in the denomination Free Will Baptist in 1815. In 1882, in the American Baptist Churches USA . In the Assemblies of God of the United States, since 1927. In 1965, in

4230-466: The resurrection of Jesus , that offers forgiveness of sins and new life. This is understood most commonly in terms of a substitutionary atonement , in which Christ died as a substitute for sinful humanity by taking on himself the guilt and punishment for sin. Activism describes the tendency toward active expression and sharing of the gospel in diverse ways that include preaching and social action. This aspect of evangelicalism continues to be seen today in

4324-579: The sacraments or ordinances ( baptism and the Lord's Supper , but some evangelicals also count footwashing as an ordinance as well). Many evangelical traditions adhere to the doctrine of the believers' Church , which teaches that one becomes a member of the Church by the new birth and profession of faith. This originated in the Radical Reformation with Anabaptists but is held by denominations that practice believer's baptism . Evangelicals in

4418-784: The think tank Discovery Institute , established in 1991 in Seattle , defends this thesis. Other evangelicals who accept the scientific consensus on evolution and the age of Earth believe in theistic evolution or evolutionary creation —the notion that God used the process of evolution to create life; a Christian organization that espouses this view is the BioLogos Foundation . The Reformed , Baptist , Methodist , Pentecostal , Churches of Christ , Plymouth Brethren , charismatic Protestant , and nondenominational Protestant traditions have all had strong influence within contemporary evangelicalism. Some Anabaptist denominations (such as

4512-553: The 1950s with long-range consequences was the formation of a committee in 1957 to explore the possibility of a new translation of the Bible. The National Council had five years earlier released the Revised Standard Version , but the new translation did not prove popular among many evangelicals. The NAE committee began meeting with a similar committee commissioned by the Christian Reformed Church in 1961. By 1965,

4606-570: The 1980s, the neo-charismatic movement re-emphasized miracles and faith healing . In certain churches, a special place is thus reserved for faith healings with laying on of hands during worship services or for evangelization campaigns. Faith healing or divine healing is considered to be an inheritance of Jesus acquired by his death and resurrection. This view is typically ascribed to Pentecostal denominations, and not others that are cessationist (believing that miraculous gifts have ceased.) In terms of denominational beliefs regarding science and

4700-602: The Anglican, Methodist and Reformed traditions practice infant baptism as one's initiation into the community of faith and the New Testament counterpart to circumcision , while also stressing the necessity of personal conversion later in life for salvation . Some evangelical denominations operate according to episcopal polity or presbyterian polity . However, the most common form of church government within Evangelicalism

4794-462: The Chaplains Commission in 1944 to assist evangelical chaplains in the U.S. military . The NAE Chaplains Commission continues to provide support and endorsement for evangelicals to minister as military chaplains to three branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs . Free exercise and expression of faith in U.S. military institutions is a primary cause that

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4888-602: The Evangelical Chaplains Commission supports. The commission also supports institutional chaplains who serve in hospitals, prisons, workplaces, and other areas of ministry. The War Relief Commission was formed in 1944 to address the needs of war-torn Europe. The War Relief Commission sent clothing and food to victims of World War II. After the war, the War Relief Commission expanded its outreach beyond war relief, and its name changed to World Relief . As

4982-549: The Evangelical Foreign Missions Association (later called the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies, then The Mission Exchange, and now Missio Nexus). It was chartered to handle the special needs of missionaries and their agencies and is the largest missionary association in the world. Missio Nexus now operates independently of the NAE, though it is a member of the NAE. An NAE initiative in

5076-564: The Excellence in Giving Transparency Certificate. National Association of Evangelicals The National Association of Evangelicals ( NAE ) is an American association of Evangelical Christian denominations, organizations, schools, churches, and individuals, member of the World Evangelical Alliance . The association represents more than 45,000 local churches from about 40 different Christian denominations and serves

5170-582: The Federal Council of Churches (now National Council of Churches with 36 member bodies). McIntire invited the Evangelicals for United Action to join with them, but those who met in St. Louis declined the offer. The organization provisionally founded in 1942 was called the "National Association of Evangelicals for United Action". In 1943 the proposed constitution and doctrinal statement were amended and adopted, and

5264-591: The Greek word for ' gospel ' or 'good news': εὐαγγέλιον euangelion , from eu 'good', angel- the stem of, among other words, angelos 'messenger, angel', and the neuter suffix -ion . By the English Middle Ages, the term had expanded semantically to include not only the message, but also the New Testament which contained the message as well as more specifically the Gospels , which portray

5358-674: The Health of the Nation" (revised), among others. As NAE president, Anderson regularly taught in seminaries, addressed evangelical concerns with elected officials, counseled denominational executives, and provided theological and cultural commentary to leading news outlets. Walter Kim was elected NAE president at the October 2019 board meeting to begin his role in January 2020. Other leadership elections were made at that board meeting including John Jenkins, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden , to

5452-584: The Mutual Radio Network had announced it would no longer sell time for religious broadcasting and turned the Protestant broadcasting slot over to the Federal Council of Churches . NRB, after holding its own constitutional convention later that year, responded to the challenge, eventually persuading the networks to reverse their policies. NRB is now a separate organization. In addition to NRB, NAE created

5546-557: The NAE convention at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., via satellite link and told the delegates, "You cannot endorse me, but I endorse you." In 2004, the NAE adopted "For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility" document as its framework for engagement in political action. Ted Arthur Haggard (/ˈhæɡərd/; born June 27, 1956), an American evangelical pastor and founder and former pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, served as President of

5640-869: The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) from 2003 until November 2006. Haggard made national headlines in November 2006 in sex and drug use scandal. Haggard resigned his post shortly after the allegations became public. Leith Anderson served as interim president twice before he was named president in October 2007. During Anderson's presidency, the NAE stabilized and grew with expanded membership, significant grant funding and many new staff and programs, including an annual retreat of denomination leaders, NAE Talk consultations, Evangelical Leaders Survey, Evangelicals magazine, Today's Conversation podcast, and documents and publications including "Code of Ethics for Pastors," "When God and Science Meet," "Theology of Sex," and "For

5734-540: The Protestant Reformation". While approving of the evangelical distinctions proposed by Bebbington, confessional evangelicals believe that authentic evangelicalism requires more concrete definition in order to protect the movement from theological liberalism and from heresy . According to confessional evangelicals, subscription to the ecumenical creeds and to the Reformation-era confessions of faith (such as

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5828-508: The Socialist movement." This usage refers to evangelism , rather than evangelicalism as discussed here; though sharing an etymology and conceptual basis, the words have diverged significantly in meaning. One influential definition of evangelicalism has been proposed by historian David Bebbington. Bebbington notes four distinctive aspects of evangelical faith: conversionism , biblicism , crucicentrism , and activism, noting, "Together they form

5922-400: The United States and Switzerland speak of satisfying sexuality as a gift from God and a component of a Christian marriage harmonious, in messages during worship services or conferences. Many evangelical books and websites are specialized on the subject. The book The Act of Marriage: The Beauty of Sexual Love published in 1976 by Baptist pastor Tim LaHaye and his wife Beverly LaHaye

6016-562: The United States, providing refugee resettlement and other services in cities like Seattle, Chicago, and Baltimore. International Offices : Globally, World Relief operates in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean, partnering with local churches and communities to address crises such as displacement, poverty and health. World Relief is committed to prayerful, transparent, efficient and thoughtful stewardship of its financial resources .   As

6110-434: The broad English term Protestant and should not be confused with the narrower German term evangelikal , or the term pietistisch (a term etymologically related to the Pietist and Radical Pietist movements), which are used to described Evangelicalism in the sense used in this article. Mainline Protestant denominations with a Lutheran or semi-Lutheran background, like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ,

6204-415: The building is called "campus." The architecture of places of worship is mainly characterized by its sobriety. The Latin cross is one of the only spiritual symbols that can usually be seen on the building of an evangelical church and that identifies the place's belonging. Some services take place in theaters, schools or multipurpose rooms, rented for Sunday only. Because of their understanding of

6298-507: The change in life it leads to is marked by both a rejection of sin and a corresponding personal holiness of life. A conversion experience can be emotional, including grief and sorrow for sin followed by great relief at receiving forgiveness. The stress on conversion differentiates evangelicalism from other forms of Protestantism by the associated belief that an assurance will accompany conversion. Among evangelicals, individuals have testified to both sudden and gradual conversions. Biblicism

6392-412: The early 1950s, the organization changed its name to World Relief . The organization has operated in more than 100 countries across the world, responding to some of the world’s greatest crises. In the 1970s, they partnered with the U.S. government to build the national refugee resettlement program. The organization operates in more than 19 countries worldwide and 22 cities across the U.S., building upon

6486-468: The establishment of elementary and secondary schools. It also enabled the development of several bible colleges , colleges and universities in the United States during the 19th century. Other evangelical universities have been established in various countries of the world. The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities was founded in 1976. In 2023, the CCCU had 185 members in 21 countries. The Association of Christian Schools International

6580-542: The humanitarian arm of the NAE, World Relief offers assistance to victims of poverty, disease, hunger, war, disasters and persecution. The organization has offices worldwide. It is supported by churches and individual donors, as well as through United States Government grants from USAID and other agencies. World Relief's core programs focus on microfinance, AIDS prevention and care, maternal and child health, child development, agricultural training, disaster response, refugee resettlement and immigrant services. In 1945, NAE created

6674-637: The largest proportion of evangelicals in the world. American evangelicals are a quarter of the nation's population and its single largest religious group . As a transdenominational praxis, evangelicals may be found in nearly every Protestant denomination and tradition, particularly within the Reformed ( Continental Reformed , Anglicanism , Presbyterian , Congregational ), Plymouth Brethren , Baptist , Methodist ( Wesleyan–Arminian ), Lutheran , Moravian , Free Church , Mennonite , Quaker , Pentecostal / charismatic and non-denominational churches. The word evangelical has its etymological roots in

6768-462: The last time at an NAE gathering, calling on evangelicals to a renewed commitment to spread the gospel. In a move signaling its primary focus, the NAE changed its annual convention venue from hotels and convention centers to churches. In 2003, the first church-hosted convention was held at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. President George W. Bush , running for reelection in 2004, visited

6862-490: The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus . The first published use of evangelical in English was in 1531, when William Tyndale wrote "He exhorteth them to proceed constantly in the evangelical truth." One year later, Thomas More wrote the earliest recorded use in reference to a theological distinction when he spoke of "Tyndale [and] his evangelical brother Barns." During the Reformation , Protestant theologians embraced

6956-600: The name shortened to the "National Association of Evangelicals". By the 1950s, NAE's Washington, D.C., office gained a reputation as a service organization that could get things done. President Eisenhower welcomed an NAE delegation to the White House ;– a first-time honor for the association. At the NAE's 1983 conference in Orlando, Florida, the Rev. Arthur Evans Gay, Jr., NAE President, introduced President Ronald Reagan for what

7050-526: The office of chair of the NAE board; and Jo Anne Lyon, general superintendent emerita and ambassador of The Wesleyan Church, to the office of vice chair. In 1944, the NAE formed the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) at its convention in Columbus, Ohio. NRB was the first of many related service agencies NAE would charter with a particular purpose in mind. Following the lead of CBS and NBC,

7144-592: The only option for many Christians to live their faith in community. For example, there is the Evangelical house churches in China movement. The meetings thus take place in private houses, in secret and in illegality. The main Christian feasts celebrated by the Evangelicals are Christmas , Pentecost (by a majority of Evangelical denominations) and Easter for all believers. Evangelical churches have been involved in

7238-868: The origin of the earth and human life, some evangelicals support young Earth creationism . For example, Answers in Genesis , founded in Australia in 1986, is an evangelical organization that seeks to defend the thesis. In 2007, they founded the Creation Museum in Petersburg, in Kentucky and in 2016 the Ark Encounter in Williamstown . Since the end of the 20th century, literalist creationism has been abandoned by some evangelicals in favor of intelligent design . For example,

7332-453: The preaching of the gospel had ultimate authority over the practices of the Church . The origins of modern evangelicalism are usually traced to 1738, with various theological streams contributing to its foundation, including Pietism and Radical Pietism , Puritanism , Quakerism and Moravianism (in particular its bishop Nicolaus Zinzendorf and his community at Herrnhut ). Preeminently, John Wesley and other early Methodists were at

7426-415: The proliferation of evangelical voluntary religious groups and parachurch organizations . The word church has several meanings among evangelicals. It can refer to the universal church (the body of Christ ) including all Christians everywhere. It can also refer to the church (congregation) , which is the visible representation of the invisible church . It is responsible for teaching and administering

7520-440: The resources of local churches to address the root causes of suffering and meet each community’s unique needs. In recent years, World Relief has become most well-known for its work in the global displacement crisis, operating in some of the most highly impacted countries like Ukraine and Sudan, as well as advocating for immigration policy reform, and resettling refugees in the United States. The work of World Relief addresses some of

7614-645: The root of sparking this new movement during the First Great Awakening . Today, evangelicals are found across many Protestant branches, as well as in various denominations around the world, not subsumed to a specific branch. Among leaders and major figures of the evangelical Protestant movement were Nicolaus Zinzendorf , George Fox , John Wesley , George Whitefield , Jonathan Edwards , Billy Graham , Bill Bright , Harold Ockenga , Gudina Tumsa , John Stott , Francisco Olazábal , William J. Seymour , and Martyn Lloyd-Jones . Evangelicalism has long had

7708-656: The second of the Ten Commandments , some evangelicals do not have religious material representations such as statues, icons, or paintings in their places of worship. There is usually a baptistery on what is variously known as the chancel (also called sanctuary) or stage, though they may be alternatively found in a separate room, for the baptisms by immersion . In some countries of the world which apply sharia or communism , government authorizations for worship are complex for Evangelical Christians. Because of persecution of Christians , Evangelical house churches are

7802-554: The term as referring to "gospel truth." Martin Luther referred to the evangelische Kirche ("evangelical church") to distinguish Protestants from Catholics in the Catholic Church . Into the 21st century, evangelical has continued in use as a synonym for Mainline Protestant in continental Europe . This usage is reflected in the names of Protestant denominations, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . The German term evangelisch more accurately corresponds to

7896-692: The two committees formed the independent Committee on Bible Translation and two years later, the New York Bible Society (today the International Bible Society ) became the official sponsor. In 1978, the first copies of the New International Version of the Bible came off the presses. The Evangelical Project for Public Engagement was initiated at the 60th annual convention of the NAE in March 2001. The project team worked to articulate

7990-464: The underlying principles of the document have not changed, the NAE Board of Directors updated and adopted the revised version in 2018. New attention has been called to long-time social ills, including the broken immigration system, sexual harassment and abuse, human trafficking, racial injustice and white supremacy. Concern about these issues was implicit in the original document and is further elaborated in

8084-603: The updated edition, notably through the addition of a section on racial justice and reconciliation. African-American Baptist Oriental Orthodox Eastern Protestant Finished Work Pentecostal Oneness Pentecostal The following Protestant church denominations were members as of 2024. Many Christian organizations, academic groups, and individual churches are also members. Evangelicalism Evangelicalism ( / ˌ iː v æ n ˈ dʒ ɛ l ɪ k əl ɪ z əm , ˌ ɛ v æ n -, - ə n -/ ), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism ,

8178-437: The wake of humanitarian crises. Recently, World Relief has responded to conflicts and disasters in: World Relief’s goal is to meet urgent needs, rebuild communities even after headlines fade, and to reduce future risks by building cultures of resilience through climate-responsive agriculture training, disaster preparedness, peacebuilding and more. For 80 years, World Relief has partnered with local churches and partners around

8272-489: The world to transform their communities across all areas of life. Their goal is to build a world where families are healthy and safe, communities are resilient and healthy relationships flourish. World Relief responds to the world's toughest challenges with compassion, advocacy and technical expertise that help local change agents build flourishing communities. Some of the program areas that World Relief operates are: In 2014 World Relief launched an innovative new program called

8366-710: The world’s greatest challenges and causes of mass displacement including natural disasters, extreme poverty, violence and oppression. World Relief is organized as a corporation, and the National Association of Evangelicals as the sole shareholder . Myal Greene is currently the President/CEO (2021–Present). In the wake of both natural and manmade disasters, World Relief delivers emergency relief and builds resiliency to help people before, during and after disaster strikes. World Relief works alongside trusted, local responders and churches to provide necessities like food, clean water, shelter, healthcare, psychosocial support and more in

8460-524: Was a pioneer in the field. The perceptions of homosexuality in the Evangelical Churches are varied. They range from liberal to fundamentalist or moderate conservative and neutral. A 2011 Pew Research Center study found that 84 percent of evangelical leaders surveyed believed homosexuality should be discouraged. It is in the fundamentalist conservative positions that there are antigay activists on TV or radio who claim that homosexuality

8554-614: Was first used in 1831. In 1812, the term evangelicalism appeared in The History of Lynn by William Richards . In the summer of 1811 the term evangelicalists was used in The Sin and Danger of Schism by Rev. Dr. Andrew Burnaby , Archdeacon of Leicester . The term may also be used outside any religious context to characterize a generic missionary, reforming, or redeeming impulse or purpose. For example, The Times Literary Supplement refers to "the rise and fall of evangelical fervor within

8648-616: Was formed by a group of 147 people who met in St. Louis, Missouri on April 7–9, 1942. The Fundamentalist–Modernist Controversy and the related isolation of various evangelical denominations and leaders provided the impetus for developing such an organization. Early leaders in the movement included Harold Ockenga , David Otis Fuller , Will Houghton , Harry A. Ironside , Bob Jones, Sr. , Paul S. Rees, Leslie Roy Marston , John R. Rice , Charles Woodbridge , and J. Elwin Wright. Houghton called for

8742-497: Was founded in 1978 by 3 American associations of evangelical Christian schools. Various international schools have joined the network. In 2023, it had 23,000 schools in 100 countries. The International Council for Evangelical Theological Education was founded in 1980 by the Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance . In 2023, it had 850 member schools in 113 countries. In matters of sexuality , there

8836-525: Was to become known as his " Evil Empire " speech. The 50th anniversary of the organization was celebrated in 1992 at the annual March Convention at the Chicago Hyatt Hotel. President George H. W. Bush spoke to the World Relief annual luncheon at the invitation of the organization's president Arthur Gay, making Bush the third President to address the NAE. During the convention Billy Graham spoke for

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