Christian humanitarian aid is work performed by Christian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to alleviate the suffering of people around the world. Charity is a concept of great importance in Christianity. Humanitarian aid occurs in areas where some churches choose to invest time and money in the spirit of compassion.
Contents
Origins
The modern concept of Christian humanitarian aid is based on teachings from the Bible. Charity and providing assistance to the poor are concepts established in the Old Testament. According to Exodus, part of one's tithe was devoted to the needy (orphans, widows, foreigners). In the New Testament, Jesus taught much about the subject of charity. In the Sermon on the Mount, he called for people to help not only friends but also enemies, as well as those rejected by society, such as people with disabilities.
Dating back as early as the Middle Ages, Catholic monasteries and monastic orders have a long tradition of providing charity, asylum, and assistance to the poor. Protestant churches established the Department of Deacons responsible for helping the poor. Missionary societies of the 18th and 19th centuries often offered humanitarian assistance in addition to their main activity of evangelism.
In the 19th century, the first Christian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) began emerging. YMCA, a Protestant NGO, was created in 1844 in London. Caritas, a Catholic NGO, was founded in Cologne in 1897. The entreprenurial culture of [Evangelical]] churches also led to their creation of multiple NGOs.
Like the humanitarian movement, Christian NGOs attracted more attention in the 1970s. Some Christian NGOs, such as those run by evangelical doctors providing medical assistance in impoverished countries, are recognized for their contributions to development.
Features and Benefits
There is no universal definition of these organizations. A Christian humanitarian NGO has at least one of the following traits:
Affiliation with local Christian churches across the world often make it possible for Christian NGOs to work in countries or regions that are otherwise difficult for governmental or international organizations to access. The international network of many Christian religions allows their NGOs to gather significant funding and publicity to promote their humanitarian actions across the world.
Results and budgets
In 2007, Christian NGOs comprised 57.4% of the NGOs affiliated with the United Nations.
According to a British study by Elizabeth Ferris, published in 2005 in the periodical International Review of the Red Cross", Christian NGOs have large budgets and provide considerable financial support worldwide. This same study gives the following figures:
Catholicism
Examples of Catholic Humanitarian NGOs:
Protestantism
Examples of Protestant Humanitarian NGO:
Evangelical Christianity
For Evangelical Christians, humanitarian aid is a call from God to participate in the relief of suffering. Therefore, many believers choose to give their time, talent, and money to help the poor in their country or abroad. In some NGOs, such as Mercy Ships, health professionals must pay substantial tuition fees in addition to working for free. Many Christian NGO web sites, such as those of Mercy Ships and World Vision, aid must be provided to all who need it without discrimination based on religion. According to Sébastien Fath, Evangelical churches and their respective NGOs develop an international humanitarian entrepreneurship that influences policy decisions. Therefore, they are unavoidable geopolitical players in the humanitarian field.
Examples of Evangelical Christian NGO Humanitarian