Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As you may know, Grace Communion International in the United States is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). I serve on its board of directors. Some have asked about this organization. Since I will be attending the NAE board meeting this week in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this is a good opportunity to explain what the organization does, and the advantages that NAE membership brings to GCI.
Through NAE membership, we join with other evangelical denominations to have a larger impact than any single denomination could have by itself. The NAE serves a constituency of millions of people and represents more than 45,000 local churches and 40 denominations.
The NAE includes Reformed, Holiness, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic and other evangelical Christian traditions. This diverse and vibrant group is united by NAE’s core theological convictions, while acknowledging and respecting the diversity of its membership. Together, NAE members stand on God’s revelation in Scripture of redemption only in Jesus Christ the Son of God, by grace through faith. Found within NAE member denominations and churches is a commitment to dynamic unity that works toward a vision of all things made new, of all God’s people reconciled and of a lost world saved.
The NAE provides a forum where evangelicals work together to preserve religious liberty, nurture families and children, protect the sanctity of human life, seek justice for the poor, promote human rights, work for peace and care for God’s creation. Evangelical Christians do not always agree on the details of policy proposals or on the best strategies for reform. However, in a spirit of humility, we seek to learn from one another — and indeed from those of other faiths and those with no faith. Where possible, we seek common ground while remaining true to our own denominational beliefs and convictions.
The NAE writes position papers on a variety of issues, in order to represent the evangelical perspective accurately to the media. At times, this perspective has been hijacked by some megachurch personalities, who may have high profiles, but do not represent the views of most of us. Thankfully, the NAE has become the more respected and representative voice from within the evangelical community.
The Christian humanitarian arm of the NAE is the World Relief Organization, which provides churches a platform to engage the great causes of our day. From refugees fleeing to our shores, to the sudden onset of disasters, to the global health crises of HIV/AIDS and malaria, World Relief exists to help the church fulfill its mandate to serve those in need.
Here are a few announcements from a recent NAE Update. They illustrate the kind of work and extended reach that we have through our NAE membership.
Release of Pastor Nadarkhani from Iranian Prison
Nadarkhani, the head of a network of Christian house churches in Iran, was sentenced to death by hanging in September 2010 for apostasy. The Iranian Supreme Court upheld Nadarkhani’s conviction in July 2011, while offering to rescind the conviction if Nadarkhani would deny his Christian faith. A lesser conviction remains on the books. International pressure for Nadarkhani’s release has been strong with condemnation of his conviction from U.S. political leaders, as well as many human rights and religious freedom advocacy organizations. The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) welcomes the announcement that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been acquitted and freed after nearly three years in an Iranian prison on charges of apostasy. The NAE continues to advocate for increased religious freedom in Iran and around the world. “We are relieved for Pastor Nadarkhani, and pleased with this good decision of the Iranian government,” said Leith Anderson, NAE president. “We watch as laws are increasingly being used by governments against religious minorities, and we pray and press for more outcomes like this.”
Humanitarian Relief for Sudan
Directed to members of the United Nations Security Council, the NAE joined with over 120 human rights, faith-based, public interest and ethnic organizations in calling for decisive U.N. action to press Sudan to allow humanitarian access to the Sudanese states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, as well as Darfur.
Human Trafficking
As the world’s second-largest, fastest-growing criminal industry, human trafficking has led to the enslavement of more than 20 million people around the world. To meet the demand in the United States, a person is trafficked over U.S. borders every ten minutes. World Relief has been active in the fight against human trafficking in the United States since 2004 in the areas of partnership building, victim service provision and community outreach and awareness support. In 2008, World Relief launched an initiative to reduce and prevent the exploitation and abuse of women and children in Cambodia. This program is designed to address the root causes of trafficking of vulnerable adults, adolescents and children through community-level training.
I feel privileged to represent all of us in Grace Communion International as a member of the NAE board. It is a reminder that God’s work is larger than any one group or denomination. Please join me in praying for a useful board meeting and the continued success of the NAE in its mission.
Your brother in Christ’s service,
Joseph Tkach
P.S. You might be interested in viewing the Microsoft advertisement currently playing on TV—it was filmed on the former Ambassador College campus in Pasadena. Click on the picture below or go to http://youtu.be/8mSckyoAMHg.
Joe, thanks for this update. It is really encouraging to see NAE involved in such a wide range of Kingdom-related efforts…sharing Jesus’ love in word and deed. I am glad we are a part of this and look forward to the many surprising ways God will use GCI members in all kinds of ways, in all kinds of places, loving all kinds of people with all kinds of needs.
Charles