November 5, 2008, by Connie MacLeod, Orlando Christianity Examiner

“Our hearts have always been for evangelism…” said Pastor Joel Hunter of Northland Church and the World Evangelical Alliance. He along with more than 500 evangelical leaders gathered at the General Assembly of the Alliance in Pattaya, Thailand to focus on our evangelical response to HIV & AIDS, poverty, peacemaking, creation care, religious liberty and the global financial crisis.

These indeed are major issues all over our world and taken collectively can seem overwhelming without immediate answers or adequate relief for this world’s suffering. Yet we as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, if the Holy Spirit is in us, must heed that call to rally for our brothers and sisters who are suffering in so many ways.

“In coping with the financial crisis of 2008, governments and international institutions have shown how quickly and effectively they can move to mobilize massive resources in the face of serious threats to our global, common economic well being. Yet one child dying of preventable causes every three seconds and 2.7 billion people barely sustained on an income of less than two dollars per day has yet to evoke a similar level of urgent response.” (Quoted from the WEA Resolution on Millennium Development Goals)

Despite the financial crisis, most Americans are still secure. The situation may prevent us from buying a new car, a new home, taking that vacation, or upgrading the entertainment center, but in countries like Thailand, people suffer greatly and we never see it, so it’s easy to ignore. Families go hungry, worldwide parents are deceived while their children are wretched away and sold into sex trafficking, the Aids epidemic is raging, tribal wars condone ethnic cleansing and people die of starvation daily.

Have we become so stagnant in our faith that we can turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to these cries? In America and Europe, Christianity is not experiencing much growth…but across the continents of Africa, Asia and South America Christianity is exploding! Many believers must meet underground for fear of persecution or execution! But they are an eruption of the Gospel being lived out daily. Why? Because of relationships…people are taking the time to serve, to love and care for each other, the way Christ taught us.

Pastor Hunter bears witness to this and believes “We are on a good path” that begins with one small step. We need to start with relationships with larger organizations like the Salvation Army, International Justice Mission, Born2Fly or the World Evangelical Alliance to name a few. They have global voices and can make a major impact where one voice is too small.

He added, “As churches, we need to get involved in sending our people out, as there is nothing more valuable than to see first hand how the world is suffering.” Then our hearts can be moved by compassion into action. There are 420 million evangelicals in over 130 nations across the world and if we really wanted change, we could make it happen.

Individually, we can make a difference by getting involved in short-term missions. Research an area, country or village on the WEA web-site and see what your youth group or prayer team can do for them. It may be prayer, a mission visit or working directly with organizations in those areas to provide protection, rescue, food, medical attention or bibles.

The WEA, as all disciples of Christ should be, are committed to Evangelism…it is the heart of spreading the Gospel for it is only through Jesus Christ that lives are radically changed for eternity!

For more info: Check out the WEA website at http://www.worldevangelicals.org/. For information on the Thailand consultation, see: http://www.worldevangelicals.org/news/view.htm?id=2169