National Association of Evangelicals
Encyclopedia
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Today it works in four main areas: Church & Faith Partners, Government Relations, Chaplains Commission, and World Relief
World Relief
World Relief is an international relief and development agency. Founded in 1944 as the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief offers assistance to victims of poverty, disease, hunger, war, disasters and persecution. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the...
. The NAE is a member of the World Evangelical Alliance
World Evangelical Alliance
- Introduction :' is a global ministry working with local churches around the world to join in common concern to live and proclaim the "Good News of Jesus" in their communities...
(WEA).
Mission statement
The mission of the National Association of Evangelicals is to honor God by connecting and representing evangelical Christians.History
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) was formed by a group of 147 people who met in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
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 were Ralph T. Davis, Will Houghton, Harold Ockenga
Harold Ockenga
Harold John Ockenga was a leading figure of 20th century American evangelicalism, part of the reform movement known as "Neo-Evangelicalism". A Congregational minister, Ockenga served for many years as pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts. He was also a prolific author on...
, and J. Elwin Wright. Houghton called for 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
Carl McIntire
Carl McIntire was a founder of, and minister in, the Bible Presbyterian Church, founder and long president of the and the American Council of Christian Churches, and a popular religious radio broadcaster, who proudly identified himself as a fundamentalist.-Youth and education:Born in Ypsilanti,...
and Harvey Springer led in organizing the American Council of Christian Churches
American Council of Christian Churches
The American Council of Christian Churches was founded in 1941 under the leadership of Carl McIntire. McIntire and others created a fundamentalist organization set up in opposition to the Federal Council of Churches...
(now with 7 member bodies) in September 1941. It was a more militant and fundamentalist organization set up in opposition to the Federal Council of Churches (now National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
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 tentative organization 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 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, NAE President Rev. Arthur Evans Gay, Jr. introduced President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
for what was to become known as his "Evil Empire
Evil empire
The phrase evil empire was applied to the Soviet Union especially by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who took an aggressive, hard-line stance that favored matching and exceeding the Soviet Union's strategic and global military capabilities, in calling for a rollback strategy that would, in his words,...
" 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
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
spoke to the World Relief
World Relief
World Relief is an international relief and development agency. Founded in 1944 as the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief offers assistance to victims of poverty, disease, hunger, war, disasters and persecution. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the...
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
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
spoke for 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
Wooddale Church
Originally known as "The Wayside Chapel", Wooddale Church is a large evangelical Christian church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The large success of the Wooddale Church led to the formation of many other similar churches in Minnesota...
in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, running for reelection in 2004, visited the NAE convention at New Life Church
New Life Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
New Life Church is a non-denominational charismatic Evangelical Christian megachurch located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. New Life Church has more than 10,000 members and is pastored by Brady Boyd.-History:...
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.
With a record of over 65 years of facilitating evangelical unity, witness and cooperation, the NAE is the only institutional structure and the most representative agency of American evangelicals in the 21st century.
Overview
There are over 40 denominations representing approximately 45,000 churches in the organization. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Leith Anderson
Leith Anderson
Leith Anderson is the President of the National Association of Evangelicals. He has served as senior pastor of Wooddale Church, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, since 1977.-Biography:...
has been its president since November 7, 2006.
National Religious Broadcasters
In 1944, the NAE formed the National Religious BroadcastersNational Religious Broadcasters
National Religious Broadcasters is an American organization that represents Christian religious broadcasters on American television and radio, including several high-profile televangelists and Christian radio show hosts. It claims a membership of more than 1700 organizations...
(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, 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
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
. NRB, after holding its own constitutional convention later that year, responded to the challenge, eventually persuading the networks to reverse their policies.
The Chaplains Commission
In addition to NRB, NAE created the Chaplains Commission in 1944 to assist evangelical chaplains in the military. The NAE Chaplains Commission provides support and endorsement for evangelicals to minister as chaplains to three branches of the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Free exercise and expression of faith in U.S. military institutions is a primary cause that the Chaplains Commission supports.World Relief
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 ReliefWorld Relief
World Relief is an international relief and development agency. Founded in 1944 as the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief offers assistance to victims of poverty, disease, hunger, war, disasters and persecution. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the...
. As 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.
The Mission Exchange
In 1945, NAE created the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association (later called the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies and now The Mission Exchange http://themissionexchange.org/, the largest missionary association in the world), which was chartered to handle the special needs of missionaries and their agencies.New International Version
An NAE initiative in 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 VersionRevised Standard Version
The Revised Standard Version is an English translation of the Bible published in the mid-20th century. It traces its history to William Tyndale's New Testament translation of 1525. The RSV is an authorized revision of the American Standard Version of 1901...
, 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
Christian Reformed Church in North America
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
in 1961. By 1965, the two committees formed the independent Committee on Bible Translation and two years later, the New York Bible Society (today the International Bible Society
International Bible Society
Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL (from a merger of International Bible Society (IBS) and Send the Light (STL), has its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is a nonprofit Christian organization that...
) became the official sponsor. In 1978, the first copies of the New International Version
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
of the Bible came off the presses.
For the Health of the Nation
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 a framework for evangelical civic and political engagement for the 21st century under the direction of Richard CizikRichard Cizik
Richard Cizik was the Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals and one of the most prominent Evangelical lobbyists in the United States. In his position with the NAE, Cizik's primary responsibilities were setting the organization's policy on issues and...
, then-Vice President of Governmental Affairs. The project generated a major volume edited by the late 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" is a summary of the larger volume that calls evangelicals to address seven spheres of social involvement from a biblical framework and also provides specific principles of engagement. The NAE's political action is based on the document, which outlines seven 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, peacemaking, and caring for creation.
Creation Care
Though actively engaged in all seven areas of the 2004 document entitled "For the Health of the Nation," the NAE gained much notice for the seventh point of that document; this section of the document calls on evangelicals to "protect God's creation."In the May 2008, then-NAE Vice President for Governmental Affairs Richard Cizik
Richard Cizik
Richard Cizik was the Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals and one of the most prominent Evangelical lobbyists in the United States. In his position with the NAE, Cizik's primary responsibilities were setting the organization's policy on issues and...
was named to the TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World along with Eric Chivian, director of Harvard's Center for Health and the Global Environment, for their collaboration on caring for the environment. Cizik's advocacy on climate change has been controversial among evangelicals.
In December 2008, Leith Anderson reaffirmed that "For the Health of the Nation" contains the NAE's only official position on the environment, and confirmed that "we don't [have a specific position] on global warming or emissions. [Cizik] has spoken as an individual on that." Cizik resigned from his position at the NAE in December 2008.
Generation Forum
In May 2010, The NAE established the Generation Forum to explore how evangelical Christians can be involved in collaborative efforts aimed at reducing the number of abortions in the United States.Members of the NAE believe that the Bible reveals God’s calling and care for persons before they are born, which is why the NAE firmly opposes abortion on demand. This conviction also fuels the NAE’s interest in the growing conversation about how to find common ground in the effort to reduce the abortion rate in the United States. More than one million abortions annually is deeply troubling and unacceptable, according to the NAE. Members of the NAE believe there are many people across traditional dividing lines who share this view. However, the NAE's 2010 position statement on abortion does not set forth any specific legislative proposals that would prohibit or limit abortion; rather, the 2010 statement expresses a desire to "dramatically reduce the incidence of abortion in the United States."
Member denominations
The following Protestant church denominations were members as of 2010. Many Christian organizations and academic groups are also members.- Baptist General ConferenceBaptist General ConferenceThe Baptist General Conference is a national evangelical Baptist body with roots in Pietism in Sweden and inroads among evangelical Scandinavian-Americans, particularly in the American Upper Midwest. From its beginning among Scandinavian immigrants, the BGC has grown to a nationwide association...
(joined 1966) - Churches of Christ in Christian UnionChurches of Christ in Christian UnionThe Churches of Christ in Christian Union is a Christian denomination with origins in the Wesleyan/Arminian doctrine . The hot political climate at the beginning of the War Between the States brought Methodists into conflict. In Ohio the church in general supported the war but there was a small...
(joined 1945)
- Anglican Mission in the Americas (joined 2008)
- Assemblies of God USA (joined 1943)
- Brethren in Christ Church (joined 1949)
- Christ Community Church
- Christian Reformed Church in North AmericaChristian Reformed Church in North AmericaThe Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
(joined 1943-51; 1988) - Christian Union (joined 1954)
- Church of God (Cleveland) (joined 1944)
- Church of the NazareneChurch of the NazareneThe Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
(joined 1984) - Conservative Congregational Christian ConferenceConservative Congregational Christian ConferenceThe Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, colloquially known as the CCCC or 4C's, is a Protestant Christian denomination operating in the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul...
(joined 1951) - Conservative Lutheran Association (joined 1984)
- Converge Worldwide
- Elim FellowshipElim FellowshipThe Elim Fellowship is a North American based Pentecostal/charismatic Christian denomination that emphasizes the spread of revival and renewal.- History :...
(joined 1947) - Evangelical Assembly of Presbyterian Churches
- Evangelical Congregational Church (joined 1962)
- Evangelical Free Church of AmericaEvangelical Free Church of AmericaThe Evangelical Free Church of America is an evangelical Christian denomination. The EFCA was formed in 1950 from the merger of the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association.-History:...
(joined 1943) - Evangelical Friends Church International (joined 1971)
- Evangelical Presbyterian Church (joined 1982)
- Every Nation Churches
- Fellowship of Evangelical ChurchesFellowship of Evangelical ChurchesThe Fellowship of Evangelical Churches is an evangelical body of Christians with a Mennonite heritage. Conference offices are located in Fort Wayne, IN....
- Free Methodist ChurchFree Methodist ChurchThe Free Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement. It is evangelical in nature and has its roots in the Arminian-Wesleyan tradition....
of North America (joined 1944) - General Association of General BaptistsGeneral Association of General BaptistsGeneral Association of General Baptists - a group of Baptists holding the general atonement , located mostly in the midwestern United States....
(joined 1988) - Grace Communion International (joined 1997 as Worldwide Church of God)
- Great Commission Churches (joined 2007)
- International Church of the Foursquare GospelInternational Church of the Foursquare GospelThe International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, is an evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination. As of 2000 it had a worldwide membership of over 8,000,000, with almost 60,000 churches in 144 countries. In 2006, membership in the United States...
(joined 1952) - International Pentecostal Church of ChristInternational Pentecostal Church of ChristThe International Pentecostal Church of Christ is a Pentecostal denomination formed in 1976 by the merger of two Pentecostal organizations....
(joined 1946) - International Pentecostal Holiness ChurchInternational Pentecostal Holiness ChurchThe International Pentecostal Holiness Church or simply Pentecostal Holiness Church is a Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1911 with the merger of two older denominations. Traditionally centered in the Southeastern United States, particularly the Carolinas and Georgia, the Pentecostal...
(joined 1943) - Mennonite Brethren Churches (joined 1946)
- Missionary ChurchMissionary ChurchThe Missionary Church is an evangelical Christian denomination of Anabaptist origins with Wesleyan, Pietist, and Keswickian influences.-Faith and practice:...
, Inc. (joined 1944) - Open Bible Church (joined 1943)
- Presbyterian Church in AmericaPresbyterian Church in AmericaThe Presbyterian Church in America is an evangelical Protestant Christian denomination, the second largest Presbyterian church body in the United States after the Presbyterian Church . The PCA professes a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work, and Christian education...
(joined 1986) - Primitive Methodist Church USA (joined 1946)
- The Brethren ChurchThe Brethren ChurchThe Brethren Church is one of several groups that traces its origins back to the Schwarzenau Brethren of Germany. In the mid-19th century, the church began to struggle over modernization. Progressives stressed evangelism, objected to distinctive dress, and objected to the supremacy of the annual...
(joined 1968) - The Christian and Missionary AllianceChristian and Missionary AllianceThe Christian and Missionary Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, the Christian & Missionary Alliance did not start off as a denomination, but rather began as two distinct parachurch organizations: The Christian...
(joined 1966) - The Evangelical Church (joined 1969)
- The Salvation ArmySalvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, National Headquarters (joined 1990) - The VineyardAssociation of Vineyard ChurchesThe Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian denomination with over 1,500 affiliated churches worldwide....
, USA - The Wesleyan ChurchWesleyan Church"Wesleyan" has been used in the title of a number of historic and current denominations, although the subject of this article is the only denomination to use that specific title...
(joined 1948) - Transformation Ministries
- United Brethren in ChristChurch of the United Brethren in ChristThe Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
(joined 1953) - Evangelical Protestant Church GCEPC http://lutheranepc.com (joined 2010)
In 2000, the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
voted to seek observer status in the National Association of Evangelicals.
Presidents
- Harold OckengaHarold OckengaHarold John Ockenga was a leading figure of 20th century American evangelicalism, part of the reform movement known as "Neo-Evangelicalism". A Congregational minister, Ockenga served for many years as pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts. He was also a prolific author on...
(1942–1944) - Leslie Roy MarstonLeslie Roy MarstonLeslie Roy Marston was an American Bishop of the Free Methodist Church of North America, elected in 1935. He also served as President of the National Association of Evangelicals.-References:...
(1944–46) - Rutherford DeckerRutherford DeckerRutherford L. Decker was an United States politician, a longtime member and a Presidential nominee of Prohibition Party in 1960, and the President of the National Association of Evangelicals from 1946 to 1948.-Biography:...
(1946–48) - Stephen W. PaineStephen W. PaineStephen William Paine was President of Houghton College, and the President of the National Association of Evangelicals from 1948 to 1950.-Biography:...
(1948–50) - Frederick C. Fowler (1950–52)
- Paul S. Rees (1952–54)
- Henry H. Savage (1954–56)
- Paul P. Petticord (1956–58)
- Herbert S. Mekeel (1958–60)
- Thomas F. Zimmerman (1960–62)
- Robert A. CookRobert A. CookDr. Robert Andrew Cook was the president of The King's College in Briarcliff Manor, a Christian author, radio broadcaster, and pastor....
(1962–64) - Jared F. Gerig (1964–66)
- Rufus Jones (1966–68)
- Arnold Olson (1968–70)
- Hudson T. ArmerdingHudson ArmerdingHudson Taylor Armerding was President of Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, from 1965-1982. He was also President of the National Association of Evangelicals from 1970-1972.-Biography:...
(1970–72) - Myron F. Boyd (1972–74)
- Paul E. Toms (1974–76)
- Nathan Bailey (1976–78)
- Carl H. Lundquist (1978–80)
- J. Floyd Williams (1980–82)
- Arthur Evans Gay, Jr. (1982–84)
- Robert W. McIntyre (1984–86)
- Ray H. Hughes (1986–88)
- John H. White (1988–90)
- B. Edgar Johnson (1990–92)
- Don ArgueDon ArgueDon Argue was the President of the National Association of Evangelicals from 1992 to 1998. He also served as the President of North Central University for sixteen years, and of Northwest University for nine years.-Biography:...
(1992–98) - Kevin Mannoia (1999–2001)
- Leith AndersonLeith AndersonLeith Anderson is the President of the National Association of Evangelicals. He has served as senior pastor of Wooddale Church, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, since 1977.-Biography:...
(2002–2003) - Ted HaggardTed HaggardTed Arthur Haggard is an American evangelical pastor. Known as Pastor Ted to the congregation he served, he was the founder and former pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado; a founder of the Association of Life-Giving Churches; and was leader of the National Association of...
(2003–2006) - Leith AndersonLeith AndersonLeith Anderson is the President of the National Association of Evangelicals. He has served as senior pastor of Wooddale Church, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, since 1977.-Biography:...
(2006-)