WASHINGTON (RNS)—Evangelical Christian groups are calling on Congress to reinstate foreign aid programs shuttered by President Donald Trump’s administration, arguing the government’s actions will hurt millions of people around the world.
About three dozen evangelical Christians assembled at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church on March 11 for a “Prayer Vigil for Foreign Aid.” Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World, denounced the “broad, untargeted cuts” recently implemented at the U.S. Agency for International Development as an assault on vulnerable populations all over the globe.
“These indiscriminate cuts are not just a policy failure,” said Cho, standing in a sanctuary dotted with candles. “For us, especially, as followers of Christ, as uncomfortable as it may be, we must clearly … but prophetically, say: it is also a moral failure.”
The unusual vigil, featuring an array of evangelical organizations such as World Relief and the Accord Network publicly criticizing the federal government, came a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared on social media that the government will cancel 83 percent of programs at USAID.
The announcement followed weeks of chaos at the agency involving work stoppages, ongoing legal battles and mass layoffs led by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.
In a March 10 email, Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, told Religion News Service the group’s contracts were among those canceled.
Although he celebrated the fact that four of World Relief’s grants in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo unexpectedly were reinstated, he noted two of those grants are “scheduled to be completed this month,” and the organization has not received “any information on proposals for renewal.”
Meanwhile, he said, the group’s work in Haiti remains in limbo, with World Relief having received a “stop work” order in January but no formal cancellation. Furthermore, World Relief still hasn’t received any reimbursements for work already done.
“It’s very difficult to operate until we’re confident we will be reimbursed,” Soerens wrote.
In addition, a representative for Catholic Relief Services, the single largest recipient of USAID funds in recent years, according to Forbes, confirmed to RNS their contracts were also among those canceled, although they were unable to clarify precisely how many.
Speakers stress human impact of cuts
During Tuesday’s vigil, several speakers highlighted the human toll of the cuts. Kombo Choga, senior director for program design at Compassion International, pointed out his organization currently does not receive government funds, but said they “are witnessing how the withdraw of aid is devastating” populations they work with, including children.
“It’s causing harm now, and into the future,” he told the crowd, which included evangelical Christian USAID staffers who were laid off during recent cuts. Several held signs emblazoned with slogans such as “Hunger won’t wait” and “Aid strengthens American national security.”
Choga argued while the government has a responsibility to assess the proper use of taxpayer funds, the Bible offers “very clear guidance.”
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,” he said, citing Proverbs 19:17.
Carol Bremer-Bennett, executive director of World Renew, expressed a similar sentiment during her prayer at the event.
“We lament the choices of those in power who have turned away from the suffering of your children,” she said
Funding “has been withdrawn from clinics where babies take their first breaths, from hospitals where mothers fight to survive childbirth, from communities where clean water and medicine once flowed,” she added.
The cuts, Bremer-Bennett said, are “not just numbers on a page,” but “real lives lost.”
‘It’s not too late’
Cho and others expressed frustration at the administration’s actions but also highlighted the potential role of Congress, arguing lawmakers have the power to reinstate the programs.
“We are here today to urge the administration and Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to do all that they can,” Cho said. “It’s not too late to protect critical international aid that supports tens of millions of people suffering alone right now.”
In a separate interview, Cho said he was aware of “conversations that are happening behind the scenes” in the halls of Congress regarding aid, but that he and others feel compelled by their faith to publicly voice their concerns with the Trump administration and lawmakers.
“We pray for the administration, but we also are urging our elected members of Congress to do their responsibility—and to do their duty—to follow through on the allocation of those resources,” he said.
Cho was echoed by Lanre Williams-Ayedun, a senior vice president of international programs at World Relief. Speaking at the vigil, she insisted when leaders “neglect the vulnerable,” including those who benefit from foreign aid, it amounts to “turning away from God.”
In addition, James Standish of ADRA, the global humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was one of many speakers who noted that foreign aid makes up less than 1 percent of the federal budget.
“We sing that song: ‘God bless America.’ Well, folks, God has blessed America,” Standish said, arguing the Bible instructs believers to share their blessings with others.
‘Grievance’ driving decisions
Multiple speakers made clear that while they believed the foreign aid system has issues, drastically reducing programs was not the answer. Randy Tift, senior adviser at the Accord Network, raised concerns that a cycle of grievance was driving many of the Trump administration’s actions.
“People involved in these recent decisions on all sides, some in current leadership, were grievously mistreated in the past,” Tift said. “I fear grievance is driving a lot of the new team’s decisions; dedicated and faithful USAID staff, including former staff—some of whom are here today—have now been treated with cruelty by some who were aggrieved in the past.”
Other speakers included Gillian Foster Wilkinson, director of strategic alliances at Hope International, and Jessica Moerman, president and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network.
After the vigil, Cho told RNS the event originally was planned to be held in front of Congress but had to be moved for scheduling reasons. The hope, he said, was to dispute the idea that Christians, “including those that come from more conservative or evangelical leanings,” are in support of USAID’s cuts.
Cho acknowledged it may take time to turn hearts in Congress but said his group was prepared for a long fight.
“We’re not interested in putting on one-time events,” he said.
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