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.
Addressing a crowd of around three dozen largely evangelical Christians assembled at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church on Tuesday morning for a “Prayer Vigil for Foreign Aid,” the Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of the group Bread for the World, denounced the “broad, un-targeted 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 announced that the government will cancel 83% 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 an email on Monday, Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, told media that 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 were unexpectedly 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.”
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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. What’s more, 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 media on Tuesday their contracts were also among those canceled, although they were unable to clarify precisely how many.
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 that his organization currently does not receive government funds, but said they “are witnessing how the withdrawal 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 that 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, adding that 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.”
The cuts, Bremer-Bennett said, are “not just numbers on a page,” but “real lives lost.”
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 with media, 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 that 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% 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.
Thank you to all who joined us this morning to pray and reflect on the importance of foreign aid. We appreciate your support. pic.twitter.com/lHXY7BiI8Z
— Bread for the World (@bread4theworld) March 11, 2025
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 the Rev. Jessica Moerman, president and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network.
After the vigil, Cho told media that the event was originally 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 that it may take time to turn hearts in Congress but said that his group was prepared for a long fight.
“We’re not interested in putting on one-time events,” he said.
Jack Jenkins is an award-winning journalist and national reporter for the Religion News Service.
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34 Responses
I have worked on international project development in developing countries for infrastructures and water, and it is good to see a call for empathy from the religious community rather than only financial pragmatism (Musk and company). My concern is a lot bigger and ” spiritual”, and it is for all christian churches, christians, pastors to denounce the dictatorship spirit and abominable character (Pr.6:16-19) of Donald Trump, and all the nay sayers around him, especially the religious government appointees. As Christ would say, you can’t serve 2 masters: God and Mammon, Mat 6:24 (Worldly greed, power, and money). It’s one or the other and your destiny is tied to this choice. Although this Government supports outward moral reforms, it is totally anti Christian values, blasphemy of the beatitudes (mercy, humility, true righteousness, peacemaking), and litterally wicked from all Biblical standpoint. Pastors, you need to preach the gospel and sound doctrine, but you also need to denounce evil and deceivers and warn your flocks. MAGA means Make America Go Astray, and there is wide path sown right now in ruthlessness, division, bigotry and self-righteousness. The christians and christendom in America have elevated this lawless and blaspheming speaker (Dan11:36, Jude 14), and that’s part of the christian mandate, not to fear men but God. In his own self defensive terms, I would say: ” This is a disgrace and You are”. Trump needs to be more accountable, and the church/christians have a part to do in this endeavour.
You’re completely off on this and misquoting the bible. Your TDS is real and is showing. You are disparaging many of your Christian brothers and sisters who voted for Trump based on promises he made to the American people. And you conveniently leave out your Christian duty to submit to the authority that God has placed over you. USAID has for a long time, been a dirty slush fund for politicians on both sides of the aisle, and it’s time for it to stop. If Christians want to support these worldwide efforts, fine, they can fund them out of their own pockets. The government was never designed to be a mechanism to make people be charitable, much less throw their money away on programs that promote foul and disgusting anti-Christian doctrines. I tithe to my local church, but it’s not a tax write-off for me. And btw, I served in the military for 21 years and conducted many humanitarian missions. So, I’m every bit as qualified to make this statement as you are.
USAID was never about charity it was always about leverage and soft power on the international stage. From what I read, it also provided cover for many a CIA agent. Time will tell what the consequences of this will truly be, God help us.
Thank you, Eric, for addressing this matter.
Well said. I agree 150% with you! People that hide behind Christianity saying they’re Christian when we see the ugly things happening to our entire world because of two horrible people, truly makes me scratch my head and sickens my stomach. I don’t know how people can stand behind Christianity and say this is the right way, that this is godly. What is going on with our world? Too many people are drinking the Kool-Aid and it’s very concerning. There are people who are wrong on both sides, but this constant hate back-and-forth isn’t gonna make it better. Hate will not make America great again. Change and compromise will.
The Church, not the government, should be held accountable for helping the poor, feeding the hungry, standing with those treated unjustly, and serving Christ in this world. It is a mistake to rely on the American government to provide financial assistance around the world.
Why? Most non-mega churches lack the wherewithal to accomplish that, especially on an international level. I seem to recall a Sunday School story where God’s people were suffering from a famine and sought help from a well prepared government program in Egypt instituted by God’s servant Joseph. Many Christians served the needy of this world THROUGH government programs such as USAID. So you’re saying we should immediately with no alternative ,freeze all efforts so we can lower the taxes of the ultra rich? That’s the most convoluted Christian Nationalist plan I’ve ever heard!
I’m intrigued by your comments, Cynthia. I have heard many US Christians state that America is established on Christian values. Do those values cease at helping the world’s poorest or most vulnerable people? Does the US government have no responsibility to help them?
Rob Buckingham: No, the US government is not responsible for the world and there is no way you can convolute scripture enough to make that claim. In the immediate context of scripture, we are to help the poor within our own limited sphere of influence. People in our own Church first, and then those outside of the Church, if possible. These mandates to help the poor are always given to the nation of Israel, in the Old Testament, or the Church in the New Testament. They are not directed at the entire world. The US is not mandated to help the entire world. If there is a government mandate to help to the poor it should be directed to those in this country alone, as long as there are people who need help. Other countries are responsible for their own people, not the US. You will not find the concept you are espousing anywhere in the Bible.
Eddie – while I don’t think this is as binary of an argument as is being presented (I don’t think we should rely SOLELY on the government to help the poor, needy, etc.; I also don’t think the government is COMPLETELY absolved from doing so), your argument does not hold up against scripture either. “Other countries are responsible for their own people” is worldly thinking anchored in the writing of man-made documents. You cannot convolute scripture to justify the US (or any wealthy nation) having and controlling a significant majority of the world’s wealth and doing nothing about neighboring countries that struggle to even have clean water (and I won’t go into the role many wealthy nations played in pillaging said nations of key resources and leaving them in need). That’s nationalistic thinking, not Godly thinking.
Last I checked, our God was bigger than any country’s borders, and His calling for us to “go out to all the nations” was exactly that. God did not put borders on helping the poor or marginalized (nowhere in scripture did it say “only help the poor in your own country or of your nationality”). It’s fine if you believe that. Let’s just not tie that to scripture.
BTW, don’t we pride ourselves on being a “Christian” nation founded on “Christian” principles? Are we saying being a Christian nation means we only help our own?
We need to be careful…..
Marin Heiskell:
Deuteronomy 15:11:
“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”
Be careful, Marin. The Bible contains many verses telling us to take care of our own people.
The governments of other nations are to be held accountable for their own people, which means the USA government is responsible for Americans. If our government decides to help others, it is a reflection of our hearts as American citizens, a generous people. This does not mean it is a requirement we must meet.
On the other hand, we will have much to answer for as Christian individuals if we fail to help those in need.
You have misconstrued what I said. First, and foremost: Certain people in America may hold a good deal of the world’s wealth. The country itself does not, so your logic on that point fails. The US itself, in reality, is fiscally bankrupt because of the national debt. Nowhere in the Bible do we find a mandate for any government to help the poor. And when a country has a massive debt it should not be sending any kind of aid to a foreign country when it cannot provide for it’s own people. It is a wonderfully nebulous and warm, fuzzy thing to say “God was bigger than any country’s borders” but show me exactly how that is supposed to work, real-world, in a secular form.
You can’t defend biblical doctrine by silence on the subject. “nowhere in scripture did it say” is not a legitimate way to attempt to prove any point. The Bible also did not say “go out and help the poor in other nations.” The priciple is that as the gospel spreads and the Church grows. Those churches in other countries will give aid as the ability to do so grows. If you had a family, would you allow your children to suffer and give all your money to someone in China while your own children starved to death? If so, that is the height of irresponsibility to your own family.
Cynthia –
There are also the following verses:
Lev 19:34 “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Also see Deut 10:18-19; Hebrews 13:2; Malachi 3:5; Matthew 25:31-36; Romans 12:13; and Matthew 28:18-20.
“The governments of other nations are to be held accountable for their own people, which means the USA government is responsible for Americans.” This isn’t Biblical logic. This is world/political logic. Which are we holding the USA too? Because we want the USA to adhere to Biblical logic when it comes to abortion and the like, but we switch to world/political logic when it comes to topics like aiding others.
“If our government decides to help others, it is a reflection of our hearts as American citizens, a generous people. This does not mean it is a requirement we must meet.”
That’s a nice thought. But know that there is almost ALWAYS an angle for us: whether it is allyship of a nation need the support of, an enemy we want to help subdue, access to oil/natural resources….we don’t do ANYTHING for NOTHING.
Yes, we are to help others in need as believers. It’s just not a simple or binary topic.
Eddie –
If you don’t think the US holds the majority of the world’s wealth, I encouage you to do more traveling. Yes, we have a lot of debt (a whole other subject), but we also hold significant assets.
No there is no Biblical mandate for the government to care for the poor (there is also no Biblical mandate that the government interfere in a plethory of individual affairs that Christians sing a different tune about, but anyway….). WE as followers of Christ are mandated to care for the poor, and my concern is the attitude among followers of Christ: the condescending attitude toward non-Americans, as if they are lesser or undeserving of aid when we KNOW we are living MORE than comfortable lives. (Take it from someone who visited a church in South Africa that was constructed amidst a city dump, had inconsistent access to clean water, and amidst their need, had a heart of gratitude and praise for the Lord that we Americans could stand to learn a lot from….)
Yes, God IS bigger than any country’s borders, and He accomplishes His work through His followers. So as His followers, we need to have a heart ready to respond to wherever and however He is inviting us into His work. If that includes a calling to aid someone in China (we all have unique callings, not saying this is necessarily yours or mine), we must know He wouldn’t ask us to do it if He weren’t standing ready to make it possible once we obey.
I don’t see this as a “either your family starves OR you send aid to China” binary issue: I think it is possible to care for your family AND send aid to China.
And who is my neighbor?
Can the church spend billions of dollars to help the hungry and the sick?
Besides, why would you object to your tax money being spent to help the poor and the sick or “one of the least these brothers of mine”?
I believe I agree with you on this issue.
I agree. But the church needs to get back in agreement and on mission. Instead of debating over if women can be pastors, if one can be a Democrat (or Republican) and be a Christian, condemning a church that DOES stand with those treated unjustly as “following a social gospel”, and hiding the sins of leadership – the devil is LOVING these distractions – we need to get back to standing in the gap and helping the hurting for Christ.
“The church should take care of the poor-not the government.”
That is the most ridiculous argument used by right wing Christians.
Is there ONE church in America that promises to replace the funds their congregants receive from food stamps?
Is there ONE church in America that buys health insurance for their congregants so they can get off Medicaid?
What is your doctorate in? I’ll bet it’s not in economics.
This is a most sane reply to this. I certainly won’t be giving money to Bread for the World. I have other charities I give to. Why governments should support other countries is ridiculous. They need to get their own house in order. Christian charities are great. Government charities lead to embezzlement and grift.
It is a sad state of affairs that the American church of Jesus Christ is now conveying to the culture and the world that it is dependent on the State to carry out its mission to care for those in need.
Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom; She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned(!), they did not help the poor and the needy. Ezekiel 16:49
Unconcerned. Reminds me of Tony Campolo’s schtick that most American Christians will be far more concerned about hearing a cuss word in church than about starving kids in Africa.
You mean the Emergent Church guy who taught that God isn’t sovereign and who didn’t believe in the innerancy of scripture, among other heretical doctrinal positions he held? Campolo was Jim Wallis with a different name.
None of that kept him from seeing what Ezekiel describes. What’s the point in claiming inerrancy if we don’t take uncomfortable, inconvenient passages seriously? If there are more effective ways to keep children from starving to death, let’s galvanize around that. But frankly, I’m not seeing much concern there, and most churches have their hands full trying to keep their doors open. What is heretical is claiming that social Darwinism maps onto the values of the kingdom of God. We let children starve so producers can get a $5k check? Seek first the kingdom of God.
From my experience and observation, as a non-American citizen, American people and their character is one of empathy and generosity. This in turn has worked out through both government and non-government organisations. The work thus accomplished in relieving the needs of the world’s needy is what makes America great. Any other attempts will be in vain.
In Corinthians, didn’t Paul work a regular job and not take money from the the church, then went around to several other churches to taking up money for the believers suffering in Jerusalem? Don’t remember him ever doing a protest prayer vigil, demanding money from Rome. Why can’t the country these people live in help them or their neighbor countries help. It doesn’t matter what Trump does, he will always be a villain to somebody.
Jamie, not necessarily a villain but most certainly a convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, a children’s charity thief, an adulterer, filed bankruptcy 6 times and cheated contractors, and a friend of Jeffrey Epstein. And by his own admission he has never repented.
But all in all a pretty good guy, no?
“Be Careful
Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall”
1 Corinthians 10:12
It is a curious fact that there is such a thing as being proud of grace. A man says, “I have great faith—I shall not fall; poor little faith may, but I never shall.” “I have fervent love,” says another. “I can stand; there is no danger of my going astray.” He who boasts of grace has little grace to boast of. Some who do this imagine that their graces can keep them, knowing not that the stream must flow constantly from the fountainhead or else the stream will soon be dry. If a continuous supply of oil does not come to the lamp, even though it may burn brightly today, it will smoke tomorrow, and noxious will be its scent.
Pay attention that you do not glory in your graces, but let all your glorying and confidence be in Christ and His strength, for only in this way can you be kept from falling. Be much more diligent in prayer. Spend longer time in holy adoration. Read the Scriptures more earnestly and constantly. Watch your lives more carefully. Live nearer to God. Take the best examples for your pattern. Let your conversation be full of heaven. Let your hearts be perfumed with affection for men’s souls. Live in such a way that men may recognize that you have been with Jesus and have learned of Him;” Spurgeon
It is heartening to see a group Evangelicals standing up for the poorest, hungriest and most at-risk people around the globe.
Regardless of how we got here, or whether the church should be doing more, etc. the fact is that the Chief Executive of the USA and his underlings just took life-saving food and medical aid away from hundreds of thousands of the most threatened individuals around the globe and a shocking number of evangelicals don’t seem to care about the hardships and deaths that will follow.
Praying that the aid will be restored as soon as possible before more people die needlessly and that those with hardened hearts will break in repentance for the suffering that their government is causing.
Ump! Self-described Christians fighting for the right to NOT help humans in need – when we can. We are the wealthiest nation on this planet, partly because of our benevolence, our “past” reputation for using our power for good in the world, for helping those who cannot help themselves, in war, in famine, in devastation.
Please make that make sense, because nothing said has justified the hardheartedness – especially, in the name of Jesus.
Where are the physical borders in the sky? In the ocean? God created the “world”. As much as some desire to be isolated, God made sure we could not be.
Every sin, even sins of omission, demonstrate what is in our hearts.
Merely claiming you love God, is meaningless, if your actions toward others say otherwise. If you lack empathy for the plight of others, you are of the devil – regardless of what you claim.
Surprise! “Many will say, “Lord, Lord, and He will say depart from Me because I NEVER knew “you.” Matthew 7:21-23
Those who actually know you, probably wouldn’t be surprised. You can’t hide an evil heart for long.
Churches in America are tax exempt. Church members are free to increase their giving through the church for world outreach. When did Jesus teach the disciples to ask the Roman government ( or any government) to assist in the mission? He told the Pharisees attempting to set him up with the “tax” question render unto Caesar that which is Caesars. Maybe those calling for truth about exploitation and waste within the prosperity movement and large denomination churches should consider an open mind about the American people being exploited for years by government tax dollars being wasted, abused. I hope the full body ( church ) of Jesus Christ steps up not only in America but throughout Western Countries to answer the call and fill the void. Remember loaves and fishes!!
Funny no one actually described what these programs do, or released a financial statement on where the money is spent, and the actual cost of the program (supplies, delivery cost, and minimum manpower for delivery/distribution.
Use the money donated to your churches to finance these programs (not tax money that is to be used on our infrastructure), instead of buying homes, vacations, cars, etc … Start to live as Jesus did.
Musk and Trump are only cutting the funding to the money laundering scheme that USAID was funneling. They didn’t cut the legitimate aid money going to actually worthy causes.