Christian Aid sends financial help to over 700 evangelistic ministries based in lands of great poverty or where evangelical Christians are a persecuted minority. Priority is given to supporting those which work among unreached peoples where hitherto our Lord has had no people for His name. These missions

• Send out native missionaries -- over 90,000 now on the field.
• Plant new churches -- over 52,000 each year -- 1000 every week.
• Conduct evangelistic campaigns, broadcast on radio & TV, distribute literature.
• Are training 40,000 new workers in hundreds of Bible institutes.

     The 700 native missions assisted by Christian Aid are located mainly in the poorest places on earth and are continually surrounded by human suffering which they cannot ignore. Christian Aid sends funds to help them

• Care for homeless children -- an estimated ten million orphans face starvation in Africa alone, millions more in Asia.
• Provide for the blind, disabled, widows, infirm, handicapped and helpless.
• Rescue victims of persecution, wars, famines, epidemics, leprosy, slavery, prostitution and natural disasters such as fires, floods, drought, typhoons, cyclones and earthquakes.

     Foreign missionary programs by Protestant churches evolved during the colonial era of the 19th century and became a cherished tradition during the 20th century. Most denominations and many independent churches tended to follow a standardized formula of "going and sending," believing that their activities were ordained by God. Most political colonialism ended after World War II, but missionary colonialism was greatly increased, especially by evangelicals and fundamentalists, doing some good but also causing great harm to Christian witness in many parts of the world. For half a century Christian Aid has steadfastly carried on a ministry of missionary education, teaching American Christians that

• There is no Biblical basis for colonial missions, no record in the New Testament of God sending any missionary where he did not know the language.
• While much good, as well as much harm, has been done by traditional missionaries, most should have been recalled 50 years ago.
• God has raised up native missionaries in every country where Americans are allowed to go. They are ten times more effective in reaching their people than foreigners could ever be, at a fraction of the cost.
• Most American missionaries appear to be fabulously wealthy in poor countries. Their presence misprepresents our suffering Saviour, and breeds covetousness among local believers.
• Sending out Americans at a cost of $60,000 or more per family is a tragic misuse of God's money. If sent to an indigenous mission instead, that amount would provide full support for 50 or more native missionaries who are already there. Any one of them is likely to be more fruitful for the cause of Christ than a dozen "rich foreigners."