National Association of Evangelicals facts for kids
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| Founded | April 1942 |
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| Type | Evangelical organization |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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Area served
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North America |
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Membership
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40 Christian denominations (45,000 churches) |
| Affiliations | World Evangelical Alliance |
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is a group in the United States that brings together many Evangelical Christian churches, organizations, schools, and individuals. It is part of a bigger worldwide group called the World Evangelical Alliance. The NAE represents over 45,000 local churches from about 40 different Christian groups, serving millions of people.
The main goal of the NAE is to honor God by connecting and representing Evangelicals across the United States. They help churches and ministries by offering helpful resources and encouraging leaders to work together. The NAE also shares the concerns of its members with the U.S. government, including the U.S. Congress and the White House.
The NAE's main office is in Washington, D.C., but its staff and members live and work all over North America. The current leader of the NAE is President Walter Kim.
Contents
History of the NAE
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) started when 147 people met in St. Louis, Missouri, from April 7–9, 1942. They wanted to create this group because many evangelical churches and leaders felt separated from each other. They aimed to unite these groups.
Early leaders like Harold Ockenga and J. Elwin Wright helped organize the first meeting in Chicago in 1941. This led to the big conference in 1942 where the NAE was officially formed. Harold Ockenga became the first president.
In 1943, the group finalized its rules and beliefs. They shortened their name to the "National Association of Evangelicals." By the 1950s, the NAE's office in Washington, D.C., became known for getting things done. President Dwight D. Eisenhower even welcomed NAE leaders to the White House, which was a special honor.
Later, at the NAE's 1983 meeting, President Ronald Reagan gave a famous speech. In 1992, the NAE celebrated its 50th anniversary. President George H. W. Bush spoke at one of their events, making him the third U.S. President to address the NAE. During this celebration, Billy Graham, a very famous evangelical leader, also spoke, encouraging people to share their faith.
To show their focus on churches, the NAE started holding its yearly meetings in churches instead of hotels. In 2003, the first church-hosted meeting was at Wooddale Church in Minnesota. In 2004, President George W. Bush spoke to the NAE meeting through a video link. He told them, "You cannot endorse me, but I endorse you," showing his support for their work.
Leith Anderson served as president for many years, helping the NAE grow. He added new programs like surveys for evangelical leaders and a magazine. He also helped create important documents, including a "Code of Ethics for Pastors."
In January 2020, Walter Kim became the new president of the NAE. Other leaders like John Jenkins and Jo Anne Lyon also took on important roles on the NAE board.
NAE Initiatives and Programs
The NAE has started several important programs and organizations over the years to help its members and serve the wider community.
National Religious Broadcasters
In 1944, the NAE helped create the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). This group was formed because some radio networks stopped selling time for religious programs. The NRB worked to change these policies, allowing religious messages to be broadcast. Today, NRB is a separate organization that supports Christian broadcasters.
Evangelical Chaplains Commission
Also in 1944, the NAE started the Chaplains Commission. This commission helps chaplains who are evangelicals serve in the U.S. military. Chaplains provide spiritual support to soldiers and their families. The commission also supports chaplains who work in hospitals, prisons, and other places. They help make sure chaplains can freely practice and share their faith.
World Relief Efforts
The War Relief Commission was formed in 1944 to help people in Europe who were suffering because of World War II. They sent clothes and food to those in need. After the war, this group expanded its work beyond just war relief and changed its name to World Relief.
As the humanitarian part of the NAE, World Relief helps people affected by poverty, disease, hunger, war, disasters, and persecution around the world. They have offices globally and receive support from churches, individuals, and government grants. World Relief focuses on programs like helping small businesses, preventing diseases, improving health for mothers and children, and assisting refugees.
Missio Nexus Missions
In 1945, the NAE created the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association. This group was made to help missionaries and their organizations. It has grown to become one of the largest missionary associations in the world. Now called Missio Nexus, it works independently but is still a member of the NAE.
New International Version Bible
In the 1950s, the NAE started an important project: creating a new translation of the Bible. Many evangelicals felt that existing translations were not ideal. So, in 1957, a committee was formed. This committee worked with another group, and eventually, they created the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. The first copies of the NIV were printed in 1978, and it became a very popular Bible translation.
For the Health of the Nation
In 2001, the NAE began a project to help evangelicals think about how they can be involved in society and politics. This project led to a document called "For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility."
This document encourages evangelicals to address important social issues from a biblical perspective. It talks about topics like religious freedom, family life, protecting children, caring for the poor, human rights, and working for peace. The NAE uses this document to guide its actions in political and social matters. The document was updated in 2018 to include more focus on issues like racial justice and immigration.
Member Denominations
The NAE includes many different Protestant Christian church groups. Here are some of the denominations that were members as of 2017. Many Christian organizations and academic groups are also members.
- Advent Christian Church
- Assemblies of God USA (joined 1943)
- Brethren Church, The (joined 1968)
- Brethren in Christ Church (joined 1949)
- Christian and Missionary Alliance (joined 1966)
- Christian Reformed Church in North America (joined 1943–51; 1988)
- Christian Union (joined 1954)
- Church of God (Anderson) (joined 2021)
- Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) (joined 1944)
- Church of the Nazarene (joined 1984)
- Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (joined 1951)
- Converge Worldwide (previously Baptist General Conference) (joined 1966)
- ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (joined 2015)
- Elim Fellowship (joined 1947)
- Evangelical Church, The (joined 1969)
- Evangelical Congregational Church (joined 1962)
- Evangelical Free Church of America (joined 1943)
- Evangelical Friends Church International (joined 1971)
- Evangelical Presbyterian Church (joined 1982)
- Every Nation Churches
- Fellowship of Evangelical Bible Churches (joined 1948)
- Fellowship of Evangelical Churches
- Foursquare Church, The (joined 1952)
- Free Methodist Church of North America (joined 1944)
- Grace Communion International (joined 1997 as Worldwide Church of God)
- Great Commission Churches (joined 2007)
- International Pentecostal Church of Christ (joined 1946)
- International Pentecostal Holiness Church (joined 1943)
- Missionary Church, Inc. (joined 1944)
- North American Baptist Conference
- Open Bible Church (joined 1943)
- Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church (joined 1988)
- Presbyterian Church in America (joined 1986, voted to leave June 22, 2022, at PCA General Assembly in Birmingham, AL)
- Primitive Methodist Church USA (joined 1946)
- Royalhouse Chapel International (joined 2016)
- Salvation Army, The (joined 1990)
- Seventh Day Baptist General Conference of the USA & Canada (joined 2018)
- Transformation Ministries
- United Brethren in Christ (joined 1953)
- U.S. Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches (joined 1946)
- Vineyard USA, The
- Wesleyan Church, The (joined 1948)
NAE Board Chairs
The NAE has had many leaders serve as the Board Chair (this role was called "President" until 1992).
- Harold Ockenga (1942–1944)
- Leslie Roy Marston (1944–46)
- Rutherford Decker (1946–48)
- Stephen W. Paine (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. Cook (1962–64)
- Jared F. Gerig (1964–66)
- Rufus Jones (1966–68)
- Arnold Olson (1968–70)
- Hudson T. Armerding (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 Argue (1992–95)
- Leonard Hoffman (1995–98)
- Lamar Vest (1998–2000)
- Ed Foggs (2000–02)
- William Hamel (2002–06)
- L. Roy Taylor (2006–20)
- John K. Jenkins, Sr. (2020–present)
NAE Presidents
The NAE also has a President (this role was called "Executive Director" or "General Director" until 1992).
- J. Elwin Wright (1942–47)
- Rutherford L. Decker (1948–53)
- George L. Ford (1954–64)
- Clyde W. Taylor (1964–74)
- Arthur M. Climenhaga (1964–67)
- Billy A. Melvin (1967–95)
- Don Argue (1992–98)
- Kevin Mannoia (1999–2001)
- Leith Anderson (2002–03)
- Ted Haggard (2003–06)
- Leith Anderson (2006–19)
- Walter Kim (2020–present)
