National Association of Evangelicals

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The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is an agency dedicated to coordinating cooperative ministry for evangelical denominations of Protestant Christians in the United States.

Contents

[edit] History

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The National Association of Evangelicals was formed by a group of 147 people who met in St. Louis, Missouri on April 7-9, 1942. The fundamentalist/modernist controversy, and the related isolation of various fundamentalist and 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, 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 and Harvey Springer led in organizing the American Council of Christian 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 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. The National Religious Broadcasters was formed in 1944.

[edit] Overview

The National Association of Evangelicals currently has 52 member denominations and headquarters in Washington, D.C.. There are 27 regional affiliates of the NAE.

[edit] Mission statement

"The mission of the National Association of Evangelicals is to extend the kingdom of God through a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals, demonstrating the unity of the body of Christ by standing for biblical truth, speaking with a representative voice, and serving the evangelical community through united action, cooperative ministry, and strategic planning."

[edit] Global warming

In January 2006, the National Association of Evangelicals decided that it would not take a stance on global warming, and released a letter stating that "global warming is not a consensus issue." Twenty evangelical leaders, such as James Dobson and Charles Colson, signed this letter. In response, the Evangelical Climate Initiative released a statement on February 8, 2006 calling for action to fight global warming.[1]

[edit] Ted Haggard scandal

Ted Haggard, President of the National Association of Evangelicals and founder of New Life Church, resigned his positions at his church and the National Association of Evangelicals on November 2nd, 2006 following allegations he maintained a three-year-long sexual relationship with a male escort, Mike Jones. It is also alleged Haggard used methamphetamine during his visits with Jones.[2]

On November 3, 2006, Haggard admitted to some of the allegations brought against him, stating that he bought methamphetamine but never used it, and received a massage by Mike Jones, after being recommended by the hotel he was staying at. [3] Haggard claims that allegations of homosexual sex against him are likely a retribution for his support of a proposed state ban on gay marriage in Colorado[citation needed].

The National Association of Evangelicals has posted a statement accepting his resignation with regret and are encouraging him to participate in the discipline process and oversight of his church (which he is doing voluntarily). Leith Anderson was appointed as the new president on November 7, 2006. A press release is available in pdf here [4]

Haggard confessed to what he called "sexual immorality" and resigned as President of The National Association of Evangelical and as pastor of his 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado. He wrote to his congregation that his same-sex attraction was a part of his life that he had been "warring against all of my adult life. Through the years, I've sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving to be effective."

[edit] Member denominations

These Protestant church groups were members as of 2004:

[edit] List of presidents

[edit] External link

[edit] Bibliography

  • Harold Lindsell, Park Street Prophet: The Life of Harold John Ockenga (Wheaton: Van Kampen, 1951).
  • George Marsden, Reforming Fundamentalism: Fuller Seminary and the New Evangelicalism (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1987).
  • James DeForest Murch, Cooperation without Compromise: A History of the National Association of Evangelicals (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1956).
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