International (MNN) — There’s a new phenomenon taking place in Christian humanitarian and relief work worldwide. Government funding is going to Christian relief organizations.
“Government funding is going to a lot of different sources,” says Jerry Wiles the President of Living Water International . He says, “Through the Department Agriculture, the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, US-AID, and others. There’s a new understanding that faith based organizations can get plugged into these funds that will provide some service, some humanitarian need.”
Living Water International uses fresh water to introduce people to the living water that can only be found in Jesus Christ. Wiles says, “Water is the foundation for all sustainable development and it opens the door for the Gospel in ways that conventional means haven’t.”
Wiles says that funding can be used by organizations that are using relief and development as a way to lead people to Christ. Wiles says, “organizations for years have been receiving funds from the government to do these things.” He says, “It’s just that you can’t use those funds to buy Bibles, or Gospel literature, or pay for broadcasting the Gospel or planting churches.”
That government funding is clearing the way for donor dollars to used for effective outreach. Wiles says, “When churches and individuals realize that this is happening I think it’s a real motivation.”
