Providing the spiritual food – Christian relief agencies mix mission with relief work

New Delhi – Some evangelical groups are mixing Christian missionary work with humanitarian aid in countries ravaged by the tsunamis and earthquake, a provocative approach shunned by the majority of faith–based relief organizations.

Undeniably, it has been found that religious groups have a major presence in the massive relief and reconstruction effort. InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.–based non–government organizations, reports that of its 55 member agencies providing tsunami aid, 22 are faith–based.

According to news reports, evangelical groups active in Asia, including the Southern Baptists' International Mission Board, Gospel for Asia, and the Christian and Missionary Alliance, say that humanitarian aid has a spiritual component and the Bible always impels them to create converts to the faith.