Posts by dnorth
Girls: Change Makers and World Shapers
“Girls are one of the most powerful forces for change in the world: When their rights are recognized, their needs are met and their voices are heard, they drive positive change in their families, their communities and the world.” – Kathy Calvin, United Nations Foundation President & CEO
If you empower a girl, you empower her whole community. We’ve seen this at World Relief, where girls around the world are finding opportunities to step into their God-given gifts. Often, among the most vulnerable populations globally, girls have a unique power to lift up their communities as they themselves rise.
In places of conflict, women are peacemakers and influencers. In times of need, women drive transformation and development in their homes, their neighborhoods and their nations. And when girls feel valued, celebrated and motivated, they grow up to be powerful change-making women.
Today, on International Day of the Girl Child, we’re sharing two stories of girls who are creating change in their communities. Sifa and Marady live thousands of miles apart, but they have something in common: they’re both part of World Relief Kid’s Clubs.
Through Kid’s Clubs, we partner with local churches, schools and community members to teach children how to develop healthy relationships with God, others and self. In their local clubs, Sifa and Marady are learning and leading others to grow physically, emotionally, socially, mentally and spiritually.
Sifa: Starting a Kid’s Savings Movement in Rwanda
Sifa is 11 years old, and her dream is to become rich. But she doesn’t want to be rich for herself. Sifa wants to use her money to serve orphans and vulnerable children. And she wants to help other kids do the same.
After seeing the positive impact joining a World Relief savings group had on her parents and family, Sifa decided that she and her friends should be learning about saving and finances, too. Sifa told her peers about the savings group and they decided to start their own.
The group is made up of 30 kids between the ages of six and 11. With their parents’ support and supervision of a Kid’s Club volunteer, each child contributes about 10 cents at weekly meetings.
Soon, the group had enough money to purchase two chickens for each child. The kids care for the chickens and sell the eggs at the market, continuing to increase the savings of the group. Together, Sifa and her peers decide on priorities to solve their problems, as well as those of the community — especially caring for the needs of their most vulnerable neighbors.
Because of Sifa’s determination and heart to help other children, she’s inspired a movement.
So far, more than five churches in her community have followed her lead and started savings groups in their Kid’s Clubs.
As for Sifa, she’s looking forward to earning more money and helping more kids. “Looking at how far I have come,” she said, “earning enough to buy a chicken which is producing eggs for selling to the market, my future is guaranteed.”
Marady: Leading Through Crisis in Cambodia
At 12 years old, Marady is a leader among her friends. When she started attending Kid’s Clubs, Marady was so enthusiastic about what she was learning that she began sharing lessons and activities with her classmates at school. Now, she’s become one of the club’s biggest advocates.
When COVID-19 hit, club meetings were sometimes cancelled due to safety concerns, but Marady remained committed. Once it was safe, Marady would gather her friends from Kid’s Club and review activities and lessons they had learned together.
“Marady has a helping heart,” a Kid’s Club volunteer said, “She helps prepare the space and materials when the club starts and ends. She also helps remind and call her club-mates to Kid’s Club every week.”
“I really enjoy coming to Kid’s Club,” Marady said. “I like to play with other kids and do some activities like washing our hands, cutting our nails and coloring together.”
Because of Marady, the friendship between the kids and the hygiene knowledge they learned remained intact in the midst of a challenging season.
We thank God for girls like Sifa and Marady! Through their compassion and perseverance, they are creating lasting change among their friends and neighbors. Whether helping kids maintain knowledge and friendship through a pandemic or inspiring financial responsibility as a means to care for one another, these girls are transforming the world around them one change at a time.
Sifa and Marady are just two of the 1.1 billion girls around the world. If we invest in and empower girls globally, what else might they accomplish?
Join us in celebrating the power and potential of girls around the world by giving today or joining The Path.
Emily Kankindi Iyakaremye joined World Relief in 2005 as a receptionist. Six months later, she was promoted to Assistant to the Country Director and served in this role for seven years. Her skills and experience in communications, planning and hospitality then lead her to a role in the Evaluation, Research and Development department where she served for four years. Today, Emily heads the Communications and Documentation unit at World Relief Rwanda, working as the Communication and Documentation Coordinator. She is married and has two daughters aged 11 and 13 year old. She has a Bachelor Degree in Marketing and is in the process of furthering her studies in the domain of counseling and human services as she believes it is her passion and gift from God.
Bopha So serves as a Child Development Facilitator at World Relief Cambodia, where she has worked for almost 21 years. She has a great heart for the most vulnerable, and is gifted at building good relationships within communities, especially with kids’ parents.
Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina before moving to Salt Lake City. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.
World Relief Calls for Greater Protection For Persecuted Populations Seeking Refuge in the U.S. With Release Of Lowest Recorded Numbers of Resettled Refugees In U.S. History
October 6, 2021
CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606
BALTIMORE – Today, newly released data shows that the United States resettled the lowest number of refugees in U.S. history at a total of 11,411 refugees in Fiscal Year 2021. World Relief continues to call on the Biden administration to sign the Presidential Determination for FY22 of 125,000 and follow through on this commitment to refugees by strengthening the program and providing the resources necessary to resettle 125,000 refugees in FY22. While a refugee ceiling of 125,000 for Fiscal Year 2022 is a significant increase from the historic low ceiling of 15,000 set last year, much work remains to be done to rebuild the program to have the U.S. lead again in refugee resettlement.
“This past year’s refugee resettlement numbers show the lowest number of refugees resettled in the history of the U.S. refugee resettlement program,” says Myal Green, president and CEO of World Relief. “The U.S. is taking in fewer refugees than ever at a time when there are more refugees in the world than at any point in recorded history, which is unacceptable. The Biden administration will need to prioritize creating more efficient and equitable methods of processing for refugees in order to reach the ceiling of 125,000 refugees for the fiscal year that’s just begun”
The global pandemic highlighted the clear vulnerability of persecuted populations and aggravated existing conditions of hardship for the world’s refugees and other displaced people. It also presented a barrier to the U.S. government’s process of processing refugees overseas. But the larger factors influencing the stark decline in refugee admissions include the historically low refugee ceiling and the slowdown in overseas processing as well as the U.S. refugee resettlement infrastructure that preceded the global pandemic. In order to rebuild the refugee resettlement program to return to historically normal admissions level, the Biden administration will need to continue to invest in rebuilding both the overseas and domestic components of the program.
Refugees admitted to the U.S. have, by definition, fled a credible fear of persecution on account of their race, religion, political opinion, national origin or social group. In recent years, World Relief has sought to particularly highlight the decline in the number of refugees persecuted on account of their status as religious minorities, including partnering with Open Doors USA last year to publish a report, “Closed Doors: Persecuted Christians and the U.S. Refugee Resettlement and Asylum Processes,” that documented a roughly 90% or greater decline in the number of persecuted Christians and various other religious minorities resettled since 2015.
After the publication of this report, the State Department stopped making the religious affiliation of resettled refugees publicly available, making it difficult to precisely track the further decline in the resettlement of specific religious minority groups. But as the overall number of refugees admitted has continued to decline from FY 20 to FY 21, the number of persecuted religious minorities able to access safety and religious freedom in the U.S. as refugees has clearly declined as well. From the ten countries identified by the Secretary of State as “countries of particular concern” for severe violations of religious freedom — including Burma, Iran and Pakistan — just 1,271 refugees (of all religious traditions) arrived in FY 21, 56% fewer than in FY 20 and 93% fewer refugees from those countries than in FY 16.
“For decades, the United States led the world in refugee resettlement, but the precedent set by U.S. policy over the last five years, both in terms of refugee resettlement and asylum, has marred our global reputation as a safe haven for persecuted people,” said World Relief U.S. director of church mobilization and advocacy Matthew Soerens. “We are praying that the United States will quickly step back into the position of welcoming more refugees, whether they are persecuted for their faith, their ethnicity, their protest of tyrannical governments, their affiliation with the U.S. military in Afghanistan or Iraq or any other reason.”
World Relief thanks the Biden administration for setting the refugee ceiling at 125,000–the highest since 1993–and urges continued leadership and investment in both overseas processing and in rebuilding the resettlement infrastructure within the U.S. so that resettlement organizations have the capacity to welcome and serve 125,000 refugees, in addition to the many Afghans being admitted with parole or with approved Special Immigrant Visas who do not count toward this ceiling.
“We have an uphill battle ahead repairing our refugee resettlement program. But setting the refugee ceiling at 125,000 establishesthe right framework in which we can continue to expand protections to those fleeing persecution overseas. We urge President Biden to sign the Presidential Determination as quickly as possible and to continue the critical interagency work that is necessary to build both federal and broad public support to help refugees arriving this fiscal year.” said World Relief senior vice president of policy and advocacy Jenny Yang.
World Relief offices around the country are eager and ready to welcome more individuals who have fled persecution in their countries of origin. As World Relief staff and volunteers continue to welcome refugees, the most urgent needs are housing and additional volunteers and funding.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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Leading and Inspiring Change: Celebrating Evelyn Mangham
A Celebration of Life
Every once in a while you meet a person who truly inspires you. Evelyn Mangham, who, along with her late husband Grady Mangham, began World Relief’s refugee resettlement program in the 1970s, was one of those people. She passed away October 5, 2021 at the age of 98, and today we mourn the loss and celebrate her life and ministry.
Born in 1922, Evelyn spent the early years of her life living in what is now known as Syria and Jordan as the daughter of missionaries. After marrying Grady Mangham, she moved to Vietnam, where the couple lived and ministered from 1947 to 1967 as Christian & Missionary Alliance missionaries.
Together, they taught Bible school and supported church planting and discipleship among the Montagnard people. They returned to Nyack, New York in 1967, where they worked from the Alliance’s headquarters. Evelyn, though, said that she felt stuck at that time— missing the people she had befriended in Vietnam and the life to which she had become accustomed.
Soon, the political situation in Vietnam deteriorated. Six Alliance missionaries were killed in 1968 as the Tet Offensive began. In 1975, when Saigon fell and the flow of refugees increased dramatically, Evelyn and Grady began receiving urgent pleas from people whom they had known in Vietnam, who had now been forced to flee as refugees. “We had to do something,” Evelyn told me when I interviewed her in 2016.
Seeing People as People
The couple tirelessly worked to advocate for refugees to be welcomed to the U.S., knocking on the doors of both the U.S. government and the various churches that had supported them as overseas missionaries.
Evelyn would often work from the hallway of the Alliance denominational offices in Nyack, calling up local churches, pleading with them to take in a refugee family. While some pastors were hesitant, many were eager to welcome refugees into their communities.
Evelyn recalls one pastor who initially declined to help, saying his church was busy working on a parking lot project. Evelyn responded, “But these are people!”
More often than not, however, local churches stepped up to the challenge, meeting newly arrived families at the airport, welcoming them into their homes on a temporary basis, and eventually helping them to find permanent housing, jobs, and everything else necessary to restart their lives in a new culture.
In a single year, Alliance churches welcomed more than 10,000 refugees who had fled Vietnam and from conflicts in neighboring Laos and Cambodia.
As refugees from Southeast Asia continued to arrive, Grady and Evelyn ran out of Alliance congregations to call upon. Evelyn was undeterred. She began cold-calling pastors from the directory of the National Association of Evangelicals, expanding her outreach to Baptists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Wesleyans, and others. When she encountered resistance—understandable in the political context, given that most Americans disapproved of the effort to resettle Vietnamese refugees at the time — Evelyn would remind them of the repeated injunctions in Scripture to care for vulnerable “strangers.
Partnering With World Relief
In 1979, this effort that had initially been coordinated by the Christian & Missionary Alliance’s CAMA Services and then through Lutheran World Relief was brought under the auspices of World Relief — the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Up until then, World Relief had been focused on empowering churches to care for vulnerable and displaced people overseas., But under the leadership of Grady and Evelyn Mangham, began its U.S. refugee resettlement program.
Grady Mangham continued to lead World Relief’s refugee resettlement program until 1987, resettling an average of 6,300 refugees annually from countries all around the world. Since then, several of Grady and Evelyn’s children and grandchildren have served World Relief in various capacities.
The refugee resettlement program that Evelyn helped to found has now resettled roughly 300,000 refugees to communities throughout the United States.
In the coming months, World Relief anticipates receiving between 7,000 and 10,000 individuals who have recently fled Afghanistan in an evacuation with many historical parallels to the refugee crisis in Vietnam that sparked Evelyn and Grady Mangham’s ministry. The local church remains central to our mission, just as it was when Evelyn and Grady founded the program.
The World Relief family throughout the globe grieves Evelyn’s death — but not without hope, confident in the resurrection through Christ that was Evelyn’s greatest hope. And we celebrate the incredible legacy of Evelyn and Grady’s life and ministry.
Even into her last years of life, living in Florida, Evelyn always would greet refugees from the Middle East with a smile, singing with them the Arabic songs she remembered from her childhood.
As refugee resettlement has become increasingly controversial in recent years, including within evangelical churches, Evelyn was asked how she would advise Christians who felt reluctant to engage in refugee ministry:
Well, respond to what Jesus said, that’s all: “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger” — refugee — “and you took me in… Inasmuch as you did unto of the least of these my brethren, you did unto me.” It’s simple obedience.
*elements of this reflection were drawn from a 2016 article written by Matthew Soerens for Christianity Today.
Matthew Soerens is the US Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief, where he helps evangelical churches to understand the realities of refugees and immigration and to respond in ways guided by biblical values. He also serves as the National Coordinator for the Evangelical Immigration Table, a coalition that advocates for immigration reforms consistent with biblical values.
World Relief Mourns Death, Celebrates Life of Evelyn Mangham, Co-Founder of World Relief’s Refugee Resettlement Program
October 5, 2021
CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606
BALTIMORE – The World Relief family celebrates the life and ministry of Evelyn Mangham, who passed away today at the age of 98. Along with her late husband, Grady Mangham, Evelyn began World Relief’s refugee resettlement program in the 1970s.
Evelyn Breaden was born in 1922 and spent the early years of her life as the daughter of missionaries in the Middle East. After marrying Grady Mangham, she moved to Vietnam, where the couple lived and ministered from 1947 to 1967 as Christian & Missionary Alliance missionaries, teaching in a Bible school and supporting church planting and discipleship among the Montagnard people. They returned to Nyack, New York, where they worked from the Alliance’s headquarters.
In 1975, when Saigon fell, Evelyn and Grady began receiving urgent pleas from people whom they had known in Vietnam who had been forced to flee as refugees. “We had to do something,” Evelyn reflected in a 2016 interview. The couple tirelessly worked to advocate for refugees to be welcomed to the U.S., knocking on the doors of both the U.S. government and the various churches that had supported them as overseas missionaries. Evelyn would often work from the hallway of the denominational offices in Nyack, insisting that churches welcome the large number of refugees who were arriving. In a single year, Alliance churches welcomed more than 10,000 refugees who had fled Vietnam and from conflicts in neighboring Laos and Cambodia.
In 1979, this effort that had initially been coordinated by the Christian & Missionary Alliance’s Compassion and Mercy Associates (CAMA) Services and then through Lutheran World Relief was brought under the auspices of World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, which had been focused on empowering churches to care for vulnerable and displaced people overseas since its founding, but which began its U.S. refugee resettlement ministry under the leadership of Grady and Evelyn Mangham. Grady Mangham continued to lead World Relief’s refugee resettlement program until 1987, resettling an average of 6,300 refugees annually from countries all around the world. Since then, several of Grady and Evelyn’s children and grandchildren have served World Relief in various capacities.
The refugee resettlement program that Evelyn Mangham helped to found has now resettled roughly 300,000 refugees to communities throughout the United States. In the coming months, World Relief anticipates receiving between 7,000 and 10,000 individuals who have recently fled Afghanistan in an evacuation with many historical parallels to the refugee crisis in Vietnam that sparked Evelyn and Grady Mangham’s ministry. The local church remains central to our mission, just as it was when Evelyn and Grady founded the program.
The World Relief family throughout the globe grieves Evelyn’s death — but not without hope, confident in the resurrection through Christ that was Evelyn’s greatest hope. And we celebrate the incredible legacy of Evelyn and Grady’s life and ministry.
“Evelyn was a personal hero of mine whom I had the privilege of meeting several years ago when we were both speaking at a Christian & Missionary Alliance event. Her vitality, fierce sense of compassion, warmth, and humor inspired a room full of people who loved Jesus. Many of the Montagnard women who attended that event flocked to Evelyn to give her a hug and to dance and sing with her,” reflects Jenny Yang, World Relief senior vice president for Policy and Advocacy. “Her love for refugees, for the church and for her Lord were contagious. I and so many others at World Relief count it a privilege to be a part of her legacy. Her impact on the lives of those who are vulnerable will be felt for generations to come, and I know there was a huge celebration for her in heaven as so many people whose lives she touched welcomed her to her eternal home.”
“Evelyn spent her life in various parts of the world and knew what it meant to live as a foreigner, and then she devoted many years to welcoming others who had experienced that displacement and liminality into the United States. She lived out better than most the biblical truth that we are all ‘foreigners and strangers on earth.’ As the author of Hebrews wrote, she was “longing for a better country — a heavenly one,” and we rejoice that Evelyn now rests in the presence of the Lord, even as we grieve with her family still on earth,” reflected World Relief President & CEO Myal Greene.
Even into her last years of life, living in Florida, Evelyn always would greet refugees from the Middle East with a smile, singing with them the Arabic songs she remembered from her childhood. As refugee resettlement has become increasingly controversial in recent years, including within evangelical churches, Evelyn was asked how she would advise Christians who felt reluctant to engage in refugee ministry:
Well, respond to what Jesus said, that’s all: “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger” — refugee — “and you took me in … Inasmuch as you did unto one of the least of these my brethren, you did unto me.” It’s simple obedience.
World Relief honors the legacy of Evelyn Mangham, and our global community of staff, volunteers, and partners will be praying for her family and celebrating her life, grateful for the lasting impact she had on all of us.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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World Relief, Women of Welcome and We Welcome Refugees Host Prayer & Action Town Hall Centered on Afghanistan and Haiti Response
September 3, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
Yesterday, World Relief joined forces with Women of Welcome and We Welcome Refugees to host a virtual Prayer and Action Town Hall, an event that focused on responses to the crises in both Afghanistan and Haiti.
Over 1,350 participants pre-registered for the town hall and many more tuned in on Facebook. The town hall featured speakers such as bestselling Christian author Ann Voskamp, World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene, and Women of Welcome Director Bri Stensrud.
The event was sponsored by World Relief, Women of Welcome and We Welcome Refugees. Each of the partners is engaging in additional response efforts: World Relief is leading an on-the-ground response to the earthquake in Haiti and resettling Afghans in various communities. We Welcome Refugees is sharing an advocacy tool to encourage governors to welcome Afghan refugees to their state, and has produced guides for engagement on the Afghanistan issue and Haiti response. Women of Welcome recently launched a new Bible study focused on “Bold and Brave” responses to refugees and other vulnerable immigrants that has already been downloaded more than 10,000 times.
Myal Greene, World Relief president and CEO, commented:
“I began my tenure as president and CEO of World Relief one day after Kabul fell to the Taliban and two days after Haiti was rocked by yet another devastating earthquake. As heartbreaking as the past few weeks have been, I am grateful for World Relief’s incredible staff, volunteers, partner churches and donors who have already come together and provided emergency shelter to more than 1,200 Haitian families, resettled hundreds of Afghans into communities throughout the United States and advocated for more just policies for our most vulnerable neighbors. Undergirding those efforts is a deep commitment to prayer, which is why we’re glad to have been able to host this town hall focused on both prayer and action.”
Ann Voskamp, author of four NewYork Times bestsellers, commented:
“Why should we care about Haiti and Afghanistan? Why does God care? Because those in need are our own family, and oppressed people are our people. Everyone is our own flesh and blood. Our theology is best expressed in our hospitality. As we sacrificially give, we are showing hospitality to God himself. Christ doesn’t identify with the power brokers, he identifies with the broken. If we persist in staying silent at a time of injustice and crisis, our own family will die. Our own Jesus died for more justice and shalom than this. There is hope for healing, for justice and for shalom to reign. A whole world of people will decide who Jesus is by who we are right now, and we get to be shalom makers in this world.”
Bri Stensrud, director of Women of Welcome, commented:
“Evangelical women are, like so many Americans, heartbroken by the devastation in Afghanistan and in Haiti, and our faith compels us to be a part of the solution. Women are mobilizing their church communities to respond to both crises and striving to practice Christlike welcome for Afghans who have begun arriving and are likely to arrive in larger numbers in the weeks to come.”
Jenny Yang, World Relief senior vice president of advocacy and policy, commented:
“Even as we eagerly begin welcoming Afghans who were able to be evacuated to rebuild their lives in the U.S., we’re not giving up on our advocacy for the tens of thousands of individuals still in Afghanistan whose lives are at risk under the Taliban. As a nation, we have a moral obligation to stand with those facing persecution, particularly for those whose lives and whose families’ lives are threatened because of their service to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.”
Matthew Soerens, World Relief U.S. director of church mobilization and advocacy, commented:
“At the heart of the reason that Christians are concerned both with the plight of Afghans fleeing the Taliban and with Haitians rebuilding after a devastating earthquake is Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves, a mandate that Jesus makes clear applies to vulnerable people in need who may not share our nationality or religion. Through both prayer and tangible actions, Christians are mobilizing in remarkable ways to care for their Afghan and Haitian neighbors.”
James Misner, World Relief senior vice president of strategic engagement, commented:
“The response from local churches and individual Christians to both the earthquake in Haiti and to the evacuation and resettlement of Afghan allies has been absolutely overwhelming. In the midst of the darkness of these crises, Christians throughout the country are stepping up, giving sacrificially, offering their time as volunteers and their influence as advocates. And yet the need is greater still, so we’re thankful for today’s call to sustained prayer and action.”
Rick Everswick, Global Director, Hill Country Bible Church, Austin, Texas, commented:
“At our church, as in congregations throughout the United States, we’ve watched the devastating images of chaos in Kabul as vulnerable Afghans have sought to flee the Taliban. We’re committed to standing with those who were evacuated out and who will eventually be resettled to the US, and to continually stand in prayer and advocacy for those who were left behind. My prayer is that the church would arise in this moment to demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus.”
A recording of the Town Hall is available here.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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World Relief Grieves the Loss of Life at Kabul Airport and Urges Biden Administration to Ensure Continued Safe Evacuation of Vulnerable Afghans, U.S. Citizens and Green Card Holders
August 26, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
BALTIMORE — Today, August 26, a series of terrorist attacks near Kabul’s airport took the lives of over 60 Afghans and 12 U.S. troops. These attacks were carried out at the site of an ongoing evacuation of vulnerable U.S. citizens, green card holders, and vulnerable Afghans, efforts led by the United States with support from the global community. The U.S. military is engaged in a heroic effort on the front lines of the evacuation. World Relief grieves the loss of so many innocent lives and laments the risk and vulnerability to which both Afghans and U.S. personnel are exposed in Afghanistan.
“We are heartbroken by the bloodshed at the Kabul airport,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “We commend the valiant efforts of the U.S. military to lead this critical evacuation and know that in doing so, they put themselves in harm’s way. This act of violence highlights the evil those who don’t make it out will be subject to while living in Afghanistan as well as our humanitarian duty to leave no one behind who is at risk. Far too many of our service members, allies and vulnerable Afghans remain trapped in Afghanistan at risk of death without any means of getting out.”
The Biden administration has pledged to continue evacuations until August 31. But as that date quickly approaches, and as violence disrupts official U.S. evacuation efforts, World Relief also calls on the Biden administration to continue evacuations past August 31 if that’s what it takes to save lives and keep our nation’s commitment to our allies.
“We honor the lives lost today of those in the U.S. military and Afghan community. We know the constant dangers our U.S. military face providing security and support as well as the dangers that those who seek safety often face. We continue to urge President Biden to remain firm in our commitment to help vulnerable Afghans and evacuate those whose lives are in jeopardy,” said Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief. “We cannot turn our backs on those who have risked their lives and their families’ lives for our country.”
World Relief asks that our partners and church community join us in praying for those who lost their lives today, and for the grieving families of victims. World Relief also asks for prayer for a compassionate and effective response by the international community to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. And World Relief is actively welcoming Afghans who have been evacuated and cleared for resettlement to the United States, in partnership with local churches and communities.
To learn more about World Relief, visit https://worldrelief.org/.
To find out how you can help welcome those who have fled Afghanistan, visit https://worldrelief.org/respond/#afghan.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. We aim to tackle the world’s greatest problems with holistic, locally-driven solutions that lead to lasting change — whether in response to disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression or mass displacement and immigration. World Relief’s work in the United States, specifically, focuses on helping refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations rebuild their lives in a new country.
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World Relief Grieves the Loss of Life at Kabul Airport and Urges Biden Administration to Ensure Continued Safe Evacuation of Vulnerable Afghans, U.S. Citizens and Green Card Holders
August 26, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
BALTIMORE — Today, August 26, a series of terrorist attacks near Kabul’s airport took the lives of over 60 Afghans and 12 U.S. troops. These attacks were carried out at the site of an ongoing evacuation of vulnerable U.S. citizens, green card holders, and vulnerable Afghans, efforts led by the United States with support from the global community. The U.S. military is engaged in a heroic effort on the front lines of the evacuation. World Relief grieves the loss of so many innocent lives and laments the risk and vulnerability to which both Afghans and U.S. personnel are exposed in Afghanistan.
“We are heartbroken by the bloodshed at the Kabul airport,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “We commend the valiant efforts of the U.S. military to lead this critical evacuation and know that in doing so, they put themselves in harm’s way. This act of violence highlights the evil those who don’t make it out will be subject to while living in Afghanistan as well as our humanitarian duty to leave no one behind who is at risk. Far too many of our service members, allies and vulnerable Afghans remain trapped in Afghanistan at risk of death without any means of getting out.”
The Biden administration has pledged to continue evacuations until August 31. But as that date quickly approaches, and as violence disrupts official U.S. evacuation efforts, World Relief also calls on the Biden administration to continue evacuations past August 31 if that’s what it takes to save lives and keep our nation’s commitment to our allies.
“We honor the lives lost today of those in the U.S. military and Afghan community. We know the constant dangers our U.S. military face providing security and support as well as the dangers that those who seek safety often face. We continue to urge President Biden to remain firm in our commitment to help vulnerable Afghans and evacuate those whose lives are in jeopardy,” said Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief. “We cannot turn our backs on those who have risked their lives and their families’ lives for our country.”
World Relief asks that our partners and church community join us in praying for those who lost their lives today, and for the grieving families of victims. World Relief also asks for prayer for a compassionate and effective response by the international community to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. And World Relief is actively welcoming Afghans who have been evacuated and cleared for resettlement to the United States, in partnership with local churches and communities.
To learn more about World Relief, visit https://worldrelief.org/.
To find out how you can help welcome those who have fled Afghanistan, visit https://worldrelief.org/respond/#afghan.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. We aim to tackle the world’s greatest problems with holistic, locally-driven solutions that lead to lasting change — whether in response to disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression or mass displacement and immigration. World Relief’s work in the United States, specifically, focuses on helping refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations rebuild their lives in a new country.
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World Relief Announces New President and CEO Myal Greene
July 20, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE — World Relief, one of the world’s leading global Christian humanitarian organizations, announced today that its board of directors has approved the appointment of Myal Greene as the organization’s new president and CEO, effective August 16, 2021.
He will succeed World Relief’s retiring CEO Tim Breene and President Scott Arbeiter, building on the solid foundation they set in the last five years of their leadership to continue World Relief’s mission of serving the most vulnerable around the world.
“During my fourteen years with World Relief, I have seen God at work in our organization in countless ways,” said Myal. “I am grateful for the extraordinary leadership of Tim and Scott, and I am continuously inspired by our more than 1,500 staff in the U.S. and around the world. I believe God has used all of my experiences to equip me for this new role and to help me magnify the life-changing work our team is doing.”
Steve Moore, chair of World Relief’s board of directors, said, “Nearly two years ago, the Governance Committee refined our succession planning process, and the search team implemented that game plan with excellence. Out of an impressive, diverse group of exceptional candidates, Myal Greene emerged as the clear choice to lead World Relief in this exciting season. I’ve been energized by my interactions with Myal and look forward to collaborating in pursuit of the mission of World Relief in this next chapter.”
Steve continued, “Scott Arbeiter and Tim Breene, our outgoing president and CEO, have served World Relief with excellence and positioned us well for this transition moment. Jointly, they have enthusiastically affirmed the selection of Myal.”
Myal steps into his role with vast experience both overseas and in the United States, most recently as World Relief’s senior vice president of International Programs. Myal began his work with World Relief in Rwanda in 2007, where he led the development of a new church-based programming model, known as Church Empowerment Zones (CEZ). Under Myal’s leadership, the CEZ model has grown from a small pilot project with 150 churches in Rwanda to a global model that has reached over 5,000 churches across nine countries. In 2010, he became the World Relief Rwanda country director, tripling the office’s size over three years, and then transitioned to Africa regional director, followed by World Relief’s Developing Countries unit director.
During his two years as senior vice president of International Programs, Myal led the organization in scaling major grant-funded programs and launching a significant gender equity initiative.
Of the challenges ahead, Myal commented: “Nearly 80 years ago, World Relief was founded in response to the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis. Today, we face the most significant crisis of our lives. Much of the world is still facing rising COVID-19 cases, and hundreds of millions of people have fallen deeper into poverty due to the pandemic. Domestically, our work to serve refugees and immigrants is more relevant than ever. World Relief, in partnership with churches across the globe, has a critical role to play in the lives of millions of people around the world.”
World Relief’s reach internationally has more than doubled in the last two years, and Myal looks to continue to scale the organization’s impact. As COVID-19 continues to ravage lives and livelihoods around the world, there have been widespread repercussions like increasing fatality rates, worsening maternal-fetal health, and a decrease of social protection for children. Domestically, World Relief seeks to continue to promote the protection of vulnerable migrants, including refugees and asylum-seekers, while expanding services to them through our 17 U.S. offices.
Myal holds a B.S. in finance from Lehigh University and an M.A. from Fuller Theological Seminary in global leadership, and he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Eastern University. He and his wife, Sharon, have three children. They were members of Trinity Life Church in Lutherville, Maryland, for five years before relocating to Chesapeake, Virginia, where they attend New Life Church.
Scott Arbeiter and Tim Breene, outgoing World Relief president and CEO, respectively, offered the endorsement: “It has been our privilege to witness Myal’s growth as a leader over the past five years. He has substantially increased the depth, breadth and impact of our international work while simultaneously growing in his understanding and commitment to our U.S.-based work among refugee and immigrant populations. Myal has a unique set of gifts, passions and experiences that make him an outstanding choice to lead World Relief into the future. He has our full and enthusiastic support!”
World Relief has a rich history of serving the most vulnerable through its programming, empowering the local church and speaking truth to power in its spheres of influence. Throughout its 75+ year history, World Relief has stood firm in the knowledge that the work and organization have always belonged to God, and they are confident that the work that God has started He will continue.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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World Relief Commemorates World Refugee Day 2021
World Relief kicks off a series of week-long initiatives to recognize and support refugees at national and local levels to recognize World Refugee Day on June 20
June 18, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE, MD — In honor of World Refugee Day 2021, World Relief is spearheading several initiatives such as educational webinars and engaging fundraising activities to celebrate and support refugees throughout the week. World Refugee Day is an international holiday that is annually commemorated on June 20 and recognizes individuals who have fled from their home countries due to violence and oppression.
“World Refugee Day marks a time to celebrate the brave women, men and children who have risen to meet the many challenges presented by discrimination, violence and oppression, often exacerbated by extreme poverty, natural disasters and, now, COVID-19. They are an example of resilience, courage and fortitude,” said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. “As we focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict or persecution, World Relief’s community is committed to helping those striving to rebuild their lives and make America their home.”
To celebrate this year’s World Refugee Day, World Relief Durham co-hosted a webinar focused on practical ways to get involved with serving refugees in the Triad, North Carolina area with Love Out Loud, the National Immigration Forum, and the Evangelical Immigration Table. World Relief Fox Valley is hosting a prayer walk in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin. World Relief Spokane is celebrating by partnering with immigrant artist Jiemei Lin to create limited edition art t-shirts to support refugee resettlement in the Spokane area. In the Seattle, Spokane and Tri-Cities area of Washington, World Relief also organized the Century Challenge to raise funds that are helping newly-arrived refugee and asylee families as they bravely start a new life and integrate into the community in the Pacific Northwest.
After the drastic reduction in refugee admissions over the last four years, World Relief looks forward to partnering with the Biden administration to welcome more refugees this year under the recently increased refugee ceiling of 62,500. Now, as World Relief urges the administration to honor their original commitment of 125,000 in the year to come, we enter into a significant moment in America in which we invite local churches and other community partners to help rebuild our capacity to welcome, love and support these brave families. World Relief is eager and ready to welcome more refugees in 2021 and invites volunteers, businesses and churches to join us in welcoming these newcomers and celebrating their unique and vibrant cultures. Every action counts in the effort to build safe and welcoming communities of love.
“As refugees begin to rebuild their homes and lives, World Relief invites the local church and volunteers to partner with us in helping families find housing, learn English, pursue employment, build friendships and create long-term support systems,” said Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief. “As a nation, we can continue to be a beacon of light and hope for those fleeing persecution in this world and offer the love of Christ to the most vulnerable among us.”
Since 1979, World Relief has played a crucial role in helping to resettle nearly 300,000 refugees in America and served roughly 125,000 other immigrants. This past year, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19 and many field locations transitioning to remote services, our offices remained committed to helping new immigrants thrive by providing vital services and building communities of love and welcome. World Relief resettled more than 1,400 refugees in 2020 and also came alongside asylum seekers and other immigrants in the transition to life in the U.S., providing legal services, language aid and help finding employment and housing.
Download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
Biden flip-flops on refugee policy after blowback for keeping Trump-era restrictions
PBS News Hour
Friday saw the Biden administration giving mixed messages on refugee admission. After receiving blowback for keeping the historically low refugee cap set by President Trump, the White House quickly reversed its position, and said it will move to lift them. Yamiche Alcindor has more on the flip-flop, and discusses it with Jenny Yang, the vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief.