Posted on 12/13/2008 6:10:02 AM PST by GonzoII
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) does not speak for every evangelical or evangelical church (the Southern Baptist denomination, for example, is not a member of the NAE), but it certainly speaks for a great majority of them. It has been around for 66 years, and represents 50 denominations and more than 45,000 churches. Its national convention in 1983 provided the occasion for Ronald Reagan to denounce the Soviet Union as an "evil empire."
(Excerpt) Read more at renewamerica.us ...
This guy, Czik, was fired. From the article:
“The performance of its [NAE] vice president for government affairs has been a source of deep concern among clear-thinking evangelicals in recent years because of his aggressive advocacy for global warming alarmism. He appeared to many in the press to be speaking for the evangelical movement in general, and did little to discourage such perceptions.”
The guy also voted for Obama and doesn’t really have a clear position on homosexual marriage. I suspect that means he favors it but is embarrased to say it directly.
It’s good he is gone.
Mr. niteowl77
The Southern Baptist Convention is not a member of the NAE? Well, I have to say I am impressed with the SBC for keeping separate from that. But then again, The SBC is not a “church.” Baptists are not denominationalists. They hold to the independence and autonomy of each local congregation; each congregation is self-governing, selecting its own leadership (Pastor, elders, deacons).
It is possible for an individual Baptist church, even a single SBC-associating church to be a member of the NAE, and I wouldn’t be surprized if many of them individually are members. The SBC has no authority to tell an autonomous church that it can’t affiliate with the NAE, and I can only guess that some of them have joined — it would be a good guess.
“The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) does not speak for every evangelical or evangelical church”
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Understood, I just opined that I thought it was a positive thing.
50 denominations is "a great majority of" Evangelicals?
“50 denominations is “a great majority of” Evangelicals?”
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Like I told Mr. Edd; I’m here opining that I thought it was a positive move, regardless of the sphere of influence of the NAE.
I'm not sure I would label it a positive move - maybe just a move in the right direction. The NAE in 2005 (when Haggard was President with Cizik as spokesperson) had gone on record in favor of "creation care" (read: global warming)....
The Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an umbrella group of 51 church denominations, said he had become passionate about global warming because of his experience scuba diving and observing the effects of rising ocean temperatures and pollution on coral reefs.A year later, nearly two dozen prominent voices from the "Christian Right" publicly asked the NAE not to adopt a position on global warming in regards to signing on to the Evangelical Climate Initiative (ECI) . Cizik himself had already given his endorsement, but but later withdrew his signature after the NAE voted against signing on."The question is, Will evangelicals make a difference, and the answer is, The Senate thinks so," Mr. Haggard said. "We do represent 30 million people, and we can mobilize them if we have to."
In October the association paved the way for broad-based advocacy on the environment when it adopted "For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility," a platform that included a plank on "creation care" that many evangelical leaders say was unprecedented.
After the NAE vote, Cizik withdrew his signature from the Evangelical Climate Initiative, telling Christianity Today that he wanted "to display an accommodating spirit to those who don't yet accept the science on the severity of the problem." Undoubtedly the organizers of the ECI were disappointed about the absence of the NAE, which represents 45,000 churches.When the NAE withdraws it's 2005 "An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility" statement, and demonstrates a long-term commitment to stop trumpeting liberal causes, I'll be ready to label Cizik's firing a "positive move".
good riddance
As a long time Protestant, I wouldn’t say there is a unified stand on abortion in the Protestant churches. I have been in many where it was never mentioned.
Richard Cizik resigns from NAE
Richard Cizik has resigned as Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). His resignation, which takes effect today, concludes 28 years of service and leadership in the Washington, DC office of NAE.
Over the past three decades he has been a tireless advocate for a broad variety of issues important to the evangelical community including passage of anti-persecution legislation, laws against human trafficking, nurture of family life, protection of children, justice and compassion for the poor and vulnerable, sanctity of human life, opposition to abortion on demand, peace and the restraint of violence in our world, creation care and others. He gave leadership to the writing and implementation to the landmark document, For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility.
Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals, explained in a letter to the members of the board of directors of NAE that “in a December 2, 2008 broadcast interview on National Public Radio, Richard responded to questions and made statements that did not appropriately represent the values and convictions of NAE and our constituents. Although he has subsequently expressed regret, apologized and affirmed our values there is a loss of trust in his credibility as a spokesperson among leaders and constituents.”
Anderson also wrote that “because Richard traveled to a previously scheduled international conference in Europe shortly after the airing of the broadcast it was not possible to meet with him until his return. He and I have recently met together and mutually concluded that his resignation is a difficult but appropriate decision.”
A December 5, 2008 letter to the board had already reaffirmed that “our NAE stand on marriage, abortion and other biblical values is long, clear and unchanged.”
http://www.nae.net/index.cfm?FUSEACTION=editor.page&pageID=545&idCategory=1
Well, just non-Catholic. I am thinking: non-denom, Evangelical, (Pentecostal) Episcopalian, Vineyard, Missouri Synod Lutheran — just churches we have attended in the last 20 years.
You've switched churches five times in twenty years?
I noticed that they waited until after the election.
There are some large denominations here... What I don't see is the independent churches that make up part of the evangelical movement.
http://www.nae.net/index.cfm?FUSEACTION=nae.members
Wondering if you have seen a more comprehensive list of evangelical churches??? Is so please share the link.
I have a more comprehensive list, but it is a handbook of the denominations (which comes out every couple of years) not an online resource.
Do you have a problem with that? Some we checked out and did not continue; some we stayed for a long time; some were church-splits. Why? We always worshiped the same God, different formats.
There are some large denominations here... What I don't see is the independent churches that make up part of the evangelical movement.
This one appears to be a single congregation.
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