Across the world, there are vast numbers of Christian organisations helping the most in need and downtrodden. Here are a few examples.
The Leprosy Mission is the world's largest and oldest organization seeking to help lepers and irradicate leprosy. It was founded by Christian Irishman Wellesley Bailey.
Bailey had grown up going to church but had never become a real Christian. As he was about to sail to Australia one day, a fog descended and the departure was delayed. While he was stuck in Gravesend waiting for the fog to lift, he attended church and met with God. He became a changed person. He eventually ended up in India and was planning to join the army, but as his passion for serving Christ increased, he decided to become a missionary. In the course of his work he was introduced to a small ministry to lepers and saw how they were being helped. He became deeply interested in the work, was soon put in charge and in due course set up the Leprosy Mission to give more comprehensive help.
Today, the Leprosy Mission works in 10 countries across Asia and Africa and has other programmes helping people across the world. They provide treatment, support the disabled, advise healthcare professionals, tackle discrimination and are one of the world leaders in leprosy research.
They say:
Following Jesus Christ, we seek to bring about transformation; breaking the chains of leprosy and empowering people to attain healing, dignity and life in all its fullness.
Bailey had grown up going to church but had never become a real Christian. As he was about to sail to Australia one day, a fog descended and the departure was delayed. While he was stuck in Gravesend waiting for the fog to lift, he attended church and met with God. He became a changed person. He eventually ended up in India and was planning to join the army, but as his passion for serving Christ increased, he decided to become a missionary. In the course of his work he was introduced to a small ministry to lepers and saw how they were being helped. He became deeply interested in the work, was soon put in charge and in due course set up the Leprosy Mission to give more comprehensive help.
Today, the Leprosy Mission works in 10 countries across Asia and Africa and has other programmes helping people across the world. They provide treatment, support the disabled, advise healthcare professionals, tackle discrimination and are one of the world leaders in leprosy research.
They say:
Following Jesus Christ, we seek to bring about transformation; breaking the chains of leprosy and empowering people to attain healing, dignity and life in all its fullness.
Mercy Ships is an international Christian organization that deploys hospital ships to some of the poorest countries in the world, delivering vital, free healthcare to people in desperate need.
Conditions requiring surgical treatment kill more people in low-income countries than HIV/Aids, TB and malaria combined. Globally, five billion people have no access to safe, affordable surgery when they need it.
In sub-Saharan Africa, up to 69% of people live on less than £2 a day. Healthcare in these countries either doesn't exist or is unaffordable to the vast majority of the population. As well as completing thousands of urgent operations onboard our floating hospitals, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy, Mercy Ships volunteers also work closely with host nations to improve the way healthcare is delivered across the country, by training and mentoring local medical staff, and renovating hospitals and clinics.
Founded in 1978 by Christians Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 countries, providing services valued at more than £1.3 billion. By improving healthcare delivery in every country it visits, Mercy Ships is working to eradicate the diseases of poverty and effectively do itself out of a job. Mercy Ships follows the model of Jesus by “bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor”, helping people of all faiths and none.
Among the countries Mercy Ships serves, which lie on the lower third of the World Health Organisation’s Human Development Index, access to safe, affordable and timely surgery is extremely limited. As a result, countless people suffer and die from “diseases of poverty” that can easily be cured.
Conditions requiring surgical treatment kill more people in low-income countries than HIV/Aids, TB and malaria combined. Globally, five billion people have no access to safe, affordable surgery when they need it.
In sub-Saharan Africa, up to 69% of people live on less than £2 a day. Healthcare in these countries either doesn't exist or is unaffordable to the vast majority of the population. As well as completing thousands of urgent operations onboard our floating hospitals, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy, Mercy Ships volunteers also work closely with host nations to improve the way healthcare is delivered across the country, by training and mentoring local medical staff, and renovating hospitals and clinics.
Founded in 1978 by Christians Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 countries, providing services valued at more than £1.3 billion. By improving healthcare delivery in every country it visits, Mercy Ships is working to eradicate the diseases of poverty and effectively do itself out of a job. Mercy Ships follows the model of Jesus by “bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor”, helping people of all faiths and none.
Among the countries Mercy Ships serves, which lie on the lower third of the World Health Organisation’s Human Development Index, access to safe, affordable and timely surgery is extremely limited. As a result, countless people suffer and die from “diseases of poverty” that can easily be cured.
The Salvation Army began on the streets of East London in 1865 when Methodists, William and Catherine Booth, abandoned the traditional concept of a church pulpit to take God’s word directly to the people.
The Booths preached and lived out a doctrine of practical Christianity — soup, soap and salvation — to encourage both social and spiritual transformation among society’s most vulnerable and marginalised people.
Their work included setting up shelters for people who were homeless, a family tracing service, running soup kitchens, helping people living in the slums and setting up rescue homes for women fleeing domestic abuse and prostitution. The couple also oversaw the world’s first free labour exchange and campaigned to improve working conditions.
Today the Salvation Army works in 133 countries, helping the poor, providing shelters for the homeless and humanitarian aid. They are usually amongst the first humanitarian organisations to arrive at the scene of natural or human-caused disasters.
"Our faith in Jesus Christ motivates, energises and sustains everything we are and all we do." Territorial Commander Commissioner Anthony Cotterill
The Booths preached and lived out a doctrine of practical Christianity — soup, soap and salvation — to encourage both social and spiritual transformation among society’s most vulnerable and marginalised people.
Their work included setting up shelters for people who were homeless, a family tracing service, running soup kitchens, helping people living in the slums and setting up rescue homes for women fleeing domestic abuse and prostitution. The couple also oversaw the world’s first free labour exchange and campaigned to improve working conditions.
Today the Salvation Army works in 133 countries, helping the poor, providing shelters for the homeless and humanitarian aid. They are usually amongst the first humanitarian organisations to arrive at the scene of natural or human-caused disasters.
"Our faith in Jesus Christ motivates, energises and sustains everything we are and all we do." Territorial Commander Commissioner Anthony Cotterill
Tearfund is a Christian charity which partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries to provide humanitarian aid to communities. They tackle poverty and injustice through sustainable development, by responding to disasters and challenging injustice. They work with local churches and organisations who have a crucial role to play in the places worst affected by poverty. It was founded by another Christian organization, the Evangelical Alliance, in 1968 and today works in about 50 countries.
Founded in 1952, Compassion is a leading Christian children’s charity. Compassion partners with more than 8,000 churches in 25 countries to deliver their proven child development programme to more than 2 million infants, children and youth. Around the world, children, families and entire communities are being empowered to overcome poverty and thrive both now and into the future. They say:
Jesus is at the heart of what we do. Our programmes show God’s love to children born into poverty. Whilst Christ’s love motivates us, we help children and families from all backgrounds, regardless of belief.
Jesus is at the heart of what we do. Our programmes show God’s love to children born into poverty. Whilst Christ’s love motivates us, we help children and families from all backgrounds, regardless of belief.
Samaritan’s Purse is an international relief and development organisation that works through local churches to proclaim and demonstrate the love of God amongst communities in Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organisation serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.