This was from the New York Times:

A pop quiz: What’s the largest U.S.-based international relief and development organization?

It’s not Save The Children and it’s not CARE— both terrific secular organizations. Rather, it’s World Vision a Seattle-based Christian organization (with strong evangelical roots) whose budget has roughly tripled over the last decade.

World Vision now has 40,000 staff members in nearly 100 countries. That’s more staff members than CARE, Save the Children and the worldwide operations of the United States Agency For International Development — combined.

And:

Evangelicals have become the new internationalists, pushing successfully for new American programs against aids and malaria, and doing superb work on issues from human trafficking in India to mass rape in Congo.

A very trendy thing for many in my generation to say from their corner table in the coffee shop, while listening to a Rob Bell podcast and reading Len Sweet is “I wish the Church would just be the Church.” Well, we will always have a long way to go in being like Jesus, but the Church is being the Church.

Please don’t forget that Jesus proclaimed he would build his Church. That is exactly what he has done and continues to do.

Malaria, Aids, Disaster Relief, Orphan Care…who is leading the way? The Church that Jesus is building.

Samaritans Purse, International Justice Mission, Blood Water Mission? The Church.

The Florida Baptist Convention had workers who were in Haiti LONG before the earthquake. The Convention had been ministering in Haiti for years. We didn’t need to hustle down there after the tragedy because we were already there.

Please take this as boasting in Christ. Can we take a break from b&*$%* about the Church every now and then and celebrate that God is doing exactly what he said he was going to do?