Latest news with #EvangelicalChristians
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
GHF names Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore as Executive Chairman amid expanding aid efforts
Moore was interviewed by The Jerusalem Post earlier in May, where he spoke about Evangelical Christians and support for Israel. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) on Tuesday appointed Reverend Dr. Johnnie Moore as executive chairman of the US-run aid organization. Moore was appointed twice by US President Donald Trump to serve as a Commissioner on the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the statement on his appointment said. Moore was interviewed by The Jerusalem Post earlier in May, where he spoke about Evangelical Christians and support for Israel. "However, you slice it, about 80-90% of those Evangelicals around the world would think well of the Jewish people and Israel," he explained. He also discussed the importance of Evangelical voices since the October 7 massacre. "Since October 7, the Evangelical community has really taken responsibility to speak up," he said. While there has been considerable pressure from politicians and activists against those speaking in favor of Israel over the past year, Moore said that "I don't know a single Evangelical that flinched in the face of all of that," further noting the confidence the community has in Israel. "We believe the Jewish community is strong. We believe the State of Israel is strong. We believe the State of Israel can handle itself, even if the United States weren't there," Moore said. According to the GHF, since launching operations on May 26, 2025, over 7 million meals have been distributed in Gaza. They noted that no trucks were seized, no mass diversions occurred, and no incidents of violence were recorded at distribution sites. GHF also denied on Sunday that the IDF attacked a food distribution point near Rafah, contradicting widely circulated Hamas reports.
Miami Herald
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Do evangelicals support Trump administration immigration legislation? What poll finds
Evangelical Christians — a group seen by experts as one of President Donald Trump's biggest constituencies — have mixed views on his immigration legislation, a recently released poll found. Nearly three quarters of evangelicals (70%) said they believe the U.S. has a moral responsibility to accept refugees, with 34% saying they strongly agree and 36% saying they somewhat agree, according to a Feb. 5 poll by Christian media company Lifeway Research. When it comes to helping immigrants who are undocumented, however, the number of evangelicals who said they believe they are responsible to do so dropped to 55%, according to results. The poll of 1,004 Americans who identified as evangelical was conducted Jan. 13-21 and has a margin of error of 3.1%, researchers said. The results come on the heels of a Trump administration executive order suspending decisions on applications for refugee status, citing that the U.S. cannot take in large numbers of refugees 'in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees.' Evangelicals' views on immigration issues have been stable over the years, researchers said. A majority of those polled say they think immigration is helpful, but they want more legislation that respects the rule of law and dignity of every person, guarantees secure national borders, ensures fairness to taxpayers and establishes a path toward citizenship for those who are undocumented. 'Evangelicals' care for refugees and immigrants is as steady as their political preference,' Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said in a Feb. 5 news release. According to the poll, 80% of evangelicals say it is important that Congress passes significant new immigration legislation in 2025. Amid the Trump administration's mass deportation plans, the poll also asked evangelicals about which immigrant groups they thought should be prioritized for deportation. Sixty-seven percent said individuals who have been convicted of violent crimes should be prioritized, and individuals reasonably suspected to present a threat to national security were next at 63%, according to the poll. People who entered the country more than 10 years ago, are parents of at least one U.S. citizen child or are married to a lawful resident or U.S. citizen were at the bottom of the priority list, the poll found. Only 3% of evangelicals responded with none of the above, and 5% said they were not sure, according to the poll.
USA Today
06-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Evangelical Christians have mixed views on immigration, survey finds
Evangelical Christians have mixed views on immigration, survey finds Show Caption Hide Caption What we know: How far can immigration officials go under new laws? From executive orders on birthright citizenship to deputizing federal agents, how far can immigration laws go? Here's what we know. Evangelical Christians are supportive of legislative action to protect refugees and provide pathways for legal citizenship, despite sometimes mixed views on immigrants and their impact on U.S. society, a new survey finds. A new study from Brentwood-based Lifeway Research paints a quantitative picture of the messy reality for a religious group that's increasingly loyal to President Donald Trump's hardline politics but is also supportive of the ministry work of caring for those whom Trump's policies are targeting. As part of that, the data seems to align with some evangelical groups' recent statements about Trump's executive actions related to immigration and refugee resettlement. 'It's easy to presume the loudest evangelical voices on television or social media ‒ who tend to advocate the extreme positions of either mass deportation and shutting out refugees on one hand or open borders and amnesty on the other ‒ are the majority opinion, but this polling confirms my anecdotal experience in local evangelical churches across the United States,' Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at the evangelical nonprofit World Relief, said in a news release Wednesday about the new Lifeway Research study. World Relief was among several partner organizations that supported the recent survey administered by Lifeway Research, a division of the Southern Baptist Convention's publishing arm. Many of the same groups involved with the survey co-signed a Jan. 24 letter to the newly inaugurated president, asking Trump to reconsider suspending the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program and to modify an executive action that allows U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to conduct detention activity at 'sensitive locations' such as churches and schools. 'President Trump, you have said that you want people to come into the country 'in the largest numbers ever' — but to do so legally,' the Jan. 24 letter said. 'Lawfully admitted refugees who have fled persecution on account of their faith could help you to achieve this goal, meeting the needs of the U.S. labor market in an economy we hope will thrive under your leadership, while also offering protection and freedom to individuals persecuted and denied religious liberty abroad.' The Jan. 24 letter's signatories included World Relief, the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, which is the Nashville-based SBC's public policy arm, and others. This spirit of dissent toward some Trump executive actions on immigration mirrors that of other U.S. religious groups, especially the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Both evangelical Protestant and Catholic groups, including conservative and Republican-leaning ones, are on the frontlines of ministering to immigrants and refugees. This sympathy toward refugees on an institutional level among evangelicals is reflected in Lifeway Research's new study, which found 70% of respondents believe the U.S. 'has a moral responsibility to accept refugees' and 64% say 'Christians have a responsibility to care sacrificially for refugees and foreigners.' Among the study's 1,000-plus respondents, 61% voted for Trump in the 2024 election and 50% identify as conservative. But only 31% of respondents said the positions of elected officials have influenced their views on immigration, whereas more evangelical respondents cited personal encounters with immigrants as influencing their views. 'Evangelicals' care for refugees and immigrants is as steady as their political preference, but some leaders may not be listening,' Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said in a news release Wednesday. Still, multiple surveys ahead of the 2024 election in November identified immigration as a top issue for many evangelicals who planned on voting for Trump, of whom more than 80% ultimately did so. Some of that discourse is also present in the latest Lifeway Research study. More than 40% of respondents in the Lifeway Research study say immigrants to the U.S. 'are a drain on economic resources' and 'a threat to the safety of citizens.' In contrast, only 25% of respondents said immigrants' benefit 'America's cultural diversity' and 16% agree immigrants are 'a boost to entrepreneurial activity.' Some of the statistics showing that evangelicals believe immigrants are harming the U.S. economy and society are higher than similar data reported by Lifeway Research in 2024 and 2022 studies. A quarter of respondents said immigrants who have entered the country in the past five years should be 'prioritized for deportation' and 45% of respondents support at 'zero tolerance' policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. But Lifeway Research also found a wide appetite for legislation that creates pathways for citizenship, with 81% of respondents showing support for 'bipartisan immigration reform' that includes a path to citizenship for Dreamers, those who were brought to this country as children. Digging deeper: Immigrants power job growth, help tame inflation. But is there a downside for the economy? Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at ladams@ or on social media @liamsadams.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Evangelical Christians support refugees, despite mixed views on immigration, survey finds
Evangelical Christians are overall supportive of legislative action to protect refugees and provide pathways for legal citizenship, despite sometimes mixed views on immigrants and their impact on U.S. society, a new survey finds. A new study from Brentwood-based Lifeway Research paints a quantitative picture of the messy reality for a religious identity that's increasingly loyal to President Donald Trump's hardline politics but is also supportive of the ministry work of caring for those whom Trump's policies are targeting. As part of that, the data seems to align with some evangelical groups' recent statements about Trump administration executive actions related to immigration and refugee resettlement. 'It's easy to presume the loudest evangelical voices on television or social media — who tend to advocate the extreme positions of either mass deportation and shutting out refugees on one hand or open borders and amnesty on the other — are the majority opinion, but this polling confirms my anecdotal experience in local evangelical churches across the United States,' Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at the evangelical nonprofit World Relief, said in a news release Wednesday about the new Lifeway Research study. World Relief was among several partner organizations that supported the recent survey administered by Lifeway Research, a division of the Southern Baptist Convention's publishing arm. Many of the same groups involved with the survey co-signed a Jan. 24 letter to the newly inaugurated president asking Trump to reconsider suspending the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program and to modify an executive action that allows U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to conduct detention activity at 'sensitive locations' such as churches and schools. 'President Trump, you have said that you want people to come into the country 'in the largest numbers ever' — but to do so legally,' the Jan. 24 letter said. 'Lawfully admitted refugees who have fled persecution on account of their faith could help you to achieve this goal, meeting the needs of the U.S. labor market in an economy we hope will thrive under your leadership, while also offering protection and freedom to individuals persecuted and denied religious liberty abroad.' The Jan. 24 letter's signatories included World Relief, the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, which is the Nashville-based SBC's public policy arm, and others. This spirit of dissent toward some Trump executive actions on immigration mirrors that of other U.S. religious groups, especially the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Both evangelical Protestant and Catholic groups, including conservative and Republican-leaning ones, are on the frontlines of ministering to immigrants and refugees. This sympathy toward refugees on an institutional level among evangelicals is reflected in Lifeway Research's new study on Wednesday, which found 70% of respondents believe the U.S. 'has a moral responsibility to accept refugees' and 64% say 'Christians have a responsibility to care sacrificially for refugees and foreigners.' Among the study's 1,000-plus respondents, 61% voted for Trump in the 2024 election and 50% identify as conservative. But only 31% of respondents said the positions of elected officials have influenced their views on immigration, whereas more evangelical respondents cited personal encounters with immigrants as influencing their views. 'Evangelicals' care for refugees and immigrants is as steady as their political preference, but some leaders may not be listening,' Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said in a news release Wednesday. Still, multiple surveys ahead of the 2024 election in November identified immigration as a top issue for many evangelicals who planned on voting for Trump, of whom more than 80% ultimately did so. Some of that discourse is also present in the latest Lifeway Research study. More than 40% of respondents in the Lifeway Research study say immigrants to the U.S. 'are a drain on economic resources' and 'a threat to the safety of citizens.' In contrast, only 25% of respondents said immigrants' benefit 'America's cultural diversity' and 16% agree immigrants are 'a boost to entrepreneurial activity.' Some of the statistics showing that evangelicals believe immigrants are harming the U.S. economy and society are higher than similar data reported by Lifeway Research in 2024 and 2022 studies. A quarter of respondents said immigrants who have entered the country in the past five years should be 'prioritized for deportation' and 45% of respondents support at 'zero tolerance' policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. But Lifeway Research also found a wide appetite for legislation that creates pathways for citizenship, with 81% of respondents showing support for 'bipartisan immigration reform' that includes a path to citizenship for Dreamers, those who were brought to this country has children. Other Lifeway Research politics studies: What new surveys say about Harris' support among Black Protestants, Trump abortion fallout Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at ladams@ or on social media @liamsadams. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Immigration: New survey highlights views of evangelical Christians
