Graham relief agency said to proselytize

Christian Century, March 21, 2001

The humanitarian relief agency run by evangelist Franklin Graham is coming under fire for allegedly proselytizing in El Salvador while using government funds to build shelters for victims of the recent earthquake.

The New York Times reported that workers with Samaritan's Purse held prayer meetings before showing local residents how to build the temporary shelters. The group has received $202,000 from the U.S. Agency for International Development for relief work in El Salvador.

Although federal officials did not say relief workers had linked their evangelism with their humanitarian work, the agency nonetheless had concerns about "significant religious/ proselytizing purpose or content" and would fund only programs "which do not have the primary effect of advancing religion."

A statement issued by Samaritan's Purse said the money for the shelter project has been promised by USAID but has yet to be delivered, meaning "not one nickel" of the money described was actually federal money. Graham, whose father is evangelist Billy Graham, said his organization had a total budget last year of $135 million, and only $3.9 million came from USAID.

The statement said no government money is ever "used to fund any of our direct Christian ministry, whether it be evangelism, Bibles and Christian literature or any other kind of spiritual program." Also, Samaritan's Purse said it does not require the people it helps to participate in evangelizing programs. "Samaritan's Purse makes its physical aid available to anyone on the basis of need and never requires participation in any religious programs as a condition for receiving relief." --RNS