NAE to make D.C. its new headquarters

Christian Century, May 22, 2002

The National Association of Evangelicals will centralize its operations in Washington, D.C., where its office of governmental affairs has been the organization's most active component. Once located in the evangelical stronghold of Wheaton, Illinois, the NEA moved its head offices two years ago to Azusa, California, under new president Kevin Mannoia, who was forced to resign last summer over policy differences.

The NAE board announced May 1 that it plans to close the southern California office this summer--a move that could involve some layoffs. "It's just not practical to have [the two offices] in two different places," said Leith Anderson, interim president of the association. The NAE will hire a couple of staffers and contract for other office needs. "I perceive this as growth and expansion, strengthening what we're doing significantly," Anderson said, noting that there is room for additional staff at a townhouse the organization purchased on Capitol Hill last year.

In other business, the board accepted the Crystal Cathedral, the large church and television ministry based in Garden Grove, California, as a new member church. Besides 51 denominations and 250 organizations, the NAE has many local-church members. Also, board members adopted a statement of conscience on worldwide religious persecution as more than 100 evangelical leaders, members of Congress and ex-ambassadors gathered May 1 in the nation's capital to reiterate their resolve to keep public pressure on offending nations, especially Sudan and North Korea. The meeting was cosponsored by the NAE and Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom.