Baptist Alliance Steps Up After Aid Cuts Shake Communities
A global Baptist organization representing approximately 53 million members across various regional churches is working to raise funds for international aid programs that have suffered due to recent funding cuts by the Trump administration. The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) recently launched the “Stand in the Gap Solidarity Sunday” initiative to encourage financial support for humanitarian efforts worldwide.
J. Merritt Johnston, a spokesperson for the BWA, stated that the initiative was created in response to the sharp decline in global aid funding. She emphasized the urgent need for assistance, noting that Baptist groups worldwide are calling for life-saving support. While acknowledging that they cannot replace the millions lost in aid, Johnston stressed that the Church cannot remain passive. Churches were encouraged to observe Solidarity Sunday on March 30 or a future fifth Sunday, dedicating time for prayer and collecting donations to assist those in crisis.
Although the BWA itself does not receive federal funding through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), some of its partner organizations, including those associated with the Baptist Forum for Aid and Development, do. The organization comprises 266 member groups across 134 countries and territories, with funds distributed to meet specific needs identified by impacted communities. The goal is to mobilize global resources, ensuring local leaders have the support necessary to provide aid and share their faith through practical acts of service.
The Trump administration significantly reduced USAID funding, citing concerns over wasteful expenditures. Examples presented by the White House included projects related to workplace diversity in Serbia, funding for gender-related surgeries in Guatemala, and meal provisions in conflict zones where aid allegedly reached extremist groups. However, critics, including Christian nonprofits, argued that these cuts eliminated critical life-saving programs, affecting vulnerable populations worldwide.
In response to these funding challenges, BWA highlighted urgent humanitarian crises in locations such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, where hospitals are struggling with limited resources amid widespread displacement. Similarly, on the Thailand-Myanmar border, temporary shutdowns of medical clinics in displacement camps have resulted in fatalities. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled against a Trump administration request to freeze $2 billion in USAID reimbursements. As a result, organizations like Samaritan’s Purse secured funding for their humanitarian work, providing food and medical care in conflict-ridden regions such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan.