World Vision (United States)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
World Vision inc.
logo
legal form Corporation
founding 1950
founder Robert Pierce
Seat Federal Way in Washington (State)
motto To follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in bringing humanitarian change to the poor and the oppressed, seeking justice, and witnessing the good news of the Kingdom of God
main emphasis Humanitarian aid, development aid, advocacy work
Action space United States (and worldwide through World Vision International )
people Richard Stearns (Chairman)
sales $ 1.1 billion (2009)
Website www.worldvision.org
World Vision Inc. office in Federal Way , Washington

World Vision Inc., also called World Vision United States as opposed to other World Vision organizations , is the North American (United States) predecessor, founding and partner organization of World Vision International . Founded in 1950 in the United States, it is an evangelical development aid organization based in Federal Way . Richard Stearns is the chairman .

In the business world, World Vision Inc. (hereinafter WV Inc. or WV US for short) operates as "World Vision". To differentiate it from other World Vision organizations, it is sometimes used as an alternative designation: World Vision United States, World Vision USA or WV US, World Vision Incorporated.

Mission statement and history

World Vision (United States) was founded in 1950 as a US corporation .

Its goal is to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in bringing humanitarian change to the poor and the oppressed, seeking justice and witnessing the good news of the Kingdom of God .

World Vision United States is an evangelical organization.

For World Vision, the reality of humanitarian need and global injustice is an essential ideological motivation. Other ideological factors are the principles of participation, communal ownership (responsibility of the locals) and the principle of sustainability. But Christianity is also part of the model. This is understood to be the basic convictions that bind an organization together with a view to a common goal.

The organization was founded in 1950 by Bob Pierce as World Vision after he traveled to China and North Korea for Youth for Christ . The journalist raised funds for Korean widows and orphans. He was the first president of WV and held office until 1967.

In 1958 the organization had 10,000 sponsored children in Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Burma (today: Myanmar ) and India.

In the United States, there is common collaboration with government development aid programs.

The strong support that World Vision received for its work in Cambodia and Vietnam from USAID during the Vietnam War is viewed with skepticism , which is why World Vision, whose founder Robert Pierce wanted to actively counter communism through campaigns in China, for example, was also considered a product of the Cold War seen. The Catholic organization Pax Christi named World Vision as a "Trojan horse" of US foreign policy with regard to its work in Ecuador . There was also lamented the discrepancy between words and deeds, since the group would call itself Christian and not evangelical, but spread its help exclusively through evangelical leaders.

In 1962, World Vision founded the World Vision Relief Organization as a disaster relief arm.

After the resignation of Bob Pierce in 1967, his deputy Pastor Richard C. Halverson ran the business until 1969 . At the same time Halverson was from 1966 to 1983 also chairman of the "Board" (such as a board of directors or supervisory board) of World Vision US. 1969 W. Stanley Mooneyham became president. By 1973 the number of sponsored children reached 50,000 and development aid was added as a new branch of work.

By 1976 the number of sponsored children rose to 100,000. The umbrella organization World Vision International , based in Monrovia (California) under the direction of Moneyham, was founded in 1977 and took over a large part of the employees of World Vision US. World Vision Inc. has been operating under the name World Vision International since 1966 . Since 1977 this designation has only been used for the umbrella organizations that have coordinated the international cooperation of World Vision since then, although it was still registered on World Vision Inc. until 2004. The founding organization World Vision Inc., now mainly active as a support organization in the USA, has also been known as World Vision US since then.

Over the years, World Vision Inc. has modified its external image: it is no longer an evangelistic missionary organization, but rather a Christian aid organization for development cooperation and humanitarian emergency aid, and the primary goal is no longer Christianization, but the fight against the causes of poverty, which is the aid justified for self-help. The original concept of mission (evangelism) has been replaced by the principle of Christian witness ("Christian witness"). The secondary literature speaks e.g. B. also of “lifestyle evangelism”, which is understood as the Christian way of dealing with people in an effort to develop. Working with the poor is Christian action. But "primary goal" is used in secondary literature and the like. a. seen the economic development.

With the increasing internationalization, decentralization and federalization of the organization (founding of the umbrella organization World Vision International in the 1970s), the “partnership concept” with “equality” between southern and northern country offices became a connecting element and ideological cohesion. In 1984, the first non-American was elected international president of the organization. From “a largely non-operational, evangelical, US-based charity”, so the self-portrayal, has become an international, diversified partnership with an emphasis on disaster relief and development cooperation. World Vision stems from a "conservative US-Christian agenda", the organization today spans the main Christian currents, with Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants coexisting in a broad interdenominationalism. The organization is "Christian, but free from ecclesiastical sectarianism".

World Vision Inc. was criticized by the economist and banker Dambisa Moyo because only a quarter of the 100 million US dollars in donations that WV Inc. collected after the tsunami of December 26, 2004 had only been spent nine months. This was due to the fact that during this catastrophe, a number of aid organizations received large amounts of earmarked donations very early on, and World Vision, like other aid organizations, initially saw no more sensible spending options. World Vision had therefore changed its advertising immediately and from then on no longer advertised for a specific purpose.

Finances

The aid organization raised a total of $ 1.1 billion in 2009. Of these, 456 million were private donations and 344 million were government grants.

organization

In addition to the chairman, World Vision Inc. has a board of directors consisting of 22 people and is part of the World Vision International network .

Law professors in the United States criticized a decision by the Bush administration to approve World Vision Inc. grants. The fact that World Vision Inc. only employs Christians is religiously discriminatory and violates the principle of equal opportunities in the employment of employees. The Bush administration decided that World Vision Inc.'s religious freedom would allow a legal exception (1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act). World Vision Inc. has been confirmed by the Federal Court of Appeals that it only has to hire employees who, in its opinion, fit into its “recruitment policy” and profess to be “followers of Jesus Christ”. In the ruling in 2010, the federal appeals court ruled that World Vision should be classified as a religious organization within the meaning of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . An exception in the Civil Rights Act is therefore effective for World Vision with regard to the prohibition of discrimination against employees based on religious views, which is why World Vision can take their religious convictions into account when hiring and employing employees. Specifically, World Vision negotiated the dismissal of three employees who, according to their lawyer, are deeply devout Christians, but according to World Vision lack the required recognition of the doctrine of the Trinity .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See:
    • Katharina Hofer: Africa in hectic missionary fever . In: German Bundestag (ed.), Parliament No. 10 of March 1, 2004;
    • Mark R. Amstutz / Andrew S. Natsios, Faith-Based NGOs and US Foreign Policy, in: Elliott Abrams (ed.): The influence of faith. Religious groups and US foreign policy, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Lanham, Maryland 2001, pp. 175-189 (Amstutz) / pp. 189-200 (Natsios);
    • Steve Brouwer, Paul Gifford, Susan D. Rose Exporting the American gospel. Global Christian fundamentalism, Routledge, New York 1996, p. 184 ( online );
    • James K. Wellman, Jr., Art. Evangelicalism, in: Thomas Riggs (ed.): Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices, Vol. 1: Religions and Denominations, Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, Michigan 2006, pp. 183-188, here p. 187f.
    • Evangelical Manifesto Steering Committee AN EVANGELICAL MANIFESTO ( Memento of the original from September 25, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . A statement on evangelical identity and public engagement, Washington, DC, May 7, 2008, translation by the Institute for Ethics & Values, Giessen. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ethikinstitut.de
    • Richard Ziegert, "Das Protestantische Schisma", in: Pfälzisches Pfarrerblatt 2006. online ( Memento of the original from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.pfarrerblatt.de
    • Derek Michaud / YunJung Moon / Mark Mann Art. Carl FH Henry (1913-2003) , in: Boston Collaborative Encyclopedia of Western Theology, with reference to Edith L. Blumhofer / Joel A. Carpanter: Twentieth-Century Evangelicalism. A Guide to the Sources, Garland Publishing, New York - London 1990, p. Xi.
    • Charles van Engen, Opportunities and Limitations, in: Gary Corwin, Kenneth B. Mulholland (eds.): Working together with God to shape the new millennium, Evangelical Missions Society, Pasadena, California 2000, pp. 82–122.
    • Interhemispheric Resource Center, Report World Vision, 1991, quoted here from Stephen A. Kent: The French & German vs. American Debate over 'New Religions', Scientology, and Human Rights, in: Marburg Journal of Religion 6/1 (2001) [1]
    • William A. Dyrness, Evangelical theology and culture, in: Timothy Larsen, Daniel J. Treier (eds.): The Cambridge Companion to Evangelical Theology, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2007, pp. 145–160, here p. 151.
    • Kai M. Funkschmidt, Art. World Vision / World Vision International, in: Hans Dieter Betz et al. (Ed.): The religion in past and present , 4th A., Vol. 8, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2005, Sp. 1694f.
    • Julie Hearn, The 'Invisible' NGO. US Evangelical Missions in Kenya, in: Journal of Religion in Africa 32/1 (2002), pp. 32–60.
    • D. Michael Lindsay, Faith in the halls of power. How evangelicals joined the American elite, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2007, ISBN 0195326660 , p. 259.
    • David Stoll , Is Latin America Turning Protestant? The Politics of Evangelical Growth, University of California Press, Oxford 1990, ISBN 0520076451 , p. 289 (cf. e.g. BS 155 and others).
    • Hans-Jürgen Prien, Protestantism in Latin America in the (18th – 20th century), in: Anuario de historia de la Iglesia 9 (2000) , pp. 171–195.
  2. ↑ a b Review of 2009 (PDF; 165 kB)
  3. ^ David Michael Lindsay: Faith in the halls of power: how evangelicals joined the American elite. Oxford University Press, New York 2007, pp. 44 f.
  4. ↑ World Vision United States / 2000 & 2001 Board Members. (No longer available online.) In: seekgod.ca. Archived from the original on August 27, 2010 ; accessed on January 9, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.seekgod.ca
  5. ↑ World Vision: Celebrating 60 years. In: christianexaminer.com. September 7, 2010, accessed January 9, 2015 .
  6. ^ World Vision - Liferay. In: liferay.com. Retrieved January 9, 2015 .
  7. ↑ unknown. In: alertnet.org. Archived from the original on January 22, 2010 ; accessed on January 9, 2015 .
  8. ^ Erica Bornstein: The Spirit of Development . Stanford University Press, 2003, ISBN 978-0-804-75336-4 , limited preview in Google Book Search
  9. ↑ About World Vision (PDF file)
  10. ↑ Health Annual ReportFY2008. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010 ; accessed on January 9, 2015 .
  11. ↑ Our Mission. World Vision United States, accessed on July 12, 2010 : "to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God."
  12. ↑
    • Katharina Hofer: Africa in hectic missionary fever . In: German Bundestag (ed.), Parliament No. 10 of March 1, 2004
    • Derek Michaud; YunJung Moon; Mark Mann; Carl FH Henry: Twentieth-Century Evangelicalism. A Guide to the Sources. In: Boston Collaborative Encyclopedia of Western Theology. Garland Publishing, New York - London 1990, p. XI.
    • Mark R. Amstutz: Faith-Based NGOs and US Foreign Policy. In: Elliott Abrams (ed.): The influence of faith. Religious groups and US foreign policy. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Lanham, Maryland 2001, pp. 175-189 (Engl).
  13. ↑ Alan Whaites: Pursuing partnership: World Vision and the ideology of development - a case study. In: Development in Practice. Vol. 9, No 4, August 1999, p. 410.
  14. ↑ a b Alan Whaites: Pursuing partnership: World Vision and the ideology of development - a case study. In: Development in Practice. Vol. 9, No 4, August 1999, p. 411.
  15. ↑ a b c d data on history. (PDF) Archived from the original on July 13, 2010 ; Retrieved July 13, 2010 .
  16. ↑ The People's Paper ( Memento of the original dated February 5, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tehelka.com
  17. ↑ Steve Brouwer, Paul Gifford, Susan D. Rose, Exporting the American gospel. Global Christian fundamentalism , Routledge, New York 1996, p. 184
  18. ↑ David Stoll, Is Latin America Turning Protestant ?: The Politics of Evangelical Growth (University of California Press, 1990), pp. 268, 282-284, 289.
  19. ↑ a b "Washington Man Will Speak Here" In: Los Angeles Times, May 18, 1968, p. B8.
  20. ^ The Least of These: American Evangelical Parachurch Missions to the Poor, 1947-2005. (PDF) Dissertation. In: dcommon.bu.edu. April 18, 2011, p. 38 , archived from the original on April 18, 2011 ; Retrieved April 18, 2011 : "Richard Halverson, who would later become chaplain of the US Senate, was World Vision's first Vice-President"
  21. ^ Times Staff and Wire Reports: Rev. Richard Halverson; Former Senate Chaplain. In: Los Angeles Times . December 1, 1995, archived from the original on April 18, 2011 ; retrieved on April 18, 2011 (English, obituary for Halverson): "Halverson was chairman of World Vision-US from 1966 to 1983"
  22. ↑ See, for example, United States Patent Office Registration Number 944238 dated Oct. 3, 1972, which registered the World Vision International trademark with World Vision Inc.
  23. ^ World Vision International In: manta.com
  24. ↑ Structure & Funding ( Memento of November 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) In: wvi.org
  25. ↑ a b Alan Whaites: Pursuing partnership: World Vision and the ideology of development - a case study. In: Development in Practice. Vol. 9, No 4, August 1999, p. 414.
  26. ↑ Erica Bornstein: Developing Faith: theologies of economic development in Zimbabwe. In: Journal of Religion in Africa. 32.1, p. 11.
  27. ↑ Erica Bornstein: Developing Faith: theologies of economic development in Zimbabwe. In: Journal of Religion in Africa. 32.1, p. 8.
  28. ↑ Erica Bornstein: Developing Faith: theologies of economic development in Zimbabwe. In: Journal of Religion in Africa. 32.1, p. 10.
  29. ↑ Alan Whaites: Pursuing partnership: World Vision and the ideology of development - a case study. In: Development in Practice. Vol. 9, No 4, August 1999, p. 415.
  30. ↑ Alan Whaites: Pursuing partnership: World Vision and the ideology of development - a case study. In: Development in Practice. Vol. 9, No 4, August 1999, p. 418.
  31. ↑ Alan Whaites: Pursuing partnership: World Vision and the ideology of development - a case study. In: Development in Practice. Vol. 9, No 4, August 1999, p. 413.
  32. ^ Christine Brinck : Development Aid: Contra Bono. In: zeit.de . May 31, 2009, accessed January 9, 2015 . 
  33. ^ Official Hansard. (PDF) In: Parliamentary Debates. Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives, March 22, 1999, p. 67 , archived from the original on September 6, 2010 ; Retrieved September 6, 2010 (English, 37th Parliament, first session, second period).
  34. ↑ World Vision United States: 2009 Audited Financial Statements 2008 and 2009 of September 21, 2009.
  35. ↑ a b World Vision United States: 2009 Annual Review .
  36. ↑ Michael Barrick: Analyst Comments. (No longer available online.) July 2008, archived from the original on October 13, 2010 ; Retrieved on July 29, 2010 : "... US is one member of a family of World Vision organizations." Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ministrywatch.com
  37. ↑ Charlie Savage, "Bush Aides Say Religious Hiring Doesn't Bar Aid". New York Times , October 17, 2008, accessed December 9, 2009 .
  38. ↑ a b Sylvia Spencer, et al v. World Vision Inc. (PDF; 349 kB) United States Court of Appeals, 9th Chamber, August 23, 2010, archived from the original on September 2, 2010 ; Retrieved September 2, 2010 (English, No. 08-35532).
  39. ^ The Seattle Times: 9th Circuit affirms World Vision's faith-based hiring. August 25, 2010, archived from the original on August 26, 2010 ; accessed on August 26, 2010 (English).
  40. ^ The Seattle Times: 9th Circuit affirms World Vision's faith-based hiring. August 25, 2010, archived from the original on August 26, 2010 ; accessed on August 26, 2010 (English).
  41. ↑ Bobby Ross Jr .: Faith-Based Fracas. In: christianitytoday.com. June 16, 2010, accessed January 9, 2015 .