Evelyn and two of her friends worked tirelessly to call NAE churches from across the country, giving them refugee profiles and encouraging them to become sponsors. When they ran out of churches from the NAE list, they called friends, pastors or churches they had heard of through word-of-mouth. Churches were extremely responsive and began requesting that more refugees be sent their way.
Grady began tracking the small travel loans the State Department had contributed to each refugee’s resettlement and developed a program so refugees could repay their loans. Money began flowing in steadily as refugees repaid their loans faster than those resettled by other agencies. Grady and his staff aimed to settle 1,000 refugees in the first year, and within six months they met their goal.
When the Manghams retired in 1987, World Relief’s refugee resettlement program was firmly in place. It began in the Mangham’s small home, and has since expanded to 23 offices across the United States. In the past 35 years, World Relief has resettled over 250 thousand refugees from more than 80 nations. Despite change and growth within the program, one thing has remained the same: World Relief is committed to welcoming some of the world’s most vulnerable to a new life, steeped in opportunity, community and the love of Jesus Christ.
There are 20 million refugees in the world today which is the highest number recorded since World War II. The United States resettles the largest number of refugees in the world but it still constitutes less than half of 1 percent of the world’s refugees. Only refugees who cannot return home or those who cannot locally integrate in the country to which they fled can be resettled. Refugees cannot choose to be resettled but must be selected. Refugees for the most part also cannot choose which country to which they will be resettled. While resettlement will not solve the global refugee crisis, for the small numbers who are resettled, it can mean an opportunity to rebuild their lives anew in freedom and safety. Resettlement is not just about a place to live, but a place to belong. With the assistance of the local church, many refugees have come to know the Lord and have thrived in their new homes.
