National Council of Churches cautions against 'aggressive' evangelism in wake of tsunami

(RNS) The National Council of Churches is considering "high profile" discussions with evangelical groups to caution them against "aggressive and inappropriate evangelism" in the wake of the South Asia tsunami.

Shanta Premawardhana, the NCC's director of interfaith relations, said one of the greatest threats to churches working the devastated area are groups "who don't know the difference between aid and evangelism."

Premawardhana, a native of Sri Lanka, issued his warning on Feb. 26 in an 11-page guideline for churches working in the region.

The NCC is a New York-based umbrella group for 36 mainline Protestant and Orthodox denominations. Generally speaking, its member churches shun aggressive proselytizing.

Premawardhana, a Baptist, said the Christian minority in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other countries continues to battle the lingering effects of "missiological mistakes" during the colonial era and the "exclusive theologies most missionaries espoused."

Premawardhana urged U.S. churches to channel their relief efforts through partner churches in the region, in relationships that are long-lasting and are not characterized solely by American financial donations.