Churches weren\u2019t always ready to help Evelyn Mangham. When she cold-called them in 1975 seeking sponsors for refugees from the Vietnam War, they often had other plans and other financial commitments.<\/p>\n
But in call after call with Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) churches, and then any congregation affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), Mangham pushed, quoted Scripture, told stories about Vietnamese people from her 20 years as a missionary, and applied moral pressure.<\/p>\n
One pastor told Mangham his congregation couldn\u2019t help because they were in the middle of a building project\u2014working on a new parking lot. She sputtered<\/a>, \u201cBut these are people.\u201d<\/p>\n By the end of the year, she had convinced evangelical churches to sponsor 10,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.<\/p>\n Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s what Jesus said, that\u2019s all,\u201d she once explained, quoting Matthew 25. \u201c\u2018I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger\u2019\u2014refugee\u2014\u2018and you took me in.\u2019 \u2026 It\u2019s simple obedience." https:\/\/t.co\/egbCNj4xZO<\/a><\/p>\n — Daniel Silliman (@danielsilliman) October 12, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n