Christian Aid is generally considered to be the first missionary agency to support and promote indigenous mission groups. It has been the catalyst behind the present reformation in foreign missions methodology.

Over the years, Christian Aid has provided more than $100 million in assistance to more than 800 evangelistic ministries based in 122 "mission field" countries overseas. These boards deploy a combined total of 100,000 missionaries serving in the most unevangelized nations of the world.

Christian Aid was first established in Washington, DC as a missionary outreach among overseas students and other visitors from unevangelized "mission field" countries. Since millions of foreign nationals come to the U.S. and Canada every year, our goal has been to reach these visitors while they are away from home, and lead them to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior. Hundreds of highly educated men and women have gone back to provide leadership for indigenous missionary ministries among their own people on every continent.

When they return home to spread the gospel, we serve as their supply line. We make known their work to believers in the US; print and mail out their newsletters; maintain their list of personal prayer partners and supporters; and issue tax-deductible receipts for contributions sent in for their work. 100% percent of all gifts received from their personal supporters is used for the support of their ministry.

Since there is little or no source of support for Bible institutes and pioneer missionary outreach in poorer countries, Christian Aid has been a lifeline for indigenous evangelistic ministries all over the world. Some of these groups now have more than 1,000 missionaries on the field in their respective countries.

If traditional mission boards tried to do the volume of work done by the overseas missions supported by Christian Aid, they would need over a billion dollars a year. With our help, indigenous groups do it with less than one percent of that amount.

Since 1953, Christian Aid has served as a communications link between U.S. churches and native missionary ministries based in poorer countries overseas, especially those that are closed to missionaries from America. Over the decades, a staff of qualified professionals has traveled thousands of miles to visit and evaluate indigenous ministries in some of the most remote places on earth.

Each ministry is carefully reviewed to insure it measures up to the expectations of the donors and churches that provide financial support.

First, the ministries' leaders must be born again, Bible-believing evangelicals who demonstrate high moral standards in their personal lives. Their handling of finances must be fully accountable and above reproach. There must be evidence of the call of God upon their life with confirmation the Lord is using them to win souls, plant churches, and faithfully bear witness for Christ in the places where they serve.

Christian Aid has information on about 6,000 different ministries, of which more than 800 have been fully evaluated and approved for support. These groups deploy a combined total of more than 100,000 missionaries on the field who are reaching over 3,000 tribes and nations (defined by separate languages) with the gospel. They operate hundreds of Bible institutes and missionary training centers in their native lands. They are not branches of foreign denominations or organizations. Every group is fully indigenous within the area where their work is located.

Missions conscious churches in America are encouraged to "adopt a mission board" by choosing a specific indigenous group and sending support for it through Christian Aid. Donor churches will receive information about the ministries they support, often including photographs of individual missionaries and ongoing reports about the work they are doing.