Missionary Challenge

Among the activities that World Vision classifies as "Missionary Challenge" are: publication of World Vision Magazine with a New Zealand circulation of 25,000, buying films fro other World Vision offices, making films within New Zealand (few to date), collecting data and information from other countries (MARC) and maintaining the Asia Information Service.

Considering the claim that "no donations are used for administration costs" we are unsure as to how these rather expensive items are paid for.

World Vision is entitled to lace its financial aid programmes with a strong evangelical message. We doubt, however, that all the people who have contributed to World Vision realise how closely the two are combined. World Vision's household literature and general introductory material gives minimal attention to the role of evangelism in their work. Instead emphasis is placed upon the project of sponsoring a needy individual who is nearly always in a crisis situation.

Some people may respond to crisis advertising by giving donations. We do not object to their response. However we believe that the public should know that these donations are supporting Christian evangelism.

World Vision has been criticised because it duplicates the work of other aid agencies. The official response to this comment is that World Vision complements the other agencies. In an article in the 'Australian' (4.12.75) Max Harris criticises World Vision because it does exactly the same work as the long established Foster Parents Plan, except that it adds a Christian up-bringing. Harris' article sums up one of the major differences between World Vision and other aid schemes. Whether or not the reader believes that the World Vision programme complements other programmes will depend on his or her own viewpoint.