Evangelicals come together to support relief projects for Italy earthquake survivors

Groups of evangelicals have joined forces to offer aid to the victims of Italy's tragic earthquake on Aug. 24 that claimed at least 294 lives.

Members of 40 global and national evangelical groups gathered together to discuss how they can extend relief to those in need.

The meeting was led by the Italian Evangelical Alliance (AEI), the Federation of Pentecostal Churches in Italy (FCP), together with the evangelical relief group Coevema and convened last Aug 29 in Borbona, near Amatrice.

The group will focus on emotional support, education, and outreach and aid for children and the elderly. This will be done in camps, schools and places where the survivors are staying.

In a statement titled, "'The Borbona commitment'," the group said: "When the media attention will decrease, and the emotional wave will fade, only a commitment before God will be able to produce perseverance in the action for the glory of God."

The evangelical group has agreed that division is not helpful and will only prevent what they want to accomplish.

"It is rather convenient to coordinate the efforts in order to bring together into a single stream the various initiatives, to be more incisive in the aid and bringing the comforting Word of God and show the Way of salvation," the statement read.

Through the the Borbona commitment, the group made a statement of faith, a confession of their initial inaction, and a unified commitment to help the victims.

There are an estimated 400 people who have been injured by the quake and almost 2,500 people lost their homes. An appeal to support those in need was launched by the Federation of the Evangelical Churches in Italy. Details on the fundraising campaign may be found here.