Christian Ministries Helping Refugees Rebuild

From Dallas to Lebanon and beyond, these ministries are helping uprooted families rebuild after war, persecution, and displacement.

At MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christians become more faithful, generous, and effective stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. It’s why we advocate for transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Christian ministries. Because of that, we cover a lot of stories we’d rather not have to — stories of waste, fraud, and abuse.

But that’s not the whole picture. This column exists to amplify ministries doing excellent work — to spotlight ministries making a difference in their own communities and around the world.

Following World Refugee Day (June 20), this week’s Ministries Making a Difference column turns to ministries serving people uprooted by war, persecution, poverty, and displacement. From refugee resettlement in the U.S. to education, healthcare, and gospel witness abroad, these organizations are helping vulnerable families find stability and hope as they rebuild.

Photo, World Relief/Facebook

World Relief

World Relief used World Refugee Day to vouch for thriving communities for refugees and immigrants. World Relief said donations help displaced families move beyond crisis — first through life-saving aid, but also job training, language education, and the steady support that helps restore a sense of home.

In a recent interview with MinistryWatch President Warren Smith, World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene said the pressures surrounding immigration in the United States are only one piece of a far larger worldwide displacement crisis. He urged the church to respond with dignity, seeing immigrants not as political problems or objects of pity, but as people made in the image of God.

Founded after World War II, World Relief partners with churches and communities to respond to disaster, poverty, oppression, and mass displacement. World Relief has a 4-Star Financial Efficiency Rating and an A Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 95.

Photo, ftnro.org

For the Nations Refugee Outreach

When Malou Chol-Tong arrived from Sudan, he could not speak English or read. But through For the Nations Refugee Outreach (FTNRO), he learned to read, use a computer, fill out applications, and better support his children with their homework.

FTNRO is a Dallas-based Christian ministry serving refugees through practical help and gospel witness. The organization provides educational and family services to help refugees adapt to life in the U.S. while also sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Its work includes daily adult ESL classes, after-school tutoring, and family advocacy to assist refugees as they adjust to life in America and connect with key resources.

FTNRO has a 4-Star Financial Efficiency Rating and a C Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 92 (Give with Confidence).

heartforlebanon.org

Heart for Lebanon

When war between Israel and Hezbollah fractured Lebanon in 2006, Heart for Lebanon launched as an emergency relief effort. It has since grown into a long-term Christian ministry.

The ministry seeks to make disciples of Jesus Christ by addressing both physical and spiritual needs — walking alongside families in crisis and pointing them toward hope in Christ. Beyond short-term aid, Heart for Lebanon focuses on long-term transformation through practical care, education, gospel outreach and leadership development. The ministry says it has reached more than 60,000 families.

In the MinistryWatch database, Heart for Lebanon holds a 4-star Financial Efficiency Rating, a Transparency Grade of A and a Donor Confidence Score of 98.

Photo via upfmissions.org

Ukraine Partnership Foundation

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary (UBTS)  launched WeCare Centers on the very first day of the conflict. More than four years later, that effort has grown into a network of 26 centers providing physical and spiritual care to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and residents across the country.

The Ukraine Partnership Foundation is the U.S.-based organization that raises funds and provides oversight for the ministry and leadership training carried out in Ukraine through UBTS. The foundation says its centers supply humanitarian aid, trauma and spiritual counseling, education and training, and community partnerships focused on long-term recovery and renewal.

In the MinistryWatch database, Ukraine Partnership Foundation holds a 5-star Financial Efficiency Rating and a Donor Confidence Score of 78, placing it in the “Give With Confidence” category. Its Transparency Grade is a C.

Medical Teams International/Facebook

Medical Teams International

David fled the Democratic Republic of Congo, arrived in Tanzania as a refugee and eventually received care through Medical Teams International. Today he works as a community health worker, serving other displaced families. Medical Teams International highlighted his story on World Refugee Day to make a simple but pointed argument: “refugee” describes a circumstance, not a person.

In a June 19 article, the ministry noted that nearly 120 million people are now forcibly displaced worldwide — with average displacement lasting close to two decades. Despite those numbers, the global health system has not kept pace with the realities of long-term displacement since the 1951 Refugee Convention first guaranteed protection for people fleeing persecution.

Drawing on its work in East Africa, including Uganda’s refugee settlements, Medical Teams said weak health systems and short-term funding cycles leave refugees chronically vulnerable. The ministry called for greater recognition of faith-based health networks in refugee care.

In the MinistryWatch database, Medical Teams International holds a 3-Star Financial Efficiency Rating, a Transparency Grade of A and a Donor Confidence Score of 93.

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