Our Mission and Values

World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice, and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.

We pursue this mission through integrated, holistic commitment to:
  • Transformational development that is community-based and sustainable, focused especially on the needs of children
  • Emergency relief that assists people afflicted by conflict or disaster
  • Promotion of justice that seeks to change unjust structures affecting the poor among whom we work
  • Partnerships with churches to contribute to spiritual and social transformation
  • Public awareness that leads to informed understanding, giving, involvement, and prayer
  • Witness to Jesus Christ by life, deed, word, and sign that encourages people to respond to the Gospel

We are Christian

We acknowledge one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Jesus Christ, the love, mercy, and grace of God are made known to us and all people. From this overflowing abundance of God’s love, we find our call to ministry.

We proclaim together, “Jesus lived, died, and rose again. Jesus is Lord.” We desire Him to be central in our individual and corporate life.

We seek to follow Him — in His identification with the poor, the afflicted, the oppressed, the marginalized; in His special concern for children; in His respect for the dignity bestowed by God on women equally with men; in His challenge to unjust attitudes and systems; in His call to share resources with each other; in His love for all people without discrimination or conditions; in His offer of new life through faith in Him. From Him we derive our holistic understanding of the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which forms the basis of our response to human need.

We hear His call to servanthood and see the example of His life. We commit ourselves to a servant spirit permeating the organization. We know this means facing honestly our own pride, sin, and failure.

We bear witness to the redemption offered only through faith in Jesus Christ. The staff we engage are equipped by belief and practice to bear this witness. We will maintain our identity as Christian while being sensitive to the diverse contexts in which we express that identity.

We are committed to the poor

We are called to serve the people in greatest need around the world, to relieve their suffering and to promote the transformation of their condition of life.

We stand in solidarity in a common search for justice. We seek to understand the situation of the poor and work alongside them toward fullness of life. We share our discovery of eternal hope in Jesus Christ.

We seek to facilitate an engagement between the poor and the affluent that opens both to transformation. We respect the poor as active participants, not passive recipients, in this relationship. They are people from whom others may learn and receive, as well as give. The need for transformation is common to all. Together we share a quest for justice, peace, reconciliation, and healing in a broken world.

We value people

We regard all people as created and loved by God. We give priority to people before money, structure, systems, and other institutional machinery.

We act in ways that respect the dignity, uniqueness, and intrinsic worth of every person — the poor, the donors, our staff and their families, boards, and volunteers. We celebrate the richness of diversity in human personality, culture, and contribution.

We practice a participative, open, enabling style in working relationships. We encourage the professional, personal, and spiritual development of our staff.

We are stewards

The resources at our disposal are not our own. They are a sacred trust from God through donors on behalf of the poor. We are faithful to the purpose for which those resources are given and manage them in a manner that brings maximum benefit to the poor.

We speak and act honestly. We are open and factual in our dealings with donor constituencies, project communities, governments, the public at large, and each other. We endeavor to convey a public image conforming to reality. We strive for consistency between what we say and what we do.

We demand of ourselves high standards of professional competence and accept the need to be accountable through appropriate structures for achieving these standards. We share our experience and knowledge with others where it can assist them.

We are stewards of God’s creation. We care for the earth and act in ways that will restore and protect the environment. We ensure that our development activities are ecologically sound.

We are partners

We are members of an international World Vision partnership that transcends legal, structural, and cultural boundaries. We accept the obligations of joint participation, shared goals, and mutual accountability that true partnership requires. We affirm our interdependence and our willingness to yield autonomy as necessary for the common good. We commit ourselves to know, understand, and love each other.

We are partners with the poor and with donors in a shared ministry. We affirm and promote unity in the Body of Christ. We pursue relationship with all churches and desire mutual participation in ministry. We seek to contribute to the holistic mission of the church.

We maintain a cooperative stance and a spirit of openness towards other humanitarian organizations. We are willing to receive and consider honest opinions from others about our work.

We are responsive

We are responsive to life-threatening emergencies where our involvement is needed and appropriate. We are willing to take intelligent risks and act quickly. We do this from a foundation of experience and sensitivity to what the situation requires. We also recognize that even in the midst of crisis, the destitute have a contribution to make from their experience.

We are responsive in a different sense where deep-seated and often complex economic and social deprivation calls for sustainable, long-term development. We maintain the commitments necessary for this to occur.

We are responsive to new and unusual opportunities. We encourage innovation, creativity, and flexibility. We maintain an attitude of learning, reflection, and discovery in order to grow in understanding and skill.