KNOXVILLE, Tenn (AP) _ A new evangelical group is calling for the forgiveness of Haiti’s foreign debt.
The New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good (NEP) says it exists to “advance human well-being as expression of love for Jesus Christ.” NEP executive director Rev. Steven Martin says the group’s call is Bible-based, and the right thing to do is to help Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake.

Martin says Christian leaders don’t often discuss the issue of debt, but that it was a concern of Jesus and is mentioned in the Scripture. Martin says freeing the Haitian government from the debt will allow it to invest in the long-term needs of the people.

NEP has also launched an online petition calling for Haitian debt relief. The petition will be presented to the White House.
NEP was founded by the Rev. Richard Cizik (SYZ’-ihk), former National Association of Evangelicals vice president and the Rev. David Gushee, a Christian ethics professor at Mercer University. Gushee also founded Evangelicals for Human Rights, which has merged into NEP. The Rev. Martin is a pastor and documentary filmmaker.