Working Together to End Poverty

by Paul Chapman

On Sunday and Monday we have been confronted with a theological challenge -- inspiring and at the same time complex and disturbing.

The largest not-for-profit organization that seeks to address the issue of poverty in northern Appalachia is an evangelical Christian agency that receives a significant share of its funding from United States taxes, benefiting from the government’s faith-based charitable choice policy. (More than $750,000 out of a total budget of over $2 million comes from public grants.) The organization combines a program to teach the Christian faith with their program to improve the lives of children and families.

There is no question that the services that this agency provides are of significant value for many people who live very close to the edge of survival. It is clear that the Christian church is deeply embedded in the lives of the people of this community. The language of faith is familiar to them. They have been sustained by prayer and the promises of the gospel. They are not offended when the gospel is proclaimed by a service organization.

They provide many programs, including selling building materials for home restoration at reduced cost. The highly motivated members of the 20-person staff perform a significant service for the people of the community. The children especially benefit from various after-school programs, including tutoring and mentoring. The children that we met appeared self-confident and hopeful about their future.

We agree that it is wonderful that people can live their faith by providing essential services to people. We believe that Christian commitment demands that we live lives of justice, and this includes primarily working with poor people to end poverty.

So what’s the problem? Why are so many of us here uncomfortable with this particular program. It’s one thing to be motivated by faith in Christ; yet, for many of us a flag goes up when the delivery of service is combined with the proclamation of the lordship of Christ. Is conversion to Christianity the hidden agenda in the good work that is done? Is Appalachia seen as a “mission field” and the success of the program will be measured by a deeper commitment to religious life? Is poverty seen as an opportunity for mission? We’re disturbed that this organization’s policy is to hire only those who are Christians. Some of us are uncomfortable whenever the church becomes a cause of this agency would hesitate to hire homosexuals?
This program claims to be dealing with the root causes of poverty, yet we wonder if justice will really be done. It appears that the primary decision makers are the agency professionals and that up to this point the local residents have little leadership role in the organization. Our suspicions were aroused when they spent many hours telling us what they do without ever inquiring what we believe and what we do. Would they have been interested that our group includes several people of other faiths?