If Senator Obama is elected how will this effect faith-based organizations (FBO’s) ?”

As already demonstrated Senator Obama would be cordial and enthusiastically embrace the participation of FBO’s in competing for publicly sponsored social programs. I suspect that FBO leaders would attend venues sponsored for them by the White House and many would hail him as a champion of faith-based causes. Yet, when it comes to competing for grants and contracts most will choose to skip this dance if Senator Obama insists on not protecting their hiring rights. As stated in my previous blog, “The future of Faith-based Initiatives” what makes FBO’s successful is their “Faith” and volunteers and employers serving God and others through their faith. It is God working through faith-based people that leads to transformation. Can someone who has been a slave to drugs be delivered by God without any intervention or interaction of a social worker specialized in this field? Of course, and there are many testimonials to this phenomenon. However, as one who has worked closely with FBO’s like Teen Challenge in most cases it is God using a compassionate faith-based worker and friend to counsel and provide “tough love” through a series of breakthroughs over time. If you interviewed both the faith-based provider and the client they would both contend it was their faith in God that resulted in becoming “a new person with the old things passed away and replaced by the new.” Therefore, if FBO’s are forced to hire non faith-based employees then the core to their success will be eliminated.

As a result, if Senator Obama is elected then I believe FBO’s will be left with the following options:

1. Do not pursue public funds. The only exception would be in the form of vouchers since the Supreme Court has declared that in this case the client is choosing the organization thereby allowing the FBO to not change their practices including hiring rights. Examples of vouchers include childcare, adult education and Access to Recovery under SAMHSA. The FBO still cannot utilize public funds for proselytizing under any circumstance.

1. “Don’t ask and Don’t Tell.” The FBO when hiring someone will not ask the interviewee about their religious background or affiliation. Likewise, the interviewee will not feel any obligation to address this question during the employment process or thereafter. This approach is outlined in my book, “A Revolution of Compassion” co-authored by Stanley Carlson- Theis who is a renowned expert on the matter.

1. Start a secular sister non-profit organization. Many FBO’s will choose to establish a separate non-profit that will be used entirely for programs funded by the government. This would create a firewall and protect them from mixing private with public funds. Some FBO’s have already taken this course and have developed successful “Community Development Corporations.”

If I were advising the Obama campaign I would strongly encourage them to be proactive in presenting and explaining these options to FBO’s. If not, FBO’s will eventually see that they have been a victim of “Bait and Switch.”

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