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What is charitable choice?
a summary
Provided by Nile Harper
Published here on 3-7-01
Legislation:
The 1995 welfare reform legislation signed into law by
President Clinton contained a section entitled "charitable
choice," which includes the following items:
Prevents discrimination by government agencies against
faith-based organizations
Allows religious congregations and other faith based
groups to compete for government contracts to provide social services
Focuses on providing funds for programs that enable
persons to get off welfare, learn job skills, and deal with addictions
that prevent persons from working, providing support services that help
persons become dependable and productive workers
Protects the religious character and expression of
faith-based organizations while they accept government funding, by
allowing them to
 | retain control of governing board and mission |
| retain religious symbols and atmosphere |
| retain persons of faith in hiring staff. |
Also, churches do not have to have 501-C-3 non-profit
status.
Protects civil rights of service recipients, allowing
participants to opt out of religious parts of faith-based programs.
Prohibits religious organizations from using
government money for worship, faith instruction, or evangelization.
Limits:
The present law focuses funding on services directly
related to enabling persons to get back into the work force -- the
welfare to work programs -- that are administered by states. There is
not a lot of new money as yet. President bush is proposing that
charitable choice be expanded to include new areas and new money.
Leaders:
As of early 2001 a number of states have well
developed use of charitable choice funding, including but not limited to
Texas, California, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia, and North
Carolina.
Models:
Three patterns are typical of current working systems:
Direct -- contract between government unit and
religious entity.
Indirect -- contract with a large organization,
such as Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries, which sub-contracts with
a congregation or other smaller religious entity.
Intermediate -- contract with a coalition of
congregations which has a 501-C-3 non-profit status.
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
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Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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