Return to Table of Contents

A/G Charities: Where Compassion and Ministry Meet

By John Bongiorno

The number of people living on the streets of our nation’s capital surprises me. Congressional men and women whose decisions and power shape our nation and impact our world seem powerless to change the lives of needy people. I asked one of our staffers, "Why are more people living on the streets of D.C. than in New York City or L.A.?"

The response, "They come to the nation’s capital looking for help and hope."

The government can provide needy Americans with some help but it cannot provide them hope. The reason? Hope without faith is nothing. Faith is the very substance of hope, and it is the essence of the message of the church.

The message of hope for the helpless and hurting is found in the person of Jesus Christ. Our Creator came to heal and help broken people. All the money in the world will never bring deliverance to someone addicted to drugs and alcohol. Our message is: through Jesus there is hope and deliverance.

In the last decade, the question has been asked, "What would Jesus do?" His Word provides the answer. "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me. ... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine you did for me" (Matthew 25:35,36,40).

The church is to provide for the poor, the disenfranchised, and the overlooked in America. Serving the poor was a priority of our Lord. In the Bible, over 400 Scriptures address God’s concern for the needy. His priority must become our mandate.

President George W. Bush has challenged the faith community to partner with government and help the poor. The Assemblies of God and A/G Financial Services Group have determined that directing God-given resources to God-given goals includes assisting compassion ministries affiliated with the Assemblies of God in receiving government funding. The General Council has established A/G Charities in Washington, D.C, as a resource center and intermediary for faith-based initiatives with the federal government. By using the collective influence of its churches and ministries, A/G Charities represents the Assemblies of God as one voice on critical issues and helps A/G churches apply for public funds. A/G Charities, through guidance and resources, is equipping compassion ministries to achieve results.

Through a strategic partnership with the National Grant Center, A/G Charities provides faith-based ministries opportunity to join a valuable network for grant writers. Training seminars in cities around the U.S teach groups how to navigate through the government’s financial bureaucracy and find resources consistent with their mission and objectives. The National Grant Center also helps facilitate grants to ministries and is a resource for potential providers.

Removing The Barriers

The time to gather an army of compassion is now. More and more, the Federal Government no longer sees itself as the direct provider of social services. In fact, less than 4 percent of federal domestic spending on social programs is administered by federal employees. The balance of resources is disbursed to a vast network of private and public agencies that perform the services, or re-grant funds to private groups. These programs that help the poor are either faith-based or secular.

Non-Christian organizations are the primary recipients of government funds. The Programs Office at the Department of Justice projected that in fiscal year 2001, only 0.3 percent of the funds it distributed to state and local government would be given to faith-based providers. The Department of Education calculated in fiscal year 2000, faith-based organizations received 25 of 1,091 grants it awarded; 2 percent of available grants. When government funds social services from secular institutions, the less fortunate go to these agencies for help.

When President Bush signed the executive order on January 29, 2001, for establishing the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, he stated, "The paramount goal is compassionate results. Private and charitable groups, including religious ones, should have the fullest opportunity permitted by law to compete on a level playing field, so long as they achieve valid public purposes. ... The delivery of social services must be results-oriented and should value the bedrock principles of pluralism, nondiscrimination, evenhandedness, and neutrality."

The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is working together with the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Labor, Justice, Agriculture, and the U.S. Agency for International Development to remove barriers so faith-based groups can receive more federal funding. The fbci is working to change regulations that discourage faith-based organizations from working with the federal government to serve those in need. The playing field has been leveled so churches can now lead publicly sponsored programs to provide childcare, foster care, drug rehabilitation, and job readiness. The fbci urges Congress to enact legislation that will provide new incentives for charitable giving. The fbci also partners with groups like A/G Charities to acquaint them with the federal government and its programs.

Jim Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, stated, "The Faith-Based Initiative President Bush launched is an effort to mobilize armies of compassion, like A/G Charities, to step forward and touch these wounds of society." A/G Charities is working with many compassion ministries to alleviate hunger, provide shelter and provisions for the homeless, work with prisoners and their families, provide solutions for youth-at-risk, and work with substance abusers in leading them toward recovery.

Which Ministries Should Consider Public Funding?

The door for faith-based organizations to receive public funding is open. However, with this opportunity comes limitations and rules. The government has not received funding specifically for faith-based groups. Government will not allocate funds for religious services for direct proselytizing, but there are billions of dollars available for groups providing sound social services. The key to receiving funding is results. The government will provide organizations with proven programs the funding to further develop their programs.

The following guidelines by the National Grant Center help determine if a compassion ministry is ready to pursue public funding:

1. Ministries must be currently providing a holistic compassionate service and be committed to it long-term.
2. Ministries must document a track record of compassionate service through accurate records and solid relationships with other community organizations.
3. Ministries must be committed to relational evangelism in which compassionate service is viewed as a demonstration of Christ’s love and redemption without requiring recipients to participate in religious activities or church membership.
4. Ministries must have access to a separate legal structure that can support nonsectarian public benefit activities: specifically access to a separate 501(c) 3 and high quality nonprofit accounting system.
5. Ministries must partner with social service or nonprofit professionals to support the compassionate service efforts.
6. Ministries must first commit their resources and volunteers to compassionate efforts so their reputation is greater than their requests for public resources.

Ministries must internally cooperate with other community organizations and Christian ministries to develop complimentary and mutually supportive opportunities.

The Church And Strategy

A/G Charities has connected faith-based groups like Teen Challenge and Kid Care America (an after school program based in churches) with funds to help them accomplish their mission. A/G Charities must compete with the best secular programs for funding. To do so, A/G Charities has developed a careful strategy that enables ministries to maintain integrity in mission and benefit from leveraging their resources with public funds. The strategy centers on five R’s:

Relationships

A/G Charities cultivates meaningful relationships with government officials at all levels. Our offices have become a place of refuge and prayer for many of our nation’s decisionmakers. A/G Charities is also an intermediary between the government and faith-based organizations, bringing together officials and leaders to seek understanding and results.

Representation

In Washington, D.C., numbers count. The depth and width of one’s network translates into the depth and width of one’s influence. A/G Charities uses the collective influence of its vast number of churches and ministries to unite the Christian community’s voice on critical issues and compete for public funds.

Results

Mel Martinez, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, says, "We are not looking for compassion intentions, but for compassion results." A/G Charities assists Christian ministries by establishing program objectives and meeting them. The National Resource Center and Grant Writing Department sends these results to government agencies in the form of proposals to garner funds for worthy programs and projects.

Resources

A/G Charities is a resource center for faith-based organizations needing direction. The recipe for receiving public and private funding is one-third writing a good grant proposal (See the article by David W. Mills, "Grant Development — The Role and Process" on page__.) and two-thirds research. The National Resource Center teaches groups how to navigate through government financial bureaucracy and find resources consistent with their mission and objectives.

Replication

Dr. Wade Horn, director of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families says, "Why should we pay $30 million for social services when we can invest $30 million and receive $300 million in social services in return." Investment in groups that can replicate programs and leverage resources is the answer. The government wants the best return possible. A/G Charities helps groups present programs the government funders find attractive.

Government Funding At The Local Level

A/G Charities is working on the national level to help faith-based groups receive the necessary funding to compassionately reach out to others. But over 80 percent of federal resources are channeled to the states through block grants. Great potential exists in accessing resources at the state, county, and city level. A/G Charities five Rs strategycan also be used at the grassroots level. Cultivate relationships in your community with those in need and learn to reach out to them. Build relationships with decision makers in your area and partner with them to channel resources to the hurting. Volunteer in a compassion ministry in your local church or community. Represent your community on boards and committees. Seize opportunities to influence through involvement. Share the results of your work with others as the Holy Spirit empowers you. Develop and leverage resources for Christian ministries to replicate effective programs designed to help people find Jesus and employment. Pray that these initiatives will continue be an effective force in our nation’s capital.

This is the moment for the local church to take its rightful and responsible place as the caregivers, mentors, and agents of hope. It is time to stop and help those that need help most. It is time for the church to begin moving as an army of compassion.

John Bongiorno.