A good friend and member of the Alliance’s Church Orphan Ministry Advisory Council, Johnny Carr, has an op-ed on Ethiopian orphans in the Washington Post today.

The piece highlights the vast need, warning “the future of Ethiopia’s children is heading toward a crisis of epic proportion if measurable and immediate action is not taken.”  But alongside this vast need, the article emphasizes where hope lies as well:  not in big institutions, but in individual families and the local church.

The article describes a new project Bethany Christian Services is spearheading to care for orphans in-country.   Like many of the very best orphan care initiatives of Alliance member organizations, this one is centered in local churches.  As the article describes, “These are one-on-one relationships; essentially, the U.S. church provides the necessary financing for foster care and the Ethiopian partner inspires its members to help find families and develop loving, local communities. The two churches coordinate their efforts in a symbiotic fashion, working not only on adoption issues, but also any other missions projects that they wish.”

If this project proves successful, it will add one more vital model to the growing array of church-to-church partnerships that can be harnessed to address the global orphan crisis in a way that is both family-centered and saleable.   In my view, response centered in the local church provides not only the best, but also the only, real promise of solution to the needs of orphans worldwide.

Following the controversy over the American woman who sent her adopted son back to Russia last month, the Washington Post ran a compelling op-ed on the plight of orphans in Russia–Adopted boy’s return highlights problems in Russian orphanages. The author, chief of pediatric cardiology at the University of Massachusetts,  Darshak Sanghavi, does an excellent job explaining why debates that focus narrowly on potential problems with international adoption miss an issue of far greater importance to most Russian orphans:  the reality faced by children in Russian orphanages every day.

As I’ve often seen firsthand, many orphanages in Russian and Eastern Europe do an entirely adequate job providing food, shelter, clothing, and other physical necessities.  What most fail to provide, however, is the very thing children need more than anything else:  consistent  love and nurture.

Sanghavi describes a Russian orphanage visited by a colleague:  “The problem wasn’t that the children were neglected: They were kept fastidiously clean and were well groomed and well fed. The problem was that they were bereft of normal human contact. “

As Sanghavi presents it, many Russian orphanages still reflect theories of care-giving championed by progressive psychologists in the 1920s, when some parenting books discouraged mothers from hugging children and the head of the American Psychological Association literally went so far as to recommend only one kiss per year.

Western theorists eventually woke to what most any parent knows by common sense:  that love and affection are vital to a child’s well being.  And so efforts to care for orphans in the West moved decisively away from orphanages in the 1950s and 60s.  Sanghavi notes, “By 1965, only 4 percent of American orphans remained in institutions.  But attachment theory did not influence child welfare programs in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc…. At the time of a 1998 Human Rights Watch report, hundreds of thousands of children were committed to orphanages in Russia, while only several hundred lived in family-size foster-care settings.”

Furthermore, as Sanghavi describes, “A culture of adoption has never taken off in Russia: Of an estimated 800,000 Russian orphans today, only about 15,000 are adopted each year, half of them by foreigners.”

Describing the dire consequences of leaving children in institutions, Sanghavi refers to a watershed 2007 study by Harvard professor Charles Nelson, working in Romania.  The study found that of 136 infants placed either in foster care or orphanages, children in foster care produced significantly higher IQ scores, and the younger the child at the time of placement, the bigger the difference.

“Institutional care is bad for kids,” the study’s author told Sanghavi. “The fact is that institutional care always does worse than family care.”

Following a firestorm of response, the 700 Club has removed Pat Robertson’s commentary on adoption from the clip they’d initially posted.  (For those who feel the need to review his remarks, both the news report on Summit VI and the commentary by Robertson that follows is still accessible—embedded video below—beginning at minute 14:00).

We appreciate the 700 Club’s decision to take this modest step to remove the commentary from news clip.   However, we would encourage further steps to more directly correct the troubling comments and convey the deeper truth that Mr. Robertson missed as he mused on the “risks” of adoption.   Five core truths need to come through loud and clear:

1)       Many orphans do indeed carry deep wounds and real needs—emotional, physical, relational and spiritual.  Any Christian contemplating adoption, foster care or other ministry to children from hard places should do so with a full sense of both the joys and the challenges that may lie ahead.  We must “count the cost”—not just theoretically, but via serious reading, study and discussion.

2)      The potential difficulty of caring for orphans, does not diminish God’s heart for the child that has no family, nor His call to His people to join Him in the sacrifice-requiring work of “defending the  cause of the fatherless.”

3)      What every child most needs is a loving, permanent family.   Certainly, Christians should be at the forefront of every form of caring for orphans, and sometimes the vast expanse of need may call for larger-scale, institutional response, even orphanages.  But to the fullest extent possible, the priority should always be to move toward the most family-like setting that can be achieved—the permanence of loving adoption whenever possible.

4)      If God’s best for children is a loving family, then Christians must be willing to be that family.  We must be challenged to confront the fears and take the “risks” associated with adoption.  Certainly, not everyone is called to adopt, but we all have a role to play in supporting, encouraging and enabling it.

5)      Finally, after we have weighed the costs, we can also know that God offers unparalleled blessings along the road of adoption.  This is a discipleship journey; it will not leave us the same, thank God.   Each adoption experience is different, of course, but, speaking for myself and countless others I know, this is what I’ve seen:  alongside real difficulties, adoption brings some of the deepest joys life has to offer.

Alongside a compelling news report on Summit VI, commentary from Pat Robertson on why Christians would…or would not…adopt is likely to stir serious controversy.   It’s worth watching the polite but highly-charged exchange between Robertson and co-host Terry Meeuwsen.  (Embedded at bottom of post).

Many orphan advocates likely will wince as they hear Robertson express sentiments like, “It [adoption] can be a blessing, if you get the right child.”  The troubling statements, however, offer a striking reminder of three important realities.  First, that many people harbor deep and understandable fears about adoption that must be gently and honestly addressed.   Second, that even many Christians still hold the mistaken view that a successful adoption is primarily about building a family by finding the right child, rather than a decision born of both obedience and love–both of which spring from response to God’s loving adoption of us.  And third, that much has changed even in the past several years, as Christians have re-awoken to the biblical call to care for orphans in their distress–not merely by sending checks overseas, but by opening their hearts and homes.

Explicit in Robertson’s concerns is an important theme wise adoption advocates repeatedly sound as well:  “Count the cost.”  Yes, many adopted children come from very difficult places, and the journey to a full sense of belonging and permanent family often is rife with difficulty, sacrifice and even sorrow.  But this is only one piece of the story, and not the most important.

A segment of Robertson’s exchange with his co-host Terry Meeuwsen, who powerfully defends a truly Christ-hearted view of adoption, captures the issue well.

Robertson expresses serious concerns about adoption, warning of serious emotional, developmental and spiritual problems, and worrying, “If they’ve been brain damaged as a child, what’s going to happen?”

Meeuwsen affirms Robertsons’ fears, but then challenges: “…I think all children who’ve been through any kind of trauma certainly have emotional needs, for sure, and as you’re saying, spiritual needs.  On the other hand, I would say, ‘If not us, who?  Who sets those children free?  Who teaches the truth to them?  Who loves them to wholeness?  It ought to be Christians.”

Robertson:  “Well, I think it’s all real lovely but…”

Meeuwsen:  “Well, it’s not ‘real lovely.’  I mean I think that lady that talked at the end [Lisa Harding] said it all when she said, you know, ‘I have the privilege of being daily being delivered from my own selfishness, from my own irritations.’  And you are.  I’ve always said that if there’s a flaw in your marriage, in your family, in your character, it is all going to rise to the top.  But it’s a bigger picture and if you’re called for it, go for it with gusto!’”

Terry Meeuwsen would know; she is a mother of seven, five by adoption.

See the full story and commentary here:

A CBN headline news story today opened a poignant window into last month’s Summit VI and the rising tide of Christian commitment to orphans.  Commentary by Pat Robertson following the news segment, however, is likely to prod fierce discussion.

The news report by Charlene Israel captured well the spirit of Summit VI and the passion for orphans and adoption that surrounds it.  (See here for a sampling of blog posts on Summit.)   Along with other elements, it provided great snapshots of several of the adoptive families that attended Summit, including the Reynolds (the remarkable family interviewed on stage at Summit) and the Twietmeyer’s (another unforgettable clan, and the founders of Project Hopeful).

The report builds around the story of Tague and Lisa Harding of Lakeville, MN.  The couple already had five children, the youngest ten, and had been anticipating the freedom of an empty nest.  But on a mission trip to Africa, a concern for orphans budded into a sense of calling to adoption.  A year and a half ago, they adopted two boys from Uganda, 3-year-old Phillip and 4-year-old Zachary.

Lisa Harding expresses what I’ve heard from so many adoptive parents in recent years:  that the desire God stirred in them to care for orphans has most definitely not reached its completion in the adoption.  Rather, they see adoption as one part of a life-long call to live out James 1:27.   Speaking of their plans to attend Summit, Lisa expressed, “I’m excited about refueling what’s already a passion in us because this is not a period at the end of a sentence now that Philip and Zachary are in our house. Now, it’s what’s next?”

Just as significant, Harding’s words at the end of the interview capture the power of God’s intent in adoption and orphan care.  It isn’t just about rescuing orphans; it is about rescuing self-absorbed Christian adults as well.  Caring for orphans is a journey of root-level discipleship, because love for orphans transforms.  As Lisa Harding concluded, “People have said, ‘Oh, aren’t they lucky, you rescued them from whatever.  And I think, Are you kidding?  I’m the lucky one.  I get to be their mom.  And I get to be daily rescued from my selfishness, and my impatience, and things that are just as disease-ridden in my soul.”

Controversy springs following the news report, however, as Pat Robertson adds personal commentary.  See more in the next post…

A feature story on Summit VI will air on the ABC Family Channel at 10 AM EST on Thursday May 20.  The story will also be streamed at www.cbnnews.com. Tune in to get a great re-cap of Summit, as well as many interviews even Summit attendees never saw…

The Washington Post carried the remarkable story of Jelani Freeman last week, noted in the blog of our good friend Kerry Hassenbalg.  The twists and turns of Freeman’s story provide a window into the real-world texture of life in the U.S. foster system.

The full story is worth the read, but certain key points come through loud and clear, first among them the ache of realities so many children face:

When Jelani Freeman came home after school one day, his mother was gone. Eight years old, he waited, realizing as the hours passed that she would not be back. She was mentally ill and in need of treatment. His father was in prison. “I just knew that was it,” he recalled…. In foster care, he was first placed with a woman who barely talked to him. “Dinner is ready,” she would announce, without using his name.  His next foster family left him home when they went to the circus, the movies or Chuck E. Cheese’s…. He lived in one group home, then another. His final placement, for a year and a half, was with an older sister who took him on a foster-care basis, he said, and told him he would have to leave when he turned 18.

Where Jelani is today, however, is a tribute to the profound difference personal involvement from caring adults can make in the life of a foster youth.  Just this week, he graduated from law school.  (A quarter of former foster youth who aged out of the system like Jelani have no high school degree, and just 6 percent even acquire a 2-year AA degree).   The elements that Jelani believes were key for him are worth noting:

For Freeman, what’s made the difference has been a kind of makeshift family of those who have cared along the way. Some cooked him dinner. Some steered him toward opportunities. One couple paid for a year and a half of his law school tuition. Many gave him the kind of advice a parent might bestow.

Alongside the many smaller involvements, one woman played a particularly significant role as a mentor:

“There were so many things going on, I sort of didn’t care about school,” he says. But that began to change when he met Jackie Booker, a Xerox manager and mother of three who became his mentor in the 11th grade through a community program….After school, he worked in her office at Xerox, and a few times a month they went out: to church, the bowling alley, the mall. They talked a lot by phone….Said Booker: “He needed to know somebody was around who cared. He needed to know I was there and if he had problems, I was going to help him resolve those issues.”

Looking towards his Law School graduation, Jelani concluded about Booker and the many others who opened their lives to him:

“This didn’t magically happen,” he said. “People encouraged me. People supported me….”One person at a time, he has pieced together something akin to family, and as he prepares to cross the stage once more, he says, “that’s more important to me than the degree.”

The National Foster Care Prayer Vigil takes place each May through collaborative efforts of a number of Christian Alliance for Organization members.  The Vigil invites followers of Christ to gather in communities across the country during the week of May 16-23 to pray on behalf of children in foster care, as well as their families, their social workers, and the church as it responds to their needs.

A local prayer vigil can take on many forms, from a formal, church-wide event to an informal gathering with your family after dinner.  Ideas suggested by the organizers include doing it as:

• Part of a regular Bible study group in your home
• Part of a regular Community Group meeting
• Part of a Sunday School class
• A Prayer walk through your city
• A gathering of friends at a park, or the beach
• A lunchtime gathering with co-workers
• Or whatever and wherever you want it to be

If you’re ready to register an event, you can learn more here. You can also see the national map for a listing of vigils already scheduled.

It was late on the second day of Summit, but the crowd trying to cram into the large breakout room for Dr. Karyn Purvis’ session at Summit VI grew so big that the workshop had to relocate to the main stage area to accommodate everyone.   Clearly, the class offering had touched a need.  Its description in the program read, “Understand the significant emotional, social and other issues faced by orphans and what it takes to build lasting, loving connections with them.”

The simple truth is that alongside the deep joys of adoption, significant challenges are part of the picture as well.   The toughest of these often center on difficulties faced in building a strong parent-child connection, especially when the adopted child comes from an institutional setting or has faced other trauma.

I’m thrilled that Dr. Purvis has teamed up with Michael and Amy Monroe (also very well-received presenters at Summit) to release the new “Created to Connect” study guide to help adoptive families on these issues.  As their website describes, this free(!) downloadable resource “is designed to help adoptive and foster parents better understand how to build strong and lasting connections with their children, and is ideal for use in small groups as well as by individuals or couples.”

What’s also tremendously heartening is to see how this new resource both confirms and will help enable the deepening of the Christian adoption and orphan care movement.  A few years ago, adoption advocates often fell into merely “cheerleading” for adoption, extolling its virtues while glossing over the more complex questions and potential challenges involved.  Today, I’m consistently seeing something much deeper:  affirming wholeheartedly both the beauty of adoption and the patience and sacrifices often required along the way.

This new study guide is a powerful tool that church adoption and foster care ministries can use to build from “adoption cheerleading” to a robust, church-wide vision that prepares families fully for adoption…and then serves and supports them along a life-long journey.

John Piper answered this question in the closing session of Summit VI. If you missed this rousing message and call to faith-filled action, you can view it here.