An update from the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, an independent research project
of the Rockefeller Institute of Government. The public policy research arm of the State University of New York.

New! Q&A on the Hiring Rights of Tax-Funded Religious Organizations

The hiring rights of publicly-funded faith organizations are among the most controversial issues surrounding
the federal Faith-Based and Community Initiative. While laws have long protected the rights of religious
organizations to employ only members of their own religion, faith-based groups that receive funding to offer
certain secular programs have been required to disregard faith in employment decisions. The two major-party
candidates for President, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, have spoken out on the issue,
with different opinions. Sen. McCain has said that he supports the ability of publicly funded faith-based groups
to prefer people of their own faith in employment decisions. Sen. Obama has said that, when providing tax-funded
programs, such groups should not be allowed to engage in what he characterized as employment discrimination.

The Roundtable asked three experts who have followed the religious hiring rights issue closely to offer their informed
opinions on the subject, in what is planned as the first of several online “panel discussions” on topics related to the
Faith-Based and Community Initiative. Stanley Carlson-Thies of the Center for Public Justice, a Christian think tank,
says that faith-based groups should be allowed to consider faith in hiring. K. Hollyn Hollman of the Baptist Joint
Committee for Religious Liberty says that positions funded with public dollars should always be open to all applicants.
And Marc Stern of the American Jewish Congress calls for a middle ground.

Click here to read the Q&A.

Click here for a Roundtable Resource Page on the Hiring Rights of Religious Organizations.

New! City’s Planned Transfer of Shelter to Christian Group Faces Court Challenge

A plan by the city of Washington, D.C., to transfer property and funds to a Christian homeless shelter is facing
a court challenge from church-state separationists who claim the action is unconstitutional. A group of taxpayers
and homeless people, represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American
Civil Liberties Union, charges that the city’s plans to give Central Union Mission a building valued at almost $9
million, plus $7 million in cash to renovate the structure, constitutes an illegal government endorsement of religion.

According to the lawsuit, homeless people are required to participate in religious services in order to receive food
and shelter at the mission, and the taxpayer-supported renovation would include the construction of a chapel.
Central Union Mission, on the other hand, claims that the deal will benefit both itself and the city: The mission will
get a downtown property where it can better serve the city’s homeless population. And the city will be relieved of the
burden of subsidizing the shelter’s operation. The case hinges on constitutional issues that have not been tested
since the 1970s, according to Ira C. Lupu, law professor at George Washington University and co-director of legal
research for the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy.

Click here to read more by Roundtable Correspondent Claire Hughes.

New! GAO: Charities Would be Overwhelmed in a Major Disaster

A federal report released Sept. 18 showed that America’s four biggest charities, which are both secular and
religious, would be unable to respond adequately to a major disaster despite advances and increased
collaboration in the three years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast. The 78-page report,
issued by the Government Accountability Office, said although the nonprofit relief organizations have worked to
expand their services and improve communication systems, they still face a shortage of trained volunteers.
In addition, the religious relief organizations studied – including Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Salvation
Army (SA) and Catholic Charities USA (CCU) – have not dedicated enough resources for disaster preparedness
because they work to meet other daily demands such as homelessness and hunger and do not place disaster
relief as their primary responsibility. The government has increasingly relied on the organizations’ services during
disasters such as hurricanes, and foresees them as partners in responding to possible earthquakes, terrorist
attacks and pandemic flu outbreaks.

The report was released after the American Red Cross, the only relief organization with a mandated responsibility
to assist the government in an emergency, asked the federal government for $150 million to cover the costs of
responding to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which hit the Gulf Coast this month. A follow-up report, released by
GAO on Sept. 23, concludes that the Federal Emergency Management Agency should re-consider the role of
the financially struggling Red Cross – the only one of the five organizations studied with a mandate to support
the government in disaster recovery – in providing services after catastrophic events.

Click here for the Sept. 18 GAO report.

Click here for the Sept. 23 GAO report.

Click here for a Roundtable Resource Page on Faith-Based Organizations in Disaster Response.

New! Faith Leaders: Disaster Recovery Must be Based on Human Rights

Beyond the charitable response to emergency needs after a disaster, religious leaders are calling on
the next federal administration to develop a human rights-based recovery policy in the Gulf Coast. More
than 100 religious leaders, representing Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions, have released a statement
urging federal officials to enact policies, that would help families return and participate in rebuilding their
communities, create living wage jobs, restore the coastal wetland and ensure human rights along the Gulf
Coast. “We have learned that acts of faith and mercy alone, no matter how profound, cannot provide everything
needed for a sustainable recovery,” the statement reads. “Gulf Coast families deserve a federal government that
recognizes their needs by rebuilding their communities, supporting basic human rights of all communities,
addressing poverty and displacement, and confronting coastal erosion.” Signatories include Rev. Michael
Kinnamon of the National Council of Churches; Rev. Richard Cizik, of the National Association of Evangelicals;
Richard Stearns of World Vision; Rabbi Steve Gutow of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs; Dr. Ingrid Matterson
of the Islamic Society of North America; Fr. Larry Snyder of Catholic Charities USA; Rev. David Beckmann of
Bread for the World; and Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners.

Click here to read the statement.

Weekly Digest of Federal Grants with Faith-Based and Community
Organization Eligibility

The grant opportunities this week for community and faith-based organizations are through programs
administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Potential applicants should be aware
that some grant programs require specific technical expertise.

Click here for the grants digest.

Roundtable Digest of Current Faith-Based News Stories

Interfaith Task Force Forming
Warren Reporter (New Jersey)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8863

U.S. Evangelicals Urge Focus on Global Poverty
Ethics Daily

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8864

A Direct Way of Reaching Out To Gangs
Los Angeles Times

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8865

Pastors Help Maryvale Police Officers Fight Crime
KNXV-TV (Phoenix, Arizona)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8866

Ike Damages Houses Of Worship, But Not Believers' Faith;
Makeshift Services Provide Comfort Amid Devastation
Chron.Com (Texas)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8837

$26 Million Grant Given To Carroll Relief Group; World Bank
Award to Help IMA Bring Health Care to Sudan
The Baltimore Sun

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8838

The Salvation Army Doesn't Give a Handout, But It Can Give The Needy A Hand Up
The Bradenton Herald (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8839

Charlestown: A Hunger To Help
The Evening News and The Tribune (Jeffersonville, Indiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8840

Life Lessons-- Proceeds From Upcoming Fashion Show to
Benefit Christian Women's Job Corps
The Anniston Star (Alabama)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8841

More Working People Turn To Soup Kitchen To Help Them Scrape By
Sun Journal (New Bern, North Carolina)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8842

Spirituality Gains Ground In Treatment Of Ill Veterans
The Washington Post

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8843

Faith-Based Project Fills Void, Bellies In Antrim County Town
Traverse City Record-Eagle (Northern Michigan)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8844

Chaplains Rush In To Aid Workers Caught In Market Meltdown
beliefnetnews

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8845

Immigrant Outreach: How communities and faith-based organizations are
more effective than the federal government
World Magazine

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8846

Hurricane Ike, the Aftermath; With Donors Worn Out, Funding Dries Up;
One Disaster After Another Has Groups Strapped
The Houston Chronicle

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8847

Faith, Food; Lynnville Pantry Helps Those In Need Both Here And Abroad
Evansville Courier & Press (Indiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8848

Conference Shows Men Their Potential;
Attendees Will Get Help Restoring Their Rights And Finding A Job
Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8849

World Vision Teams Assist Evacuees In Jackson And Dallas, Prepare Response
Health Business Week

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8850

Faith Leaders Calling For Increased Attention To Victims Of Hurricane Ike
RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8851

Ministry Helps Plant The Seeds Of Recovery In Substance Abusers
The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News (Stuart, Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8852

'Green Shirts' Arrive To Survey Wabash Valley Flood Recovery Needs
The Tribune-Star (Terre Haute, Indiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8853

Groups Fight D.C. Shelter Funds;
Suit Claims Central Union Mission Pushes Christian Services
The Washington Times

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8854

Tough Times: The Charity Gap Churches Face Flood Of Need
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8855

Lost Food From Outages Keeps Faith-Based Operations Busy
The Colombus Dispatch

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8856

Breaking The Shackles Of Crime; Surrender Program Draws 151 Fugitives
The Philadelphia Inquirer

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8857

Christian Group Plans Bradenton Home For Addiction Recovery
The Bradenton Herald (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8858

Report Says Charities Would Be Lacking In A Big Disaster
The New York Times

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8859

Students Encouraged To Be Involved In Community
Politico.com

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8860

Faith Leaders Urge Long-Term Solutions for Gulf Coast
Ethicsdaily.com

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8861

Baker Center Forum Examines Faith-Based Initiatives
Tennessee Journalist

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8862

Weekly Opinion Roundup - 9/23/2008
The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/news_opinion_9_23_08.cfm