White House courts religious leaders to help people in needIt's a combination of church and state — not separation — that keeps communities strong, federal officials told more than 500 members of Denver's faith and social-services communities Wednesday at the Convention Center.
The White House's traveling conference series, "Connecting Communities for the Common Good," stopped in Denver, one of five U.S. cities on the schedule.
The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships said working with religious leaders in their hometowns enables the administration to better support the critical work of feeding and housing people, ensuring health care, creating economic opportunities, promoting education and strengthening families.
Gov. John Hickenlooper said in the keynote address that people questioned Denver's recruitment of congregations to help the city end homelessness — an initiative he undertook as mayor.
The law says government can't favor one religion over another, Hickenlooper said — it doesn't say you cannot get involved with religious communities.
"Communities of faith have been a big part of our search for social justice from the beginning," Hickenlooper said.
In continuing a faith-based initiative of President George W. Bush, President Barack Obama said faith-based groups are not a substitute for secular nonprofits and government efforts, but America "needs all hands on deck."
"If your focus is first and foremost serving people in need, then there's not a tremendous amount of time left to debate the finer points of the church- state relationship," said program director Joshua DuBois.
The office, which has four staffers in the White House and about 40 spread across various federal agencies, doesn't provide grants or make award decisions.
It helps faith-based and other groups learn how to compete for existing federal grants and trains them to be active providers of secular services.
"For example, before a natural disaster, we help certify and train groups in how to respond," DuBois said. "We go in after a disaster and make sure those same organizations know how to be part of long-term recovery efforts."
These efforts can bolster local programs that strengthen or support everything from health care and responsible parenting to assisting veterans and fostering volunteerism.
Now Faith Christian Center Church pastor Leon Emerson, president of the Greater Metro Ministerial Alliance, said faith leaders, while grateful for the administration's support, don't want more process or red tape, or new programs.
"We already know the needs in our communities," Emerson said. "We want someone to come alongside us with dollars and help us out with what we're already doing."
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