Local faith-based groups have mixed feelings on government funding

Sheila Savitz was reluctant to take any money from the government for the Life Changers Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation center she has been trying to open for six years. She wanted the center to be faith-based.

“I didn’t want the state telling me you can’t say Jesus,” she said. “ I felt like without God, what more can there be.”

Recently, Savitz read a report that said faith-based groups are now able to receive grants from the government without compromising their religious convictions.

“When I saw that article in the paper, I’m headed to my car and I’m calling the governor’s secretary,” Savitz said.

“Now that I see the government and the President of the United States are leaning toward Christian facilities,” she said, “now, I’m very willing to ask the governor.”

President Bush has convinced five federal departments and is now encouraging states to allow churches and faith-based community service organizations to apply for grants to support their community service projects.

The grants do not allow money to go toward religious activities such as proselytizing, Bible study or prayer, but the groups can still participate in these activities as long as the grants are only used to fund non-religious activites, according to the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives Web site.

A new vouchers program Bush is supporting would allow substance abusers to go to the rehabilitation organization of their choice. The groups that receive these vouchers are free to use the money in any way they choose — for religious and non-religious activities, The Associated Press reported.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has not established a faith-based initiative satellite office, and his office did not respond to questions about the issue in time for this article.

But even if New Mexico does get involved in Bush’s plan, some local faith-based community service groups have mixed views on whether they will take funding from the government.

Each year Faith Christian Family Church holds community service events that incude an oil change for senior citizens’ vehicles, a coats-for-kids drive and a nursing-home banquet. If the church did not use these activities to proselytize, the events could be supported by federal grants.

Financial officials at Faith Christian Family Church said they had looked into these grants, but have chosen not to apply.

Richard Gomez of the Lighthouse Mission said he also is not interested in applying for federal grants, following the lead of some other faith-based organizations on which he said the mission has based its philosophies.

“We feel this community has helped us, and we feel they will continue to help us to reach out to the less fortunate,” Gomez said.

But the Matt 25 Hope Center has actively looked into receiving a federal grant, Rev. Steve Brown said.

“Just because you get federal money, it doesn’t mean that they run your organization,” Brown said.

“We’re in the process of finding out what we qualify for,” he said. Since the Matt 25 building is not yet open, he said getting government funding is more difficult.

He said he is not worried that the government will impose too many regulations.

“People are still going to be free to speak about Christ and talk about the transforming power of God,” Brown said. “ The only place it would limit us is in certain settings.”