June 20, 2012; Source: The Christian Century (Religion News Service)
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NPQ has noted Second Mile’s decision to close down operations and turn over its mentoring and camp programs along with approximately $2 million in assets to Arrow Child and Family Ministries, a Christian foster care group based in Houston, Texas. Second Mile had no religious affiliation and presumably no religious restrictions on working with children and families, but Arrow was chosen from a field of 15 groups.
The transferred programs will reportedly not be required to immediately switch to Christian-based programming, but employees that wish to stay on will have to sign a statement of faith. Arrow also only places children with Christian families, making parents provide a reference letter from a church minister. The transfer has to be approved by the Court of Common Pleas in Centre County, Pa. and NPQ wonders if the transfer will pass muster, given that donors probably did not intend for their money to be restricted in this way. Might that be why the transferred programs will not immediately be required to be Christian-oriented? –Ruth McCambridge