"The wall that separates church and state is
crumbling -- the fall is imminent..."

-- Bishop Carlton Pearson,
Azusa Interdenominational Fellowship
(New York Times, April 26, 2001)

ver four hundred religious and political leaders met on capitol hill yesterday to hear Rep. J.C. Watts, Jr. and other lawmakers rally support for the federal faith-based initiative, which would expand tax funding for religious groups operating social service programs. The event, which saw evangelical ministers rubbing shoulders with Washington power brokers like Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, was streamed by satellite feed to similar events in over 45 cities across the country. The bill for the television broadcast was picked up by the Washington Times Foundation and the American Family Coalition, both linked to controversial Korean cult leader Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The possibility of "Moonie" organizations receiving public money for social outreaches has disturbed a number of key religious conservatives, including Rev. Jerry Falwell who says that only "established ministries" should qualify for funding.

   During the keynote address for the National Faith-Based Summit, Mr. Watts told his audience, "This is an historic time. For some reason, in this grand experience known as America, we never invited all of you here before."

   Watts used the faith-based gala to built grassroots support for H.R. 7, the "Community Solutions Act," which has been introduced in the House along with co-sponsor Tony P. Hall (D-Ohio). The heavy Republican presence at the gathering, with only Rep. Danny K. Davis of Illinois as the lone Democrat, led some to see the summit as political posturing by Watts, who heads the influential Republican Conference Committee. Even Rep. Hall was absent, and complained to reporters that he received only a last minute invitation, and declined to be the "token Democrat." Hall told the New York Times, "I would hope in the future they would not do these purely partisan events like this when we have to have both sides."

   Speakers and attendees cheered the prospect of government funding for religion-based social programs. Senate Conference Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania declared that churches and other religious groups were already delivering many social services provided by secular, taxpayer-funded groups, and should thus qualify for public funding.

   "Years ago, we didn't think that such a proposition was possible," Santorum declared. "The desire to learn more about the prospect of this idea was the catalyst for the summit. We now have the attention of America."

   Other summit leaders dismissed concerns about the constitutionality of President Bush effort to greatly expand religious entitlement programs, and his formation of a White House Office for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Bishop Henry Fernandez of the Faith Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. assured conference participants that the Bush proposal would not lead to government regulation in religious affairs.

   "We are not asking the government to fund a message, we are asking to fund a mission,"Fernandez said. "We can provide for someone, help someone, without telling them which God to pray to."

   Others, though, saw the summit as a major step for promoting relbelief. The Rev. Bob Shenk of the National Clergy Council said, "This is a movement that will transform American culture. It is a revolutionary idea, and we can deal with the inevitable controversies."

   Shenk's Washington, DC-based organization was a bitter critic of the former administration of President Bill Clinton, accusing the chief executive of moral and theological transgressions for his support of abortion rights, and the Monica Lewinsky imbroglio. The NCC has also supported the Religious Freedom Amendment, which would return organized prayer and other religious activities to public school classrooms.

   Even more extreme rhetoric was voiced by Bishop Carlton Pearson of Tulsa, Okla. who heads the Azusa Interdenominational Fellowship. "The wall that separates church and state is crumbling," gushed Pearson, "and the fall is imminent. We should be getting funding; we've been doing the work."

   Other summit participants were already coming up with specific figures on how much they would be asking the government for in order to underwrite their various programs. The Times noted that Rev. James Gordon of the Southtown Apostolic Church in Illinois will be requesting a three-year grant from the White House office of at least $60,000 to continue social work. Some at the conference grumbled that the initial proposed outlay of $200 million for faith-based social programs could not adequately fund existing and planned outreaches, and that more cash was desperately needed.

   Summit planners refused to release a full list of participants at the tax-subsidized gathering. News reports and an agenda posted on Rep. Watts' web site, though, indicated a number of influential policy makers were at the events including John DiIulio, Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives: U.S. Sens. Kay Baily Hutchison (R-TX) and Rick Santorum; Bob Woodson of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise; Phyllis Myers, Center for New Black Leadership; and Bishop Harold Ray, National Center for Faith Based Initiative.

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