Christian Charity World Vision to Hire Employees in Same Sex Marriages-Truth! But Later Reversed!
Summary of eRumor:
The Internet is abuzz with rumors that the largest Christian charity, World Vision, has announced a policy change that they will begin to hire employees who are in same sex marriages.
The Truth:
Updated 03/26/14: Christianity Today Magazine reported that World Vision reversed their decision to hire employees in same sex marriages after “‘a number’ of child sponsors canceled their sponsorship in the past 48 hours in protest of the change to World Vision’s conduct policy.”
World Vision made an announcement on Monday, according to a March 24, 2014 article by Christianity Today that said, “World Vision’s American branch will no longer require its more than 1,100 employees to restrict their sexual activity to marriage between one man and one woman.”
The article went on to say that abstinence “outside of marriage remains a rule. But a policy change announced Monday [March 24] will now permit gay Christians in legal same-sex marriages to be employed at one of America’s largest Christian charities.”
Richard Stearns (shown in photo), president of World Vision, told Christianity Today “that the ‘very narrow policy change’ should be viewed by others as ‘symbolic not of compromise but of [Christian] unity.'” Stearns added that he “hopes it will inspire unity elsewhere among Christians.”
Many Evangelical Christians leaders were shocked by this policy announcement, according to a March 25, 2014 article by World Net Daily.
The article said that the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Franklin Graham told reportes that he was “shocked today to hear of World Vision’s decision to hire employees in same-sex marriages.” Graham went on to say that the “Bible is clear that marriage is between a man and a woman. My dear friend, Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse, would be heartbroken. He was an evangelist who believed in the inspired Word of God” Graham added “that World Vision maintains that its decision ‘is based on unifying the church – which I find offensive – as if supporting sin and sinful behavior can unite the church.’”
On hearing this news, Tim Wildmon of the American Family Association (AFA) released a statement for Christians to stop financially supporting World Vision. Wildmon recorded the video in the example of the eRumor below.
According to a March 24 article by Fox News, “World Vision has an operating budget of nearly $1 billion and has humanitarian relief and economic development projects around the world. About one-third of its funding comes from the federal government.”
Posted 03/25/14 Updated 03/26/14