Today, with the passage of the new welfare reform legislation, churches and faith-based ministries are being confronted with new opportunities and challenges.
Christian organizations have a long history of caring for the poor and needy.
However, the atmosphere in which such cooperation unfolds has changed significantly. For one thing, government officials are increasingly open to considering the moral-cultural factors contributing to persistent poverty among the underclass. In addition, the Federal welfare reform bill provides unique, new protections for religiously-grounded social service agencies. The new welfare bill includes language that protects the religious integrity and expression of faith-based organizations that accept governmental funds to operate their programs. In some instances, this plea is based on the officials' belief that religious organizations are the ones best suited to provide moral training and to instill the values of hard work, thrift, and responsibility.