Bethany Christian Services Changes Course

The adoption giant will no longer license LGBTQ foster or adoptive families beginning in 2027.

(RNS) — Bethany Christian Services, long described as the country’s largest Protestant adoption and foster care agency, will work with churches to “find foster families whose beliefs and practices align with our organization’s faith and Christian mission.” In a statement to RNS, it clarified that means, in part, it will no longer allow LGBTQ couples to foster or adopt.

Photo courtesy of Bethany Christian Services via RNS

In a press release posted Wednesday (June 10), the Michigan-based agency announced that its board voted to “clarify and reinforce” its Christian faith commitments. Those changes require staff and board members to “personally agree and adhere to” a belief statement that includes the Apostle’s Creed, recognizes the authority of the Christian Bible and affirms the image of God in every person. The belief statement also defines God’s design for marriage as “a covenant between one man and one woman.”

In an email to RNS, a spokesperson confirmed that these changes will also impact the selection of foster and adoptive parents.

“Beginning June 2027, Bethany will only license and re-license foster families whose Christian faith and beliefs align with our Statement of Faith and Belief,” they said.

The spokesperson added that senior leaders on staff and others who have “certain roles” with “significant responsibility and oversight” were expected to agree with the belief statement by June 1; all other staff must align by next year, June 1, 2027. Bethany declined to share specific staff impact numbers.

When asked if these changes were due to concerns about funding or based on input from donors, a spokesperson said the decisions were not due to external pressure but “reflect a decision to reinforce our Christian identity by our Board and Executive Leadership following prayer and discernment.”

The policy change does not appear to prevent the group from serving children who identify as LGBTQ or vulnerable LGBTQ-affirming families. “The organization will continue to serve all children and families who seek its help, regardless of their individual circumstances, beliefs, or background,” the press release said.

Given Bethany’s size — the faith-based nonprofit serves in over 25 states and has more than 1,000 staff members worldwide — the changes will be far-reaching.

This reversal comes five years after the agency announced it would allow couples who identify as LGBTQ to foster and adopt. That March 2021 change came as civil liberties groups pushed for state and federal LGBTQ nondiscrimination policies and argued that groups receiving government funding shouldn’t exclude anyone.

Bethany was directly impacted by those debates. In 2018, the city of Philadelphia suspended its contracts with Bethany, until the agency opted to serve couples in Philadelphia who identify as LGBTQ. That decision resulted in significant backlash from other Christian and conservative supporters.

Now, the adoption ministry is reversing course. “These actions continue the work already underway to ensure alignment across our organization,” a spokesperson told RNS.

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