An Adoption Resurgence?

Agencies say interest on the rise thanks to Christian focus By Michael Foust The adoption agency Bethany Christian Services says interest in adoption by couples is significantly ahead of what it was last year, a trend that is showing up elsewhere and, according to adoption leaders, is an example of a growing adoption movement among Christians. International adoption placements through Bethany are up 66 percent this year compared to last year, while inquiries about international adoptions are up 95 percent, the agency reported July 19. Domestic infant adoption interest also is up: Applications have jumped 23 percent and home studies are up 15 percent. Representatives from Nightlight Christian Adoptions and Buckner International—two Christian-based agencies—say they, too, have seen an uptick in interest from couples wanting to adopt. The increased interest comes as ministries and churches renew their focus on adoption. The Southern Baptist Convention’s Pastors’ Conference in June had a special emphasis on adoption and donated its offering “overage” to adoption scholarships for pastors and missionaries.

Saddleback Church hosted a Forum on Orphans and Adoption in May, and the Christian Alliance for Orphans in April held its sixth annual Summit conference, an event that has grown each year.

Ron Stoddart, executive director of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, said there’s “no doubt” there is a growing adoption movement among Christians. Nightlight is a member of the National Christian Adoption Fellowship, which is comprised of nine adoption agencies and programs. All nine, he said, have seen an increased interest this year from couples wanting to adopt.

In addition to an upswing in interest both internationally and domestically, Nightlight also has seen an increase in interest in its embryo adoption program, in which couples adopt donated frozen embryos.

“I think the reason for the upswing in … the number of families that are applying is because of this increased awareness within the church of the need to take care of kids,” Stoddart told Baptist Press.

Estimates of the number of orphans worldwide varies wildly, although all stats put the number in the millions.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Russell Moore and his wife, Maria, adopted two boys from a Russian orphanage. He since has written a book on the topic, “Adopted for Life,” and he often speaks to groups about adoption.

“The Spirit of Christ is on the move among evangelicals, and this is just the beginning,” said Moore, dean of Southern Seminary’s school of theology.

“Many Christians are awakening to the radical nature of the gospel itself. We, the gospel says, were adopted,” he pointed out. “This reality tears down any artificial notion that adoption is some kind of ‘less-than’ or ‘Plan B’ family.

“Christians are also waking up to what Jesus and His brother James define as pure religion: the care of the least of these, orphans and widows.”

Other factors are at work, Moore said. Christians have seen “the plague of fatherlessness” and have been convicted to make a difference. There’s also a snowball effect: As couples adopt, their friends see that adoption isn’t so “strange” and they, too, begin to “pray and ask God if this is where He’s leading them,” Moore explained.

Pastors also are leading the way, he said.

“Pastors are starting to preach the whole counsel of God about the Father’s love for the orphan, and calling churches to support the effort in all sorts of ways. Not every Christian is called to adopt, but every Christian is called to care for widows and orphans,” Moore said, pointing to James 1:27. “I literally do not go five minutes these days without hearing from at least one family, via e-mail or social media, who testify that God has called them to adopt.”

Kevin Ezell, who served as president of this year’s Pastors’ Conference, has seen firsthand that pastors are taking action. He expected around 70 Southern Baptist pastors and missionaries to apply for the adoption scholarships; twice that number actually did.

“I’ve never been more proud of SBC pastors than the last month,” said Ezell, pastor of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville.

Although the funds were limited for the scholarships, Ezell said he is trying to find enough money to cover everyone who is eligible.

Church members who see their pastors adopting a child will be more likely to do the same, noted Ezell, whose family has adopted three children.

“If a pastor does it, it changes the atmosphere of the church,” he said.

Buckner International, which places children in families through domestic and international adoptions, also has seen an increase in inquiries and applications this year, according to Debbie Wynne, director of Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services. She credited much of it to churches adding adoption, foster care and orphan ministries.

“There is a grassroots movement of churches building these advocacy ministries to support and inspire their church members to actively help ‘the least of these,’” Wynne said.

The Haiti earthquake also impacted couples. Buckner’s international adoption program received more than 3,800 inquiries in January and February about adopting children from the earthquake-stricken country, Wynne said.

A representative at Bethany Christian Services said the Haiti disaster had a substantial impact in demonstrating to Christians the plight of orphans.

“The figures Bethany released show strong improvement as we confront the global orphan crisis, but the need still remains as there are still an incredible number of orphaned children who wait for their ‘forever family,’” Bethany President Bill Blacquiere said in a statement.

Stoddart, of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, said despite the positive increase in interest, some children—older ones and minorities, for instance—remain the toughest to place with families. The outlook is not good for an orphan from a foreign country who never finds a home.

“That still is a great need,” he noted. “With those kids, if they’re not adopted, we know what happens when they age out of the orphanage. They become victims of one sort or another.

“Here in the United States we have kids that have problems during their teen years and rebel, but there still is that family that is there as a safety net,” Stoddart added. “When you get out of an orphanage at age 17 or 18, there is no family.” (BP)

Western Recorder issue date: July 27, 2010