months, now that we've been at it for a few years it has been a tremendous blessing for follow-up. The State also has not in anyway impacted our free exercise of religion. They have not in any way interfered with the organization or structure of our church. Nor seemed to care-appropriately. Lastly, churches receiving funds for various programs from non-religious sources is not new. Many foundations and private donors fund church programs and place guidelines on how those funds are to be used. Churches make choices daily to accept or reject funding based on the donor's wishes. We believe that churches are more than able to follow clearly defined guidelines when receiving government funding as well. We are also capable of declining funds if we disagree with the way a contract is asking us to define a project. Churches also make choices daily regarding when and how to share our faith. Organizations that have overt proselytization as part of their methodology are not likely to compete for government funds. To us, the bottom line remains that churches have been actively engaged in providing much needed services to their communities for quite some time. However, we have not been invited to compete as peers with other non-profit agencies for the funding necessary to support our work. We have been invited to set up separate secular entities under which to provide charitable services, but this to us takes away from our integrity as a sacred agency. The word sacred does not say anything about how we share or don't share our faith. It does speak to our motivation for doing our work. It means that we hold our responsibilities to help the needy extremely important and get great satisfaction from being there for people as agents of God's love. This means that we tend to go the extra mile, make the extra call, visit the extra family member in the hospital (who may not be particularly entitled to our service): all in an effort to bring wholeness to our community. Lastly, Charitable Choice has not changed our church-we still worship on Sundays, have pot-luck dinners, attend choir rehearsal, Bible study and Sunday School, and go out evangelizing the community on Sundays. It has however improved our ability to provide quality help to the needy who know us, trust us and expect a bit more dignity and love from us. Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Clingman. STATEMENT OF CHARLES CLINGMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JIREH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, CINCINNATI, OH Mr. CLINGMAN. Before I begin, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to present my views and experiences as director of a faith based organization. Mr. CHABOT. Could you pull the mike down a little bit more. Mr. CLINGMAN. The debate concerning the relationship between church and state began centuries ago and continues still in 2001. It is quite interesting to note that while the leaders of both sides. continue to argue and disagree, many faith-based grassroot agencies are persevering, determined to provide services to the community that are so desperately needed for the survival of individuals who are in immediate crisis. There are many excellent programs in our communities across the United States that are making a tremendous impact upon individuals' lives. However, if they are at all like the program I am here representing, they are struggling to survive financially in order to deliver these services. The government has been in the welfare business for almost 70 years. However, it has only served to perpetrate a welfare mentality. In 1996, as a direct result of Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, States have been given 3 years to undue this welfare mentality that it took almost a quarter of a century to build. The problems, challenges, abuses and the like did not occur in the community overnight. It is a direct result of poverty, racism and yes, in some instances, absolute laziness. However, it is going to take more than 3 years to make long-term changes nec essary to impact not only the life of one generation but also of the generations to come. There are various reports and books currently being published about the affects of welfare reform, including lessons on welfare reform and analysis of AFDC caseload and past welfare-to-work programs by Dave and June O'Neill and economic conditions and welfare reform by Sheldon Danzinger. We agree with their prognosis. People will be returning to welfare. What are we going to do to keep them from coming back? I want to take the next few minutes to tell about a program that is more than a program. It began as an inspired thought in the heart of a mind of an individual who just happens to be a bishop of a 30,000 member congregation in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is a positive and successful example of the good that happened when a State and local government was willing to push the envelope and took a chance on what was 4 years ago a new and emerging faithbased program called the Exodus Program. Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship began its social service agency in 1993 to address many of the requests from the community at large for emergency food, utility and rent assistance. In addition, the agency also featured a special need adoption recruitment component. After 2 years of servicing the community, leadership was challenged to get to the root of the problem instead of continually responding to individuals in crisis. Because our recidivism rate was very high, we instituted a policy that individuals would only receive assistance from our agency once every 6 months. As a direct result, we began to receive calls from other agencies requesting information and/or assistance in helping the same persons who we had turned down previously. In 1996, on a Sunday morning, Bishop Dantley began to speak inspirationally of an agency that would get to the root of people's problems instead of giving them temporary assistance. He spoke of an agency that would instill vision and open people's eyes to destiny and purpose and give them a sense of hope and that their current circumstances did not have to determine their future. This was the initial birth of what was known as the Exodus Program. The Exodus Program held its first work development class in April 1997. Over the past 4 years, we have worked to design and fine-tune a program that would teach people how to work, stay on a job, manage a budget, pay their bills, prepare healthy foods and how to become self-sufficient instead of depending upon an agency to bail them out of every crisis. We believe if we increase an individual's understanding of vision, destiny and purpose, the building blocks of short- and long-range goals will fall into place. This leads to greater job placement, retention, and the fulfillment of individual goals and success. We have served 2,398 individuals since the Exodus Program begun 4 years ago, and we have experienced overwhelming success. Of the 2,398, we have served 494 in job readiness training and 1,904 individuals in case management. Our graduation rate is 71 percent and our employment education rate is 69 percent. Exodus has received contracts from the city, county and the State of Ohio that total approximately $3,394,000. It's important to note that because the majority of our contracts are performance based, and in many instances we had to depend upon the county Department of Human Services for referrals, we have not realized the actual 3 million in payment for services. The Exodus Program is a component of Jireh Development Corporation, which is a 501(c)(3) initiative of Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship. Jireh has its own board of directors, which is comprised of members within the faith community. All of our board members are not members of Christ Emmanuel. Exodus is comprised of 21 employees representing seven different churches within the Cincinnati area. As executive director of the Jireh Development Corporation, I have worked with my leadership team to develop a working team of individuals who practice integrity, service, excellence, and cooperation. I know there is great debate over whether or not churches should accept money from the government. However, we answered that question for ourselves over 4 years ago when we received our first contract. We faced great debate even amongst volunteers who began working with Exodus and who, when they were challenged to live the life rather than preach it, were very frustrated and worried that we had sold out. However, we believe it is very easy to preach to individuals than it is to live your life, so that a marked difference in you as a Christian is desired. When people see the difference, they will ask the important question. We adopted this stance 3-1/2 years ago and we have seen success that meets our contractor's approval as well as our Chief Executive Officer (God). Jireh believes that success lies not in how many people we pray for or how many people accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. We believe that we were called to plant seeds of truth, hope and character. Every farmer approaches planting from a different point of view, depending on what they are trying to grow, the region, the market and the soil. I believe it was Mother Theresa who said plant the act, reap the habits, plant the habits, reap the virtue, plant the virtue, reap the character, plant the character, reap the destiny. We are planting expecting to reap character, destiny and success in the lives of the individuals we serve. We said long ago that Christianity is our faith. It is what we live, breathe and practice. However, it is our life-style not to thrust it upon the people who we are called to serve. Therefore, we do not have bible study as part of our curriculum. Prayer is available to those who request it before or after class. Our staff is diverse culturally, racially in gender and in faith. There are individuals on board who are single parents as well as persons who are part of a two-parent household. Mr. CHABOT. Could you possibly wrap up because we are over the 5 minutes here. You got a ways to go? Mr. CLINGMAN. We can quit. Mr. CHABOT. I didn't mean to cut you off there, but we may be able to get to some of the things you were going to raise in questions. We will be following up with questions in a few minutes. Tough to cut off a guy from your hometown, I tell you. But thank you for your testimony. [The prepared statement of Charles Clingman follows:] PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHARLES CLINGMAN Before I begin I would like to thank you for the opportunity to present my views and experiences as the director of a faith-based organization. The debate concerning the relationship between the church and the state began centuries ago and it continues still in 2001. It is quite interesting to note that while the leaders of both sides continue to argue and disagree, many faith-based grassroots agencies are persevering, determined to provide services to the community that are so desperately needed for the survival of individuals who are in immediate crisis. There are many excellent programs in our communities across the United States that are making a tremendous impact upon individual's lives. However, if they are at all like the program that I am here representing, they are also struggling to survive financially in order to deliver these services. The government has been in the welfare business for almost seventy years. However, it has only served to "perpetuate" a welfare mentality. In 1996, as a direct result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, states have been given three years to undo this "welfare mentality" that it took almost a quarter of a century to build. The problems, challenges, abuses, and the like did not occur in the community overnight. It is the direct result of poverty, racism, and yes, in some instances, absolute laziness. However, it's going to take more than three years to make the long-term changes necessary to impact not only the life of one generation, but also of the generations to come. There are various reports and books currently being published about the effects of welfare reform including Lessons on Welfare Reform: An Analysis of the AFDC Caseload and Past Welfare to Work Programs by Dave M. O'Neill and June Ellenoff O'Neill and Economic Conditions and Welfare Reform by Sheldon H. Danzinger. We agree with their prognosispeople will be returning to welfare—what are we going to do to keep them from coming back? I want to take the next few minutes to tell you about a program that is more than a program. It began as an "inspired" thought in the heart and mind of an individual who just "happens" to be a bishop of a three thousand-member congregation in Cincinnati, OH. It is a positive and successful example of the good that happened when a state and local government was willing to "push the envelope" and took a chance, on what was four years ago, a new and emerging faith-based program called The Exodus Program. Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship began a social service agency in 1993 to address many of the requests from the community at-large for emergency food, utility and rent assistance. In addition the agency also featured a special needs adoption/recruitment component. After two years of serving the community, the leadership was challenged to get to the root of the problem instead of continually responding to individuals in crisis. Because our recidivism rate was very high, we instituted a policy that individuals would only receive assistance from our agency once every six months. As a direct result we began to receive calls from other agencies requesting information and/or assistance in helping the same persons whom we had turned down previously. In 1996, in a Sunday morning service (the church's boardroom), Bishop Michael E. Dantley began to speak inspirationally of an agency that would get to the root of people's problems instead of giving them temporary assistance. He spoke of an agency that would instill vision and open people's eyes to destiny and purpose and give them a sense of hope that their current circumstances did not have to determine their future. This was the initial birth of what has become known as The Exodus Program. The vision for The Exodus Program is to see persons who are currently in the system of the department of human services, or unemployed, or classified as the working poor, freed from the bondages that consistently hold them back. It is to also see them freed from a dependent, victim mentality. This will be accomplished through ministry to the whole man with the inculcation of vision and destiny into the thinking and thought processes of those involved in the ministry, as well as the building and/or refining of skills necessary to succeed in everyday life. Those persons who have fully participated in Exodus will be able to: • Obtain employment and maintain the same, Handle their personal financial responsibilities, • Maneuver the labyrinth of daily interactions with business, governmental, and educational institutions, • Involve themselves in preventative medical procedures, and • More importantly, come to live the more than abundant life. They will also be able to interface with and handle daily situations that arise in regular family life and walk in wholeness throughout the process of change, transition, and ultimate restoration. The Exodus Program held its first workforce development class in April 1997. Over the past four years we have worked to design and fine-tune a program that would teach people how to go to work, stay on the job, manage a budget, pay their bills, prepare healthy foods, and how to become "self-sufficient" instead of depending upon an "agency" to bail them out of every crisis. We believe that if we increase an individual's understanding of vision, destiny, and purpose, the building blocks of short and long-term goals will fall into place. This leads to greater job placement, retention, and the fulfillment of each individual's goal of success. We have served 2398 individuals since Exodus began four years ago and we have experienced overwhelming success. Of the 2398 we have served 494 in job readiness training and 1904 individuals in case management. Our graduation rate is at 71% and our employment/education rate is 69%. Exodus has received contracts from the city, the county, and the State of Ohio that total approximately $3,394,750. It is important to note that because the majority of our contracts are performance-based and in many instances we have had to depend upon the county department of human services for referrals we have not realized the actual $3,000,000 in payments for services. Our grant/contract history is as follows: Hamilton County Department of Human Services (1997) City of Cincinnati (1997) Job Readiness for non-TANF-$15,000 Ohio Department of Human Services (1998) Retention Services-$50,000 Faith-based Conference-$25,000 Hamilton County Department of Human Services (1998) Job Readiness, Retention-$122,000 Hamilton County Department of Human Services (1999) Case Management Contract-$230,159 Job Readiness, Retention, Recruitment Contract-$324,685 Hamilton County (1999) Construction Workforce Development for African Americans-$162,000 Case Management Services for Term-Limit HCDHS clients-$762,123 Short Term Case Management Services-$524,783 Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (2000) The Joseph Project for African American Males (non-custodial fathers)- $875,000 Cincinnati State Community and Technical College Job Readiness, placement, case management for Cincinnati Empowerment Zone residents Employment and Training Division of the City of Cincinnati African American Male Job Readiness/placement-$67,500 TANF Job Readiness/placement-$186,500 The Exodus Program is a component of The Jireh Development Corporation. Jireh is an initiative of Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship with it's own separate 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation status. Jireh has its own board of directors comprised of individuals from within the faith community throughout the city of Cincinnati. All of our board members are not members of Christ Emmanuel. Jireh mission is to build houses for low-to-medium income individuals who might not ever be able to purchase a new house due to income restrictions. To date we have built 6 units of a 15-unit single-family housing project adjacent to Christ Emmanuel. Each townhouse is approximately 1600 square feet and features three bedrooms, a living room, dining room, 2 baths, basement, and a two-car garage. We also have 112 units in development to be completed over the next one to three years. Included in the development is a new park for the neighborhood children. Exodus is comprised of 21 employees representing seven different churches within the Cincinnati area. As the Executive Director of Jireh Development Corporation, I have worked with my leadership team to develop a working team of individuals who practice integrity, service, excellence, and cooperation. We believe that every agency that we contract with is a valuable customer. As such if we believe that we cannot meet our customer's expectations it becomes our responsibility not to enter into a contract with them. We enter into contracts solely |