Jesus a Hindrance?

[This material is from an article by Zach Smith of Scripps Howard News Service]

There's a charity by the name of Jesus House of Hope in Martin County, Florida. It's a non-profit and has been in existence for 24 years. Jesus House of Hope has an annual budget of $825,000, 30 percent of which derives from the four thrift shops it operates, with the balance coming from churches, private grants, individuals and fundraisers.

According to the executive director, Patrick Slattery, the charity has as its mission to serve the needy as Jesus "commanded in the Gospel of Matthew." It does this by providing emergency financial assistance to those who lack funds to meet basic needs and by giving gifts of food to the hungry.

Slattery insists the charity is "really not a religious organization. There's no church. There were never any ministers, never any priests." [Question: What defines a "religious" organization?]

But Slattery's insistence that Jesus House of Hope is not a religious organization is important in order to justify the rationale for a name change. Last year, facing fewer donations, "the charity began to distance itself from the reference to Jesus." Slattery claims some private foundations will not give money to the charity because the word, "Jesus," is included in its name.

Additionally, if people think the charity is a church or "house of worship," and they already give to their own church, they may not give to Jesus House of Hope.

So last month, the board of directors of Jesus House of Hope changed its name to simply, House of Hope. "We decided we were going to have to bite the bullet and begin doing business as House of Hope," said Slattery.

It's done. Although the charity will still be named Jesus House of Hope legally, it will do business as House of Hope charity.

Slattery thinks Jesus would not be offended. I agree.

It is interesting, though, that a charity such as this is more likely to thrive without Jesus than with Jesus.