WASHINGTON -President Barack Obama announced yesterday the creation of his faith-based outreach office, expanding its agenda beyond funding social programs to work on policies aimed at strengthening family life and reducing abortion.
Obama's office leaves in place rules that allow faith-based groups receiving federal funding to hire only people of their own faith, but White House aides said that the hiring rules would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis when there are complaints and that the Justice Department will provide legal assistance.
Obama's move more fully formalizes the partnerships between the federal government and faith groups that first began under President Bill Clinton and was expanded by President George W. Bush.
But where Bush used the faith office primarily for funding programs - drawing criticism that he was mainly assisting his political supporters - Obama said he wants to use the office for policy guidance, as well.
Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast at the Hilton Washington yesterday, Obama said the goal of the initiative "will not be to favor one religious group over another - or even religious groups over secular groups. It will simply be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities, and to do so without blurring the line our Founders wisely drew between church and state."
The president created a 25-member advisory council and named 15 of its members yesterday, including several high-profile evangelicals - the Rev. Joel Hunter, senior pastor of a Florida megachurch, and the Rev. Frank Page, president emeritus of the Southern Baptist Convention - as well as representatives from secular nonprofits, which had little association with Bush's faith-based initiative.
The council members are to advise the faith office on policy but will not play a direct role in allocating federal grants. The office will be headed by Joshua DuBois, a 26-year-old Pentecostal who worked on religious issues for Obama's campaign.
The office will be more involved in policy planning than it was during the Bush years, White House aides said. They said the top priorities for the office will be interfaith relations, strengthening the role of fathers in society and reducing poverty.
The office also will help develop policies aimed at reducing the number of abortions, though no specifics were offered.
