Before you read this, you should read the following 2 articles so you don’t have to simply take my word on some things. This caused quite a stir in the Christian community this past week.
- World Vision: Why We’re Hiring Gay Christians in Same-Sex Marriages
- World Vision Reverses Decision To Hire Christians in Same-Sex Marriages
(Note: In this post, I am taking for granted the facts that Scripture teaches homosexuality to be a sin and that marriage is taught to be between a man and a woman. Such lengthy issues will have to be addressed on their own on a separate date.)
Before I say anything, I just want to compliment World Vision on reversing their decision. It takes a lot of courage to admit that you were wrong, and the Christian community needs to take note of that. But that being said, I really wonder whether it was the withdrawal of donations or the revelation of their error that really changed their minds on their policy decision to hire gay Christians in legally recognized marriages. Since I don’t know the hearts of the President or board members of World Vision, I can’t know the answer, but Scripture says that we should give people the benefit of the doubt in the spirit of love (See 1 Corinthians 13:7). However, I did want to address some of the wrongheaded thinking that went into the decision in the first place. While they admitted that they were wrong to make the decision, they did not admit that their original reasoning for the policy change was wrong.
There were a few main arguments that they were basing their decision on. Let’s go through each of these arguments and see where they are right and where they are wrong.
1. Churches disagree on many things including divorce and remarriage, modes of baptism, women in leadership roles in the church, beliefs on evolution, gay marriage, etc. As a ‘parachurch organization’ or ‘operational arm’ of the church, World Vision should defer to local denominations on theological or controversial issues so that they can unite Christians to serve the poor.
The first thing I want to clarify is this idea of the ‘parachurch.’ Para is a prefix that means beside or side by side. In other words, World Vision is saying that they are an organization that works side by side the church and separately from the church. World Vision president Richard Stearns calls his organization an ‘operational arm’ of the church. This can be a bit confusing. In one sense, they consider themselves a part of the church, but in another sense they don’t? I think a better way to state this is that they are a part of the Church (meaning the body of Christ) but not a part of your church that you attend on Sundays. However, we are all one body, consisting of many members (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). World Vision is a part of the body of Christ just as much as the church on the street corner that meets every Sunday.
But moving on to the issue at hand, let me address the issue of deferring to local denominations on theological or controversial issues. Now to be fair to World Vision, this policy of deference was only being applied within the context of their hiring policy. But I do not think that excuses them from upholding Christian values in their hiring policy. There are three levels to importance of doctrinal issues: Essential issues, Core issues, and Periphery Issues. Essential issues are issues that are central to the gospel message and cannot be compromised on. Core issues are issues that are essential to healthy Christian living, but not necessary to be saved. Such issues generally revolve around moral issues such as homosexuality, sexual purity before marriage, alcohol, drugs, etc. Periphery issues are issues that are neither necessary to the gospel or to healthy Christian living. They are issues on which Christians with strong walks in the Lord can disagree on. Such issues include the style of music to be played in corporate worship, length of sermons in church, what kinds of foods to eat, modes of baptism, etc., and are generally considered a matter of opinion. The sanctity of marriage and homosexuality are Core issues and not Periphery issues or Essential issues. Since World Vision is a Christian organization, it cannot defer on Essential issues and should not defer on Core issues, especially if they are going to take stands on other Core issues like sexual abstinence before marriage. It is a mistake to relegate gay marriage or homosexuality to local churches as if it was a Periphery issue. Just because different Christian churches disagree on Core issues, that does not mean it is a Periphery issue. Those churches which do not teach Core issues in accordance with the Truth of Scripture do so to the detriment of the body of Christ.
This is why such issues should not be set aside, even for the sake of a good cause like serving the poor. As a Christian company, World Vision needs to keep its ethical and moral standards in accordance with the Truth of Scripture not only for the sake of not compromising but for the spiritual health of its employees and those they serve. People can give to any number of organizations that help children in need. The reason they choose to give to World Vision is because the gospel travels with their money to those in need. A huge part of the gospel is freedom from sin. And in order to understand that, sin needs to be defined properly.
2. Such a decision would allow World Vision to apply the same standard to all of their employees: abstinence outside of marriage, and fidelity within marriage.
Well, if you want to redefine marriage at the same time, then I suppose that would be true. But Scripture clearly teaches that marriage is a covenant relationship between a man and a woman. So while it might be the same standard, it is a wrong standard nonetheless.
3. This policy change is minor and is limited only to the hiring policy. This is not an endorsement of same-sex marriage or rejection of traditional marriage. This is not about compromising the authority of Scripture.
While it technically might not add up to a full endorsement per se, having indifference towards sin can sometimes have just as detrimental an effect. Jesus said, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! (Luke 17:1) It matters not whether sin comes through indifference or endorsement, through tolerance or acceptance. In the end, sin will harm a Christian’s relationship with God.
This policy change is a double standard. World Vision includes moral qualifications in its hiring practice, such as their policy to require all single employees to remain abstinent. Why include that policy and not a policy on gay marriage? Does marriage matter less than abstinence? No. The reason a differentiation is made is because a minority of Christians are starting to accept homosexuality and gay marriage as morally acceptable. But as I already addressed, just because Christians disagree, that doesn’t mean that the issue should be neutralized. As long as World Vision calls itself a Christian organization with hiring standards that seeks to employ faithful Christians, they will have to take a stand on such issues. If they were to suddenly came out saying that they will hire (or no longer discriminate against) single Christians who are deliberately living in sin and having sex with someone before marriage, what kind of message does that send to the world? What kind of message does that send to the Christian community? While they are not telling people that they should have sex before marriage, being indifferent towards it is tantamount to an endorsement on some level. Those Essential and Core doctrines should be faithfully represented, even if it means alienating a few Christians who deny such truths.
World Vision does their work in the name of Christ. As such they are ultimately a reflection of Christ. Therefore, the moral standards they enforce on their employees need to be in accordance with the Truth of His Word.
As for us, our attitude needs to be like Christ’s. Jesus never tolerated sin, but always had mercy for the sinner (See John 8:11). With Christ, there will always be love, but never compromise. The standard we out to live by is 1 Corinthians 13:6, “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.” If you say you love someone, then you cannot also endorse a lifestyle that is wrong and harmful to them. Love will always rejoice in the truth and in righteousness. Love will always calls us to show grace to those who struggle very deeply with these issues and to walk alongside them.