Cheryl, when I read your opening paragraphs about Garcia appearing at the Family Leader summit and discussing churches taking care of the poor, I also had a phrase come to mind. It’s abbreviated BS.
You’re absolutely right that churches are struggling to stay afloat and have few resources. I belong to a mainline metro church that does a lot - a medical clinic, free meals, community fridge - but finances are tight, not enough young people taking over for those who have aged in place.
Thanks for giving readers a sense of the challenges facing rural churches. Definitely a “disconnect”.
What a great piece, Cheryl. Small churches doing good in their communities and neighborhoods are among the things that have been vanishing in my lifetime that break my heart. The others include small family farms, robust daily newspapers, thriving main streets and squares with local independent businesses …
They have been replaced by corporate farms, social media, Amazon warehouses and Casey’s stores and mega churches … and look where we are.
Thanks for this and I also love your evocative photos.
Thank you, Wini! I'm so glad that this column resonated with you. I appreciate your recognition of the changes in our rural Iowa landscape. We'll keep plugging away, but leaders need to be called out for spreading false narratives about the capacity of rural churches and communities in Iowa to absorb government roles.
All of this is so well said, Cheryl. I remember the first Bush – George H.W. – wanted churches, community organizations and volunteers to take over for the government with his call for "A Thousand Points of Light." It didn't work then, either.
Thank you! Yes, thanks for drawing the through line to "A Thousand Points of Light." So true! It's just being re-packaged, and fueled by the political imbalance of many state legislatures.
This "movement" is so insidious and so concerning! Sadly, churches have never been able to eradicate poverty or we wouldn't have needed governments to step into that role. And although they try, especially in our smaller communities, it will be impossible for them to do so. And I do believe that the dismantling of government services is another con being perpetrated by folks who are simply using religion as a means for their own accumulation of power and wealth. Sorry if I sound cynical.
Thanks, Mary Kae. Oh, you are not cynical, just realistic. We have seen this false narrative since Jerry Falwell co-founded the Moral Majority in 1979. But Iowa leaders were not buying into it until the Reynolds Administration.
Christian Nationalism, not my Christianity, nor my kind of patriotism , and certainly no excuse to defund programs that help people. Let’s not go backwards!
Thank you for this article, Cheryl. The plans the "faith" leaders have proposed look good on paper, to them. But in practice this approach will result in people being left behind, falling in the cracks, becoming "white noise", Families will struggle because money is needed on a much larger scale than individual churches can provide. Thank you for shining a light on this.
Thank you, Kathi! Yes, it's a simplistic, "feel good" solution that would fall apart upon serious examination. Government has shown that it can help struggling families and a sustained effort would produce a better long-run outcome for all Iowans and Americans,
Question: since our government got into the business of eliminating poverty with President Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 War on Poverty, how much American taxpayer money has been spent and how much has this country’s overall poverty/homelessness and drug addiction been lowered? Government is not the answer. Maybe by themselves churches aren’t either. And, why have Christian (believers in Jesus Christ) Nationalists (put American priorities above others) become such a bugaboo to progressives?
As far as I know the government never has been in the business of eliminating poverty. There is no one answer to any complex problem; it requires multiple strategies. What are these American priorities? Thank you.
Wonderful, insightful writing. It is disheartening someone in this position knows so little about reality. We need to remember what happened at Glenwood Hospital School under her charge. Taxpayers are paying to care for these people through our tax dollars. If the federal and state reduce responsibility, will they reduce our taxes? Why are they limiting how much we give to charity? Questions need answering. Our older generation is the strong hold of church membership and givers. Living life is now is so expensive.
"They sing a song, "The Phony King of England," that mocks Prince John's fraud and incompetence; the song becomes popular even among Prince John's own advisors. Prince John angrily triples the taxes on the villagers, all of whom are soon jailed when their money runs out. Visiting Friar Tuck's now-empty church, the Sheriff of Nottingham takes a gold coin from the poor box. When Friar Tuck finally snaps and begins assaulting the Sheriff in his rage, he is arrested for high treason..." - wiki on Disney's Robin Hood.
I know I'm outing my age with this one, but I keep picturing the scene where they take money from the church's donation box for 'taxes' while villagers are starving.
Thank you, Emily, for adding this great reference. I came very close to adding the following dialogue from Robin Hood, 1973: "Taxes! Taxes! Beautiful, lovely taxes! Sire you have an absolute skill .. . for encouraging contributions from the poor To coin a phrase, my dear counselor, rob the poor to feed the rich. Am I right?" We definitely are thinking along similar lines! Thank you for sharing.
All it would take for those in thrall with the “Christian” Nationalist movement is to study history with a clear eye. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid came about because churches and charities alone could not alleviate mass poverty.
The churches will do their “good deeds” on their own terms at their convenience and pat themselves on the back that they are better because of it. My apologies for the cynicism but the last few months…
Cheryl, when I read your opening paragraphs about Garcia appearing at the Family Leader summit and discussing churches taking care of the poor, I also had a phrase come to mind. It’s abbreviated BS.
You’re absolutely right that churches are struggling to stay afloat and have few resources. I belong to a mainline metro church that does a lot - a medical clinic, free meals, community fridge - but finances are tight, not enough young people taking over for those who have aged in place.
Thanks for giving readers a sense of the challenges facing rural churches. Definitely a “disconnect”.
Thank you, Dave. I appreciate your encouragement as well as your insights from a metro perspective.
What a great piece, Cheryl. Small churches doing good in their communities and neighborhoods are among the things that have been vanishing in my lifetime that break my heart. The others include small family farms, robust daily newspapers, thriving main streets and squares with local independent businesses …
They have been replaced by corporate farms, social media, Amazon warehouses and Casey’s stores and mega churches … and look where we are.
Thanks for this and I also love your evocative photos.
Thank you, Wini! I'm so glad that this column resonated with you. I appreciate your recognition of the changes in our rural Iowa landscape. We'll keep plugging away, but leaders need to be called out for spreading false narratives about the capacity of rural churches and communities in Iowa to absorb government roles.
All of this is so well said, Cheryl. I remember the first Bush – George H.W. – wanted churches, community organizations and volunteers to take over for the government with his call for "A Thousand Points of Light." It didn't work then, either.
Thank you! Yes, thanks for drawing the through line to "A Thousand Points of Light." So true! It's just being re-packaged, and fueled by the political imbalance of many state legislatures.
This "movement" is so insidious and so concerning! Sadly, churches have never been able to eradicate poverty or we wouldn't have needed governments to step into that role. And although they try, especially in our smaller communities, it will be impossible for them to do so. And I do believe that the dismantling of government services is another con being perpetrated by folks who are simply using religion as a means for their own accumulation of power and wealth. Sorry if I sound cynical.
Thanks, Mary Kae. Oh, you are not cynical, just realistic. We have seen this false narrative since Jerry Falwell co-founded the Moral Majority in 1979. But Iowa leaders were not buying into it until the Reynolds Administration.
Christian Nationalism, not my Christianity, nor my kind of patriotism , and certainly no excuse to defund programs that help people. Let’s not go backwards!
Absolutely right! Thanks, Sarah.
Thank you for this article, Cheryl. The plans the "faith" leaders have proposed look good on paper, to them. But in practice this approach will result in people being left behind, falling in the cracks, becoming "white noise", Families will struggle because money is needed on a much larger scale than individual churches can provide. Thank you for shining a light on this.
Thank you, Kathi! Yes, it's a simplistic, "feel good" solution that would fall apart upon serious examination. Government has shown that it can help struggling families and a sustained effort would produce a better long-run outcome for all Iowans and Americans,
Question: since our government got into the business of eliminating poverty with President Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 War on Poverty, how much American taxpayer money has been spent and how much has this country’s overall poverty/homelessness and drug addiction been lowered? Government is not the answer. Maybe by themselves churches aren’t either. And, why have Christian (believers in Jesus Christ) Nationalists (put American priorities above others) become such a bugaboo to progressives?
As far as I know the government never has been in the business of eliminating poverty. There is no one answer to any complex problem; it requires multiple strategies. What are these American priorities? Thank you.
Wonderful, insightful writing. It is disheartening someone in this position knows so little about reality. We need to remember what happened at Glenwood Hospital School under her charge. Taxpayers are paying to care for these people through our tax dollars. If the federal and state reduce responsibility, will they reduce our taxes? Why are they limiting how much we give to charity? Questions need answering. Our older generation is the strong hold of church membership and givers. Living life is now is so expensive.
Thank you so much, Cynthia! Your questions are excellent, and give us all something else to consider. Thanks again!
"They sing a song, "The Phony King of England," that mocks Prince John's fraud and incompetence; the song becomes popular even among Prince John's own advisors. Prince John angrily triples the taxes on the villagers, all of whom are soon jailed when their money runs out. Visiting Friar Tuck's now-empty church, the Sheriff of Nottingham takes a gold coin from the poor box. When Friar Tuck finally snaps and begins assaulting the Sheriff in his rage, he is arrested for high treason..." - wiki on Disney's Robin Hood.
I know I'm outing my age with this one, but I keep picturing the scene where they take money from the church's donation box for 'taxes' while villagers are starving.
Thank you, Emily, for adding this great reference. I came very close to adding the following dialogue from Robin Hood, 1973: "Taxes! Taxes! Beautiful, lovely taxes! Sire you have an absolute skill .. . for encouraging contributions from the poor To coin a phrase, my dear counselor, rob the poor to feed the rich. Am I right?" We definitely are thinking along similar lines! Thank you for sharing.
All it would take for those in thrall with the “Christian” Nationalist movement is to study history with a clear eye. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid came about because churches and charities alone could not alleviate mass poverty.
Absolutely, Chris. It's a false narrative. Thank you!
The churches will do their “good deeds” on their own terms at their convenience and pat themselves on the back that they are better because of it. My apologies for the cynicism but the last few months…
Thanks, Char. No need to apologize!