Family Promise of Hall County is a non-profit with the purpose to "end the cycle of family homelessness." The non-profit works with a network of host churches to help place families in need:
The families rotate weekly among a network of host churches. About 4 to 5 times a year, each congregation provides the families in our program with lodging, meals, and hospitality for a week at a time. Currently, we partner with 11 churches in Hall County and we're always looking to expand our network.
The number of churches in the network has fallen to 10 after the Lakewood Baptist Church resigned from the non-profit. Why? Because Family Promise was trying to help a family with same-sex parents:
Once the agency decided to help the same-sex couple, several agency board members affiliated with Lakewood Baptist Church resigned from Family Promise, according to a report from the Gainesville Times. The church also cut ties with the non-profit, which has affiliates across the nation.
“We’re just not going to comment, we need to protect our families, our clients and our churches,” said a woman answering the telephone at Family Promise’s Gainesville office on Thursday before hanging up on an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter.
No word on how leaving children on the street with no shelter is going to help protect the families of the Lakewood Baptist Church.
A representative from Equality Georgia applauded the decision in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, the state’s largest LGBT advocacy group said the resignations were a fallout from last summer’s marriage ruling and the religious liberty bill. While it was unfortunate that the members felt they had to terminate their relationship with Family Promise, Graham said, he found their decision “honorable.”
“They took the honorable path,” said Graham. “They resigned rather than refuse services to a family in need.”
A good point from Jeff Graham. But, Family Promise reps say Lakewood was a big part of their network. Their withdrawal from the program will likely affect an untold number of families seeking help in their community in the future. And all for what?