Written by Don Byrd
Speaking to reporters in a conference call on Friday, new Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Melissa Rogers, said the “Baptist history of religious liberty is a special gift to the nation.”
Associated Baptist Press also reports on her comments regarding the most controversial church-state issues facing the administration.
Among the first issues Rogers will face will be whether faith-based partners, which receive federal money, can continue to hire or fire staff on the basis of religion — a contentious issue since President George W. Bush created the office in 2001.
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But asked twice about the issue in the March 22 conference call, Rogers said the administration is still reviewing the policy and “I will carry out President Obama’s views on this.”In response to another question, Rogers acknowledged tensions between the administration and Catholics over the contraception mandate, but said she hopes her work over the years with the Catholic Conference of U.S. Bishops and “scores of Catholic friends” will provide a basis for working together.
The Faith-Based Office will be about more than contraception and the ongoing dispute over hiring practices.
Rogers said she anticipates ramping up the office’s partnerships in combating human trafficking, malaria and tuberculosis, making flu vaccinations more accessible, recruiting volunteers in public schools and challenging college students to be more deeply engaged in service projects.
