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Evangelicals and Adoption: An Evil Obsession?

Is the current evangelical adoption movement a response to bad PR?

Tony: I don’t see the Christian Alliance for Orphans meeting as the key turning point. Theologians like John Piper and other well known leaders like Steven Curtis Chapman have been speaking on both the theological reasons and practical reasons for adoption for quite a while. And no adoptive parent, pastor, or adoption leader I know or have ever heard of is doing this to improve the PR of evangelicals. Public relations is no motivation for me or anyone else that I know who have adopted.

Jedd: Adoption and foster care certainly are choices the public often applauds. And no question, when Christians care for orphans, it shows the world God’s heart in vibrant, compelling ways. But anyone who’d do those things as a PR stunt would be a fool. There are far easier ways to get people to like you. The sacrifices required to love a hurt child– from the costs and endless paperwork, to the lifelong journey of joy and challenges that parenthood always is– are far too high. Just like any form of parenting, love is the one motivation that makes it a truly joyous journey.

What about claims that adopted children are not always orphans and are trafficked?

Rick: We also have to acknowledge that there have been some abuses and excesses in what people have called gospel centered adoption ministry. In cases, well meaning Christians have blown right past obvious warning signs only to find out that they had adopted children that were not true orphans. They were children who were stolen from their families or even trafficked by their families for economic gain. One of the troubling realities of international adoption is the economic activity that it creates in poor nations. International adoption is a multi-billion dollar industry, and it must be policed to keep out those who would engage in illegal activity. That is ultimately a responsibility of civil authorities. As followers of Jesus, we must refuse to engage in adoption practices that are illegal and unethical. We must use our political influence and economic power to insist that our government establishes policies that protect orphans being adopted and influences their home countries to do the same.

Johnny: Does trafficking produce orphans…or do orphans produce trafficking? The short answer is yes. Either of these scenarios may be true, based on the circumstances. An unregulated “get every kid adopted” approach is likely to encourage child kidnapping and trafficking. In our fallen world, wherever there is the opportunity to help, there is also the possibility of corruption. Adoption has the potential to drastically change an orphan’s life forever, but due diligence is needed.

Is evangelism the key part of the evangelical adoption movement? Do adoptive parents seek to mirror their salvation through adopting?

Tony: There are similarities in our adoption of kids and God’s adoption of us but similarities are not the same. There are several breakdowns in this statement by Joyce. And on parents feeling that we are saving kids twice, I’m not sure who she’s talking to, or who says anything like that. We are very clear in Orphanology– and in our own ministry– that God is the savior, and we NEVER say that one must adopt kids. Now, I want to see adopted kids evangelized for the same reason that I want to see anyone (child or adult) evangelized. But this is in no way an evangelism ploy. All people are created in the imago Dei, the image of God, and all people should be told the good news of Christ regardless of their status as adopted or not, child or adult.

Rick: This, like any theological analogy, breaks down if we stretch it too far. Does earthly adoption testify to our adoption as sons of God through the work of Christ? Absolutely, but it is not a perfect picture. As adoptive parents, we are not God. Sometimes I am most impacted theologically when I realize how much I am not like God as an adoptive parent. We have to be careful not to so “wrap ourselves in the flag” that we create a mistaken impression. My children are just that. In the end, they are just my children. The story of how God brought them into our family is a great story of God’s providence and protection in their lives and in ours. That story is made even better because we can’t tell it without pointing to the gospel, but we adopted because we wanted these children. They are not (nor do they ever need to feel that they are) just a ministry project.

What motivates parents to adopt rather than to do more to help families around the world? Has a “rescue” mentality taken over the movement?

Rebecca: Initially, our sole motivation in adopting was the desire to become parents. There was no savior mentality. But through the process of adopting our first two children, our eyes were opened to the needs of the world, which led us to our twin sons. This did not lead us only to bringing more children into our home, though. We, along with other couples that we work with, have begun to focus our efforts and finances on orphan prevention instead of just orphan care. One of the greatest benefits of the adoption movement among evangelicals is that has brought with it a global awareness. We are putting our energies toward microfinance, providing clean water, education and child sponsorship, etc., so that we can keep as many families together as possible. Our desire is not primarily to come to the rescue after the fact, but rather to go after the root issues that contribute to this problem.

What about adoption agencies? What should be some red flags that adoptive parents should watch for when adopting– whether it be with their stateside agency or a foreign agency?

Tony: The main reason to use adoption agencies is to prevent the trafficking of kids and the dismantling of families in international countries. It’s very important to research your agency and to get as much information as possible on them and their partners. Our son, Joshua, had no siblings and both parents had died. We had documents to show that, and he knew it. He lived it first-hand. Can a person be duped? Without question. But they are much less likely to be in this situation if they have done their homework. There will always be a mixture of victory and failures in adoption and orphan care. It’s messy at times, both during the process as well as once you bring a child home.

Rick: Families should do due diligence to learn the ethical standards and common practices of the agency. The best way to do it is to talk to people who have used them as references. The adoption processes and standards for each country are usually pretty well documented and publicly available on the Internet. Use the standards the country provides to understand the true legal process for adoption. Families should take the time to interview several agencies before they choose the one through which they will work. Ask direct questions about how the agency complies with the legal standards for the country from which they facilitate adoptions. Ultimately, it will come down to discernment and trust. If something feels like it is wrong, it probably is. A family is placing an enormous amount of trust into the hands of an agency for helping them negotiate the process well and to take care of them while they are abroad. If you don’t have trust, it will not likely end well.

How should Christians see adoption and orphan care?

Tony: When you evaluate something as broad as the evangelical movement, sure there are some bad examples. But we must be careful not to overstate the case and apply one bad example to the hundred and thousands of cases that do not in any way fit the model described. Adoption is not the only way to do orphan care. There must be a holistic solution including supporting orphanages and programs to aid poverty-stricken families so that they do not feel the need to sell their children to unscrupulous people looking to use them as bait for international adoption. We are also glad to see Orphanology published in Russian and Italian. It’s being used to provide training for indigenous parents seeking to adopt. American parents are not the only in the world that need to be adopting.

Rick: Transnational adoptions will never be the complete answer to the world’s orphan crisis, but I believe that they will always be a part. Creating a culture of indigenous adoption/foster care within the church in other nations is a much bigger portion of the answer. We need only look at the victories in countries like Rwanda to see it. A war torn, impoverished nation has seen their orphan crisis diminish because the Rwandan church has rallied to live out James 1:27 in large numbers with the support of western Christians. Earlier this year, I was privileged to address a summit of over 500 pastors and church leaders in Ukraine who are committed to seeing Ukraine become a country without orphanages by 2018. Where no adoption and orphan care culture existed in the Ukrainian church a decade ago, God is moving on the hearts of the indigenous church to respond today in a massive way. As the father of 3 Ukrainian children, I am thrilled! I am more thrilled to see movements like this springing up all over the globe, and I will do whatever I can to come alongside any of them to help. This is truly the way we will see the orphan crisis addressed and a way that we will see the gospel powerfully proclaimed to the ends of the earth.

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Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., is the Dean of Talbot School of Theology at Biola Univeristy and Scholar in Residence & Teaching Pastor at Mariners Church. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates; and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America, is the Editor-in-Chief of Outreach Magazine, and regularly writes for news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. Dr. Stetzer is the host of "The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast," and his national radio show, "Ed Stetzer Live," airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates.