Come Near's CEO Ken Calwell, Compassion International, World Evangelical Association and what is behind "He Gets Us."
More background information to understand the misdirection in Joy Ashford's Dallas Morning News article on "He Gets Us."
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Why this research article and the Dallas Morning News “He Gets Us” story.
This was the story Joy Ashford wrote for the Dallas Morning News which gives the impression that “He Gets Us” has nothing to do with homophobia.
This is the reality of “He Gets Us” as reported by the Rolling Stone.
The Rolling Stones article mentions that the CEO of Come Near, which is in charge of the “He Gets Us” campaign iis Ken Calwell who was previously chief marketing officer at Compassion International, a Christian “charity.”
I am writing up some reports on the groups involved in preparation for a full report on Joy Ashford’s article misrepresenting “He Gets Us.”
I have been saving all the links in this article at
https://archive.org/ using the WayBackMachine
Compassion International
They are certified by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability which has theological as well as financial accountability requirements. Their logo is on the Compassion International webpage and they are listed in the ECFA’s directory.
https://www.ecfa.org/MemberProfile.aspx?ID=4466
Their agenda seems to be to convert the next generation to an Evangelical Christian belief to establish a Evangelical hegemony to dominate the world in the future.
They are listed in Two Care’s “The National Christian Foundation Anti-LGBT Funding Encyclopedia.”
There is a long entry for Compassion International. Quoting:
Compassion International, one of the world’s biggest evangelical aid agencies, has played a quiet but significant role in exporting the anti-LGBT ideology of the American evangelical right, especially through its material and leadership support of evangelist Luis Bush’s “Transform World” initiative.
https://twocare.org/the-national-christian-foundation-anti-lgbt-funding-encyclopedia/
This is another article about involvement with the religious right.
https://twocare.org/the-gathering-the-religious-rights-cash-cow/
This report by Warren Throckmorton gives more information how Compassion International was involved in a effort which results in Uganda’s Anti-Homosexual Law.
Compassion Internation uses the story of Sodom and Gomorrah to recruit, but this publication is a bit obscure on that.
https://www.compassion.com/multimedia/Spring2018_Survival_SectorReport.pdf
Compassion International has a program where you sponsor a child and you can write to the child. It is all about it being an Evangelical effort.
There are some restrictions on the letters. The general instruction is as follows:
As a sponsor you are investing in the lives of your sponsored children, and they consider you family. Write as if you are. Be encouraging! But please also be sensitive to the child's economic situation. Avoid discussing the material aspects of your life.
It is heavily loaded with religious items to prostylize the child, things like.
Share your favorite Bible stories and verses.
Elaborate on your church and the various ways you serve Christ.
Remind your child that you pray for him or her regularly. Mention specific items your child has mentioned in his or her letters.
Explain how your family includes your sponsored child in daily life (e.g., praying for him or her or displaying his or her photo in your home).
Share your prayer requests and praise reports.
https://www.compassion.com/letter-writing/letter-writing-topics-faq.htm
This is under the topic, “What Topics should I avoid.”
references to sexuality, living in an unmarried cohabitation or same-sex partnership.
This might seem reasonable, but what they mean is that your cousin who lives with his girlfriend is to be omitted from your correspondance as well as your brother who who has a husband.
In their section, “Why was my letter not delivered?” they explain
It is important that all correspondence be child-appropriate, country appropriate and ministry-appropriate, in harmony with Compassion’s conservative evangelical Christian view.
These items are specifically called out.
Items that advocate another religious worldview
references to sexuality, unmarried cohabitation or same-sex partnership.
depictions or descriptions of the use of alcoholic beverages, …
So if you went to a Buddhist wedding of your Gay cousin and you raised a glass of champaign to the good fortune of the couple, Compassion International would likely shriek and burn your letter right away.
https://www.compassion.com/letter-writing/letter-writing-topics-faq.htm#faq-tcm:5-308638
This writer in Australias has a picture of a Gay couple with adopted children in an article that shows how you would have to omit people in your writing to a sponsored child.
Compassion International’s Statement of Faith
On their webpage there is a statement, “We adhere to the statement of faith established the World Evangelical Alliance.”
The statement is as follows:
One God, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...
Our Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, His virgin birth, His sinless human life, His divine miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, His mediatorial work, and His Personal return in power and glory...
The Salvation of lost and sinful man through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith apart from works, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit...
The Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the believer is enabled to live a holy life, to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ...
The Unity of the Spirit of all true believers, the Church, the Body of Christ...
The Resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
https://www.compassion.com/statement-of-faith.htm
So what does that exactly mean?
The World Evangelical Association has a website.
The following is their statement of faith.
https://worldea.org/who-we-are/statement-of-faith/
It seems that their Statement of Faith means being homophobic. These are news items from their website.
https://worldea.org/news/15609/landslide-changes-in-the-catholic-church-and-in-global-christianity/
https://worldea.org/news/13651/sexual-ethics-responding-to-a-changing-world/
https://worldea.org/news/13495/german-evangelical-allianceno-retreat-to-pious-corner/
https://children.worldea.org/kirk-cameron-to-release-new-kids-book-pride-comes-before-the-fall/
https://un.worldea.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEAGVA_UN_202007_UPR37_AUS_ANNEX_Final2.pdf
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