American Baptist Home Mission Societies has established a GoFundMe campaign to show solidarity with a children’s home in Oklahoma widely criticized after declining a donation from an atheist organization in August.
The Murrow Indian Children’s Home in Muskogee, Okla., returned a $100 gift from Matt Wilbourn, because he requested on a pledge form it be designated in honor of the Muskogee Atheist Community, a group he co-founded with his wife, Keli. Murrow officials thanked the couple for their generosity but declined the gift because they wanted the home’s printed materials to honor only Christianity.
(Photo from GoFundMe page)
Members of the atheist community responded by creating a crowd-funding appeal without the Murrow home’s authorization or knowledge, reasoning if the amount could be raised to $1,000 it would put pressure on administrators to reconsider the offer. The action captured the attention of mass media, subjecting the American Baptist-supported ministry to intense criticism that officials were putting religious belief ahead of children’s welfare.
The Muskogee Atheist Community GoFundMe appeal raised $28,280 before it was shut down. Most of the money will be now be given to Camp Quest Oklahoma, a residential summer camp for the children of “freethinking” parents.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies said in a news release Sept. 6 that publicity about Murrow’s “quiet, respectful decline” of the original gift resulted “in abusive calls from across the United States to Murrow staff and board members, along with posts on Murrow’s Facebook page filled with such vitriol that the children’s home deactivated its page.”
“Murrow Indian Children’s Home has been caring for Native American children with support from American Baptist Home Mission Societies and its predecessor organizations for decades,” according to the release. “Now ABHMS seeks to show Murrow that American Baptists stand with this historic ministry, supporting its right to practice Christian faith as it sees fit.”
The Murrow Indian Children’s Home GoFundMe page was created Sept. 3 with a goal of raising $25,000. At the time of this story 10 people had pledged $1,125 in three days.
“Murrow does not stand in judgment of the Muskogee Atheist Community,” says the funding appeal. “The children’s home simply seeks respect for the manner in which it seeks to follow its Christian faith.”
“Your gift to Murrow Indian Children’s Home will witness that American Baptists, along with Murrow’s leaders, are unapologetically Christian,” it says. “While we have always demonstrated respect of other faiths and perspectives and continue to do so, often joining interfaith collaborations, we demand respect in return for the way we worship our God and will not tolerate abuse for following the faith principles we choose to embrace.”
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