White House Briefing for Faith Leaders Held

President Trump signed an executive order in May that, in addition to limiting the IRS’s actions against religious organizations engaged in political campaign activities, created a new area within state departments that focuses on interacting with the faith community.

“Each major department — FEMA, Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, HUD, FDA, Education, Labor and Commerce — now has a Faith and Opportunity director,” says Kent Hulbert, Youth Alive coordinator and U.S. missionary, who attended a White House briefing Thursday. “The meetings are designed to introduce the directors to the faith community and to provide insight to their purpose and vision.” Youth Alive is a partnership between U.S. Missions and National Youth Ministries.

Hulbert, who attended the briefing with Kyle Embry, U.S. missionary with Youth Alive in North Texas, explains that the Faith and Opportunity directors give the faith community someone it can go to concerning things such as federal policies or issues impacting the exercise of religion liberties and freedoms. The door swings the other way as well, as the directors, through these series of meetings, are going to have people they can reach out to for feedback and perspectives.

Additional faith community leaders are scheduled to meet at the White House this week for a similar briefing. Hulbert is returning to Washington, D.C., on Nov. 9 with Tennessee candidate U.S. missionary with Youth Alive Brooks Till to meet with the Department of Education at a Faith Leader Summit.

“The briefing was awe-inspiring,” Hulbert states. “I was very impressed with the directors’ sensitivity to the faith community.”