Pastor Urges Churches to Advocate Adoption Activist ministry in blue-collar Texas town has been profiled on Oprah's show.

Pastor Urges Churches to Advocate Adoption Activist ministry in
blue-collar Texas town has been profiled on Oprah's show.

By Eric Pera The Ledger

LAKELAND -- Back in Possum Trot, Texas, a predominantly black
community of blue-collar families, the Rev. W. C. Martin goaded,
pleaded, even guilted members of his small congregation into adopting
foster children.

He and his wife, Donna, led by example, having adopted two siblings in
1998 and later a third child.

The pair inspired others in their 200-member Missionary Baptist church
-- 26 families have so far adopted 70 children from broken homes.

Tuesday, Martin brought his oratorical skills to Lakeland, making an
impassioned plea to the church community to commit to
Biblical-inspired responsibility.

"Jesus in the Book of Acts says: `Take care of widows and the
orphanage.' We haven't done that," Martin said to about 50 attendees
gathered at First United Methodist Church in Lakeland.

"There's half a million children in the (foster care) system. You
think God is pleased with that?"

Martin's appearance was sponsored by Heartland for Children, a private
agency overseeing foster care and adoptions in Polk, Highlands and
Hardee counties.

The agency, under contract to the state Department of Children &
Families, has 90 children in need of a permanent home within the
three-county district.

Tuesday's program was meant as a direct appeal to church leaders to
emulate Martin's work, which has been profiled by everyone from Oprah
Winfrey to Pat Robertson.

But the turnout of clergy at Tuesday's breakfast and lunch sessions
was not what organizers hoped for, with only three or four in
attendance.

"We tried to get the word out," said the Rev. Robert Gibbs, senior
pastor of First United Methodist. "I am a little disappointed in the
turnout."

The Rev. David Range of the United Methodist Church in Eloise was
among the few pastors who did attend.

He acknowledged the difficulties of adopting children from abusive
households, many of whom carry deep emotional scars that may require
ongoing therapy.

Range, father of two sons ages 21 and 17, said he found Martin a
compelling speaker. "He gave me a lot to think about," he said, issues
that Range intends to address in future sermons.

Training and other services are available to anyone wishing to adopt,
said Lorita Shirley, Heartland's director of opera-tions.

Foster families are also needed, she said. "These children have been
through a very traumatic experience. It's going to take a community
coming together to help serve those kids."

As part of its adoption campaign, Heartland is compiling
studio-quality portraits of children up for adoption. The photos will
eventually make up a traveling gallery for prospective parents.

"We're trying to show them and market them in a different way, and
show how beautiful they really are," said Kim Daugherty, a Heartland
director.

Martin, lacking a Texas drawl but clad in cowboy boots, cajoled the
crowd with hymns and spirited oratory, suggesting that Christians,
rich and poor, are uniquely qualified to deal with troubled kids.

"I will not lie to you, it has not been easy," Martin said of his
experience. "But they taught me a lot that I did not know."

As he spoke, pictures of local foster children flashed on a screen,
including 12-year-old Dexter, who favors band at school and plays
drums, and Barbie, who likes frogs and the color green.

"I think it's time to do something about the problem," Martin said.
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d...504200341/1004
"Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, For
you are crunchy and taste good with catsup."