DISCLAIMER:

The tone of this post is going to be flippant and sometimes sarcastic.  This is NOT aimed at individual fathers, men, and all-round great people who have mentored, helped, befriended, or encouraged young men (and women) to be their best, or simply stood with them through tough times in life.  I am in this blog targeting the professional trainers, the professional know-it-alls, and their habit of demanding more and more public money to build more and more “resource centers” and run “institutes” with less and less proof of any results.  Although the word “evidence-based practice” is throughout the literature justifying why we should sponsor this habit as a public benefit.

Where’s the benefit?  At what point can we demand something besides anecdotal evidence traded in policy institutes run without public input far away from the “delivery of services” locations.  Have homicide, drug, femicide, rape etc. levels gone down AND can this be directly tied to any single, or any set of, training organizations?  The answer to that I’ll bet is simply N.O.

But it is necessary to “out” and mock, ridicule (and reduce) the baloney, the fallacies that simply are opening the door to more federal trainers eager to get access to (in particular) young boys, or adolescents — and again, I’m talking at the institutional levels.  Last post? I showed that one of the Fathers of the Fatherhood movement was a Seventh Day Adventist  (Dr. Charles Ballard), who writes on a page called “Responsible Fatherhood, Faith, Marriage and Family”

God designed Adam to be a covering for his wife, and a protector for his children. More than this, Adam was to be the SERVANT leader. The SERVANT head, and SERVANT priest. Adam was to keep Eve at all times by his side . . . .
Then it happened: first to Eve, then to Adam. An outsider usurped the power of dominion entrusted to them. This outsider, Satan, decided to put asunder what God had joined together. This outsider was allowed to come between the man and his wife. Sin entered the world. Then a tide of woe fell upon God’s wonderful creation.

Any time such a “servant/priest” (i.e. any man in a relationship with a woman, and especially with children) is served with a protection or restraining order, or is convicted of assault and battery upon an “intimate partner” someone indeed has come between him and his Eve.  Thank God!  In this mindset, that’s bad.

TAGGS — apparently a few different “Ballards” are very much into this:

The fifth column in (before CFDA number beginning in “93 _ _ _” is the year of the project.

So far, Texas, Oklahoma & DC.

This report didn’t show years, so here’s one that does, I’ve picked a few samples from a simple search, last name “Ballard”; out of 156 returns (Many were medical) these appear to relate to marriage/fatherhood components.

Frances Ballard (Mrs. Charles A. Ballard) is known to me from this organization, a recent one also on the HHS funds path:

WOMEN IN FATHERHOOD, INC.  (“WIFI” for short):

Frances Ballard

Frances Ballard is the Executive Director for the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC). In her role she is responsible for the strategic direction and leadership for activities regarding the NRFC, including the coordination of the media campaign, clearinghouse and Web site, Training and Technical Assistance (T & TA) to responsible fatherhood demonstration sites, and building relationships and partnerships for NRFC. She has over 20 years experience working with fathers, families and healthcare.

er previous positions include 12 years serving as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for The Institute for Responsible Fatherhood and Family Revitalization; Consultant to The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Making Connections Program; ** Director of Corporate Development and Clinical Manager-Ambulatory Care, Grace Hospital; and Nurse Consultant/Program Developer, The Institute For Responsible Fatherhood and Family Development. She holds a Masters of Science Degree in Nursing Administration, a B.A. in Social Work, an A.S. in Nursing, and numerous executive management certifications. She is married to Dr. Charles A. Ballard, “pioneer” of the Fatherhood Movement and the mother of their three children, Jonathan, Lydia and Christopher.

**Annie E. Casey Foundation funds many fatherhood programs, and they are indeed a large foundation.

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

FARILYN BALLARD I’ll deduce is not a relative, but on the same theme, and highly placed to run fatherhood programs, possibly similar on the inside:

A devout Christian who sings in her church’s choir, Ballard prays and reads the Bible daily and volunteers. She’s a wife and mother who loves her husband, Dan Ballard, her two grown daughters and crossword puz- zles. Whimsical items like Garden Divas adorn her office, and she’ll readily tell you about her two dogs, Molly and Bosco. . . .

Farilyn Ballard: 

Where Faith And Commitment Make A Difference

By Kevan Goff-Parker Inside OKDHS Editor  (OCT 2004 article):

The Many Sides of Farilyn Ballard

As chief operating officer, Fari- lyn Ballard’s well-known serious side is often seen at OKDHS as she dili- gently works long hours tackling the agency’s many challenges.   It’s a serious job, but Ballard enjoys the responsibility. She leads the daily operations of the state’s largest agency and 4,000 employees from Field Operations, Children and Family Services Division and Family Support Services Division.“

Oklahoma had one of the largest (initially) Marriage Demonstration projects, I heard…    it is called “Oklahoma Marriage Initiative”  (“OMI”)

Ms. Ballard was there.

Marriage Research – OMI

She has developed a middle range theory of the experience of expectant and newfatherhood, … in Research Advisory Group meetings include: Farilyn Ballard, …
http://www.okmarriage.org/Research/MarriageResearch.asp – Cached – Similar

This OMI is also a project of the Public Strategies, Inc. I mentioned with, I THINK (might be wrong…), ties to Center for Policy Research (I believe) -out of Denver.  The common personnel between the Denver-based Center for Policy Research and the (now international) “AFCC” is one of the co-founders, Jessica Pearson, Ph.D. (as I understand matters), and the slant is definitely pro-Richard Gardner, Pro-Parental Alienation theory (“PAS”) throughout.  As opposed to, say, feminist — at all…..   For an idea of what “OMI” is (referring to structure, funding, purpose, and reach, etc.) read this:

Mary Myrick, APR – Public Strategies

Ms. Myrick is the President of Public Strategies, an Oklahoma-based firm, and Project Manager for the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI). The OMI is widely recognized as the country’s first statewide, comprehensive program model for changing a state’s divorce culture and creating/providing services to reflect a broad-based commitment to family formation and marriage. Under Myrick’s leadership the OMI has recruited a highly-distinguished Research Advisory Board consisting of state and national experts on marriage, divorce, and low-income families; has developed and implemented the first comprehensive statewide survey to assess marriage/divorce values and demographics**; is implementing a multi-sector strategy, collaborating with multiple state agencies, service providers, educators, religious institutions, businesses and the media; and has launched a statewide skills-based Marriage and Relationship Education Service Delivery System, utilizing the research-based PREP as its core curriculum. Myrick speaks nationally about the successful OMI model and has provided hours of technical assistance to several states and communities committed to implementing their own marriage initiatives.

**interesting.  Drawing on ALL marriage/divorce data?  Census?  That colloborating with “everyone” so reminds me of AFCC (although their range is not quite “everyone”) Pulling in MULTIPLE state agencies (for probably program funding and access to population) Service providers (access to population, and training the in the right way to provide service) Educators (naturally) Religious Institutions (OK, here we go  . . . . ) Businesses (funding, sponsorship, promotion, right?) and the media — sound like a monopoly yet? Are there any anti-trust even CONCEPTS at work here?

This can be done in part because in 1995, President Clinton issued an Executive Order about Fatherhood.  You should read it sometime (again).  This was like an ignition that blasted free all kinds of information and technology, and monetary flow — a virtual riverhood of father-promotion and education.  ….

ABOUT US:

about us

Established in 1990, Public Strategies (PSI) began as a public relations and event planning firm with only two staff members…PSI has grown into a culturally and professionally diverse firm with 150 staff members, and offices in Oklahoma, Colorado and Washington, D.C.

The Denver office is walking distance to “Center for Policy Research” in Denver, their name is found on many HHS reports, and their personnel extremely influential, as I have blogged.  @

As a visionary leader in public-private partnerships, Ms. Myrick developed Public Strategies (PSI) from a public relations and event planning firm into a leader in business development, strategic planning, and project management. She manages and continues to add to the firm’s diverse partnerships and directs PSI’s portfolio of national, state and community youth and family programs.

Ms. Myrick also leads efforts to provide technical assistance to other agencies and organizations including the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) grantees, the Texas Healthy and Human Services Commission, and several policy research organizations. (incl. CPR?)

As we can see below (in the list) the bulk of the work is DIRECT US Government-related:

Other Projects:

• National Healthy Marriage Resource Center
• TwoOfUs.org

Publications that Mary has contributed to:

• Healthy marriage and domestic violence programs share common ground
• Family Development
• Healthy Marriage and Relationship Programs: A Promising Strategy for Strengthening Families
• Building Bridges Between Healthy Marriage, Responsible Fatherhood, and Domestic Violence Programs

That’s funny, Dr. Richard Warshak’s reunification program was trade-marked “Building Bridges,” which is “treatment” for the extremely alienated child &/or family.

Among the team is a “Director of Fatherhood Services”

Calvin Williams
Director of Fatherhood Services.  He is the “thought leader” in PSI’s fatherhood programs:

As the thought leader for the development of promising practices in the areas of fatherhood for each of the programs that PSI manages, Calvin fills a critical role on the Public Strategies team.His expertise in the fatherhood is now being utilized in the PREP curriculum which he co-authored, “On My Shoulders.” In his new role, Calvin develops programs and interventions targeted to non-custodial parents that encourage cooperative parenting, and provide insight and guidance, as well as resources and tools that assist in providing high quality services to low income men and their families.Before joining PSI, Calvin worked as Program Director, Operations Director, and Acting Executive Director for Services United for Mothers and Adolescents (SUMA) Fatherhood Project in Cincinnati, Ohio

He develops programs targeted to the court system, and probably child support as well, wouldn’t you say?

2003 “Ohio Practitioners’ Network for Fathers and Family”

“In May of 2003 (it reads) the Center for Families and Children in Ohio hosted the first “Fathers Matter” conference in the State of Ohio…a diverse group of stakeholders and practitioners was brought together to discuss the importance of fatherhood and the barriers faced by practitioners. … most participants agreed that there was a need for a Fatherhood Practitioner network in Ohio.”

(to clarify, a “fatherhood practitioner” need not be male — or even a father.  A “Fatherhood Practitioner” is closer to a public relationship or program development function, from what I can tell.  I know that in order to play football, sooner or later one must actually practice football. Generally speaking, there are coaches, right?  These are the self-declared fatherhood coaches, and what they are speaking of is obtaining a platform to enact their policies (and funding, of course).   Whatever these policies be, the “label” is “FATHERHOOD.”   I suggest that all reasonably minded fathers (and mothers) who are unaware of the extent and network of this system consider the impact of it on their bottom line, i.e., their wallets.  Because I assure us, the field is everexpanding, alongside “domestic Violence Advocates” (what — do they ADVOCATE for domestic violence?  Or just research it).  Between the two of them, and the courts — what’s left of any public benefit $$ is going to go the other direction.  Because once in the house, these birds (and I DO mean also the “battered women’s” side of the policy as well) will ONLY continue to expand.

One advantage is that the US Congress, and I’d still bet most state Congresses, are primarily male, in fact white male.  SO the chances that programs of this theme are not going to speak to their gut level sense of masculinity and what’s “right” with the world is slim.

For example, in or about 2000, the good citizens of Ohio — or at least their elected representatives — voted in a ‘FATHERHOOD COMMISSION.”  to find it, simply type in “http://Ohio.fatherhood.gov”     I linked to the “funding” page which summarizes.  Don’t neglect to click on “More” under the first link, where you will see a column of cool graphics & logos, such as:

And shows an entire range in which “fatherhood” can be inculcated, from Early Head Start (basically before they stop nursing) through college, including county government (cf.  “Board of County Commissioners”) recover groups, community action groups, et.    THere is NO area of life and human practice which couldn’t use more fatherhood training and promotion.  Being a long-term noncustodial mother, in large part because of my ignorance of the impact of these grant programs at the on the courts, locally —  I think that every one in the US should fund more of these (yeah, right).

Ohio Commission on Fatherhood Funded Programs

Funded Fatherhood Programs
The Ohio Commission on Fatherhood awards grants to exemplary fatherhood programs throughout the state of Ohio each biennium. The Ohio Commission on Fatherhood recently completed another round of fatherhood grants for 2010-2011. The Commission awarded grants to nine fatherhood programs located through out the state of Ohio in the amount of $1.5 million.  More>>
Fatherhood Regions
Fatherhood regions mirrors Ohio Department of Development regions. This map will reflect fatherhood programs, activities, fatherhood initiatives and resources within each region. More>>
Ohio County Fatherhood Initiative
On January 18th, the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood launched the Ohio County Fatherhood Initiative.   Eleven counties have been selected to participate in this pilot project.  The Ohio County Fatherhood Initiative is a six-month process during which county leaders identify specific needs in their county and develop a fatherhood action plan.  If your county would like to participate in a future training, submit the on-line form to be added to the waiting list.   More>>

Back to Public Strategies, Inc. (and its government-sponsored programs, such as how to collaborate with DV groups and make sure they aren’t too radical, such as actually advocating for complete separation where there has been ongoing criminal activity by one parent upon another, or the children — like ”

• Building Bridges Between Healthy Marriage, Responsible Fatherhood, and Domestic Violence Programs

These “Bridges” have indeed been built between fatherhood and DV programs so that their practices (and in great part, philosophies) are indistinguishable any more.  BOTH support more and more supervised visitation, trainings, and continue to conference on “best practices.”  BOTH (also a Duluth Model concept) assert that “Coordinated Community Response” = best response.  I don’t agree.  At all.  All this does is build bridges between agencies and a wall of difference between service providers and those served — two different classes and two different outlook.  Client v. service provider, not Human-to-human.

This list of “PSI” clients are well known (at least by name) to anyone looking into the grants and funding of the HHS-sponsored Healthy Marriage Movement; that is basically what the clients are.  Without these clients, PSI would not have a business, or would be one PR firm among many.

http://www.publicstrategies.com/default1.asp?ID=2

Government Agencies

• Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
Family Expectations, a program managed by Public Strategies was recently profiledby the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Family Assistance as one of the most successful Healthy Marriage programs in the country.

• Oklahoma Department of Human Services ( OK DHS)
• Oklahoma Association of Youth Services
• Oklahoma Department of Health
• Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs
• Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)
• Louisiana Department of Social Services
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission (TX HHSC)

Research Organizations

• Texas Tech University (TTU) – College of Human Sciences
• MDRC  (SEARCH MY BLOG)
• Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR)
• National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)
• Oklahoma State University (OSU) – Research and Graduate Studies

Nonprofit Organizations

• Annie E. Casey Foundation (AEC)
• Johnson Foundation
• The Dibble Institute
• It’s My Community Initiative (IMCI)
• Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP)
• Harding School of Fine Arts

Corporate Clients

• Lewin
• ICF
• Pal Tech
• Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP)
• Hill & Knowlton  (I read this client just bought PSI, one can check)

• Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA)

The “big guns” behind this firm, then, turn out to be either (a) federal funds or (b) foundations, primarily.  MDRC (I posted again recently on this one, under “will the real MPDI please stand up?”) — it’s huge…

So were these scholars, experts, and I suppose “practitioners” although the fastest way to practice “fatherhood” might just be to join the AFCC, and several I recognize.

OMI Research Advisory Group Members:

Paul Amato, PhD – Pennsylvania State University
Ronald B. Cox, Jr., PhD, CFLE – Oklahoma State University
Robin Dion, MS – Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.  (an organization that fulfils HHS, gov’t contracts and does research)
Kathryn Edin, PhD – Harvard University
David Fournier, PhD – Oklahoma State University
Norval Glenn, PhD – University of Texas
Sarah Halpern-Meekin, PhD – Bowling Green State [Ohio] University
Ron Haskins, PhD – Brookings Institution  {originator of the TItle IV-D / Access Visitation law which enables the research and demonstration element, and facilitates (increased, is the general idea) “noncustodial parent contact” through federal grants to the states.  1996ff.  These ARE “fatherhood” grants — they do not help mothers with visitation difficulties increase access, although the wording reads “parents.”  i.e., he is a central person in this mix…
Alan J. Hawkins, PhD- Pennsylvania State University
Pamela Jordan, PhD, RN, – University of Washington
Christine Johnson, PhD – Oklahoma State University
Howard Markman, PhD – University of Denver
Steve Nock, PhD – University of Virginia (Our colleague and friend passed away early in 2008)
Theodora Ooms, MSW – Center for Law and Social Policy
Galena K. Rhoades, PhD – University of Denver
Scott Stanley, PhD- University of Denver

OF THIS LIST, I’ll bet there is some AFCC, starting with Paul Amato

Dr. Amato is a Professor of Sociology, Demography, and Family Studies at Pennsylvania State University. His research interests include marital quality, the causes and consequences the causes and consequences of divorce, and subjective well-being over the life course.   ((If one is measuring subjective well-being, the research possibilities are endless, particularly if the target range is so narrowly defined as married and divorced people over a lifetime…))  He received the Reuben Hill Award from the National Council on Family Relations for the best published article on the family in 1993, 1999, and 2001. He received the Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award from the American Association of Family and Conciliation Courts in 2002, the Distinction in the Social Sciences Award from Pennsylvania State University in 2003, and the Distinguished Career Award from the Family Section of the American Sociological Association in 2006.

Ms. DION, of Mathematica, Inc. — a group I remember well because their label shows up on so many fatherhood studies:

     Ms. Dion (first of the 3 photos here) is a Research Psychologist at Mathematica Policy Research Inc., which has offices in Washington D.C. and Princeton, NJ. This widely respected research firm has conducted studies in health care, welfare, education, employment and nutrition. Robin is currently the Principal Investigator for a federally funded research project, Strengthening Families with a Child Born Out-of-Wedlock. The project grows out of the Fragile Families research project directed by Sara McLanahan (Princeton University, photo above) and Irwin Garfinkle (Columbia University).  [[who also, I believe, publish frequently with Ron Haskins, Ron Mincy, and others]]  “Sara McLanahan, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, studies the relationship between family structure, income, and child outcomes.”

Note Dr. McLanahan’s study emphasis, in part:  “he is the author of many articles and books including Fathers Under Fire: The Revolution in Child Support Enforcement (1998); Social Policies for Children (1996); Growing Up with a Single Parent (1994); Child Support and Child Wellbeing (1994); Child Support Assurance: Design Issues, Expected Impacts, and Political Barriers, as Seen from Wisconsin (1992); and Single Mothers and Their Children: A New American Dilemma (1986).  Her degree in Sociology is from Univ of Texas at Austin….  She also has published, and will continue to, with Ron Haskins.  Get the general idea?  (research, sociology, behavioral sciences, economic policy, etc.)  She’s a researcher.

Dr. McLanahan currently directs the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a nationally-representative longitudinal birth cohort study of approximately 5,000 families, including 3,700 unmarried parents and their children. The study is designed to shed light on the health and development of low-income children, the impact of family relationships and dynamics on child wellbeing, and the impact of social policies on family relationships and child wellbeing.

Dr. McLanahan is also editor-in-chief of The Future of Children, a policy journal on children’s issues produced by Princeton University and the Brookings Institution. The journal’s latest issue, “Fragile Families,” (Vol. 20, No. 2) is co-edited by Sara McLanahan, Irv Garfinkel, and Ronald Mincy. Upcoming issues include: “Immigrant Children (Vol. 21, No. 1) co-edited by Ron Haskins and Marta Tienda. (available in spring 2011), “Work and Family Balance,

Dr. Garfinkle (I recognize the name, but dont see it as much, somehow):

Irwin Garfinkel is the Mitchell I. Ginsberg Professor of Contemporary Urban Problems and co-director of the Columbia Population Research Center. A social worker and an economist by training, he has authored or co-authored over 150 scientific articles and eleven books **on poverty, income transfers, program evaluation, single parent families and child support, and the welfare state. His research on child support influenced legislation in Wisconsin and other American states, the US Congress, Great Britain, Australia, and Sweden. He is currently the co-principal investigator of the Fragile Families and Child Well being Study and is completing a book entitled The American Welfare State: Laggard or Leader?. . . . . .

**this is, of course, what social worker/economist Ph.D.s can do.  They write.  A LOT.  Their writing sometimes becomes policy…

Columbia has both the Population Research (Center) and the “Fathers, Children, and Family” (Center for Research on…), run by colleague Dr. Ronald D. Mincy.

Here they are in Wisconsin (2009) running a conference at the “IRP” or “Institute for Research on Poverty.”  Poverty is a pressing issue, therefore RESEARCHING IT (which can be quite profitable and professionally advantageous) is of course important work.    The idea being of course, to stop it.  Notice that in the word “Population” (Garfinkle’s center) or the title of the “CRFCFW” — no noun representing any group of females even exists, not even the word “mother.”  Mothers are IN these groups (Population, Families, and alas even some girls definitely not legal adults, i.e., they are CHILDREN) — but not mentioned.  Father acknowledges the male gender.  No word in there acknowledges the female gender — yet females are at least half the population in the U.S. and a bit more, and worldwide, unless something unnatural (genocide, war, or infanticide of female babies in certain cultures) has come in.  How close is this to “Adam must always have Eve at his side” or disaster will result to the world?   . . . . . .

Young Disadvantaged Men: Fathers, Families, Poverty, and Policy

September 2009, University of Wisconsin–Madison

This conference brought together scholars and policymakers to examine strategies for reducing barriers to marriage and father involvement, designing child support and other public policies to encourage the involvement of fathers, and coping with fathers who have multiple child support responsibilities.** Representatives of the Obama Administration were in Madison to respond to the ideas put forth at the conference.

**It’s a little hard to keep promoting the theory that children MUST wake up with a biological father in the home, when these children live in different homes.  This ignores the fact that women, as well as men, actually do remarry, or have new partners.   Or that sometimes they do not, and their children still succeed.  One example I can think of is — in Wisconsin — a state Rep!   Congresswoman Gwen Moore.

IRP hosted this working conference in coordination with the Center for Research on Fathers, Children and Family Well-Being and the Columbia Population Research Center, at Columbia University. Tim Smeeding, Ron Mincy, and Irv Garfinkelorganized the conference and co-edited a conference volume. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is also providing financial support for this conference.

COnferences are definitely not free, and if we are to properly study Poverty by studying Fathers, the United States HHS might as well get involved and contribute.  The institutes that organized this have their own funders, of course (Foundational, and most likely government) but extra help was needed for this conference, obviously.

Conference papers are available in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, Vol. 635 (May 2011): “Young Disadvantaged Men: Fathers, Families, Poverty, and Policy.” Special Editors Timothy M. Smeeding, Irwin Garfinkel, and Ronald E. Mincy.

Co-sponsoring contributors:

I BELIEVE THAT:

People who don’t appreciate the welfare state shouldn’t be living off it by promoting the practice of using welfare populations FOR that research, and conducting “demonstration” projects on them through institutions their poverty forces them to interact with, and which may have contributed to it.  One of the primary institutions that appears to have contributed to the wealth of some and the poverty of others is slavery.  While it was officially outlawed, it is obviously still practiced, a situation the US hasn’t come to terms with.  THe practice of slavery enabled many of the “founding fathers” to take time to write and research.  Others built their houses, cooked their food (bare their children) and tilled their fields.  Moreover, a middle range of management kept the field hands in place.

Probably this set of professionals can be viewed in these terms — they research and write upon the population and make sure that policy isn’t too radically different to enable more independence and more competition for commodities (food, work, materials, and sales, etc.). . . .  Some people mine the earth, or study the stars. Others mine DATA — and it takes time, money, and workers to collect, analyze and report on all that data.  MOreover it takes computers and an infrastructure where information can flow to and fro.  Hence, “Technical Assistance Grants” are so common.  In practice, except for the greater speed (and scope) perhaps it’s in many ways like farming. ….   First one gets access to the fields and somehow tills them (or SOME space where food can be grown).  Only problem — most of our population now (am I right?) is concentrated, and URBAN.  Hence the richest fields to mine are the urban poor, the urban violent, the urban oppressed (by . . . by what?). . and the urban don’t have access to clean water and food, or good schools.  It’s GREAT material to mine, and positioned right, one might end up at Columbia, Princeton, Harvard, or some Institute or Center of “higher” learning.

. . . continuing with Dr. Garfinkle’s research, and its impact:

 His research on child support influenced legislation in Wisconsin and other American states, the US Congress, Great Britain, Australia, and Sweden. He is currently the co-principal investigator of the Fragile Families and Child Well being Study and is completing a book entitled The American Welfare State: Laggard or Leader?

Dr. Charles Ballard, Ms. — or Mrs.? — Frances Ballard, nonrelative Farilyn Ballard of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, and here is another Ballard, “Valerie” — and this is the Northeast Texas Fatherhood Initiative (see Corporation Wiki link, there).  It shows only three people:    Valerie Ballard, Sheilah Tucker ,and Preston Mallone.

LinkedIn, Ms. Ballard (looks young!)

Valerie Ballard’s Experience

Executive Director North Texas Fatherhood Initiative

Nonprofit Organization Management industry

July 2009 – Present (2 years)

Executive Director for the Texas Healthy Marriage and Relationship Initiative (TexasHMRI) and North Texas Fatherhood Initiative (NTFI). Responsible for the strategic direction, leadership and capacity building; program development for TexasHMRI and NTFI. My role includes grant development and management, training and technical assistance and fiscal oversight to 50+ collaborative partners in the organization’s coalition.

(I found 80 in Texas under CFDA 93009 — most were small many were aimed at marriage, family & youth, such as:

Once these take root (cf.  “Alliance for North Texas…”) they tend to get watered; this went straight to almost $1 million ($900K) the second year….

In case you wondered about the name, the acronym is ‘ANTHEM’ but apparently the actual nonprofit? name is “Strong Families”

Strong Families Dallas
Alliance for North Texas Healthy Effective Marriages (ANTHEM)
1201 Elm street
Dallas, TX 75270

Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The program grant funds will be used to deliver marriage education services to 8,360 married and engaged couples and persons interested in marriage, 5,910 non-married expectant parents and 3,445 high school students over the project period. ANTHEM will also launch a public awareness campaign to reach all Dallas-area residents.

(I tend to look up addresses; here it is all in one):

1. Anthem Strong Families | Anthem Dallas

   Dallas Black Marriage Day. image. Anthem Strong Families. 12800 Hillcrest Road, Suite#A124 Dallas, TX 75230. Office: 214-426-0900. Fax: 214-426-0906 …
   http://www.anthemnorthtexas.org/index.php?option=com…id=1… – Cached

2. Providers in your area – Twogether in Texas  (another grants recipient)

   Alliance for North Texas Healthy Effective Marriages 12800 Hillcrest Road, Ste A124 Dallas,TX 75230 214-426-0900 twogether@anthemnorthtexas.org …
   http://www.twogetherintexas.com/UI/RIAddresses.aspx – Cached – Similar

3. Dallas TX computer system consultants | Find computer system …

   computer system consultants for Dallas TX, TX. … 2.9 mi; View Phone (214) 426- 0900;12800 Hillcrest Rd Ste 124, Dallas, TX 75230 map · more info | Enhance …
   directory.dallasnews.com/dallas–tx+tx/computer+system+consultants.zq.html – Cached

4. AllPages.com – Mental Health Specialists, Dallas, Yellow Pages …

   Business Types: Mental Health Specialists. Bowles Cosette Psychothrpst 12800 Hillcrest Road Suite 124. Dallas, TX 75230-1560. Phone: (972) 490-1556 …
   tx.allpages.com/dallas/health-medical/…/mental-health-specialists/ – Cached

5. YiPpIe! – Dallas Marriage & Family Counselors – Dallas, TX

   Gadol Irwin PhD 12800 Hillcrest Road Suite 224. Dallas, TX 75230 ….. S MD,8330 Meadow Road Suite 124,Dallas,TX,75231,(214)369-9236 Prestonwood Counseling …
   1499.yippie.biz/tx/dallas/ – Cached

It has no links programs targeted to mothers (I guess welfare is supposed tohandle that).  Why SHOULD it?  after all 93.086 is Healthy Marriage/Responsible Fatherhood — not motherhood.  Responsible Fathers will know how to keep the Moms in line, right?  And here is the “Strong Fathers” rhetoric, which definitely targets (negatively) single mothers — if all these are laid at our feet for not keeping a man in the home:

Growing up in a fatherless home has a big price.  Children from a fatherless home are:

• 5 times more likely to commit suicide
• 32 times more likely to run away
• 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders
• 14 times more likely to commit rape
• 9 times more likely to drop out of school
• 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances
• 9 times more likely to end up in a state-operated institution
• 20 times more likely to end up in prison

BUT THEN AGAIN, they also might end up in the White House, USA< where they can start more Fatherhood.gov programs (and a video linking to one is on the site).  Or at Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, or elsewhere, running research on the importance of fathers, and being very well recognized for it…

THIS is funded by the US Goverment, “OFA” OpDiv:

Strong Families Dallas

Strong Families Dallas (SFD) is the 5 year project awarded to Anthem Strong Families by the Federal Office of Family Assistance and funded through the Administration for Children and Families. The purpose of SFD is to offer free 8-12 hour fun, interactive relationship skill workshops to the people of Dallas.

Here is a 2011 “webinar transcript” (obviously partial) talking about this “HEALTHY MARRIAGE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH THE COURTS”

A bit more on this “ANTHEM” — which I was able to find (same grant, I gather) in USAspending.gov.  This find confirms the grant was taken from welfare funds:

• Total Dollars:$2,885,849
• Transactions:1 – 5 of 5 (of the two recipients, both were taking TANF funding to promote marriage).

Transaction Number # 1

Its  DUNS # is 360770486  (DUNS = “Dun & Bradstreet” trading#, used for groups contracting or getting grants from the US Gov’t as well; knowing this # can help search a single organization which goes under more than one name, a.k.a. FVPF, etc.)  It has no “State application ID” (SAI) # for what that’s worth.

The term “FE” on a grant — i.e., 90FE0072 seems to be code for “FATHERHOOD EDUCATION” (trust me, I’ve seen enough).   So whether or not it SAYS “marriage/family” on the front, the purpose is Fatherhood promotion.

this street address (googlemaps) is ? labeled opposite some “Institute of Metabolic Disease”

The Initiative above is likely a grants program (HHS, I’d guess), and I’ll bet that one or both are receiving access visitation grants from the Attorney General’s Office..  This is Dallas Fort-Worth area….  The NTFI resides at a college “Business Incubation Center” according to a news bulletin, it operates out of a college.

BUSINESS INCUBATION CENTER BUSINESS PROFILES March 2011

Bill J. Priest Campus of El Centro College Dallas County Community College District

1402 Corinth Street, Dallas, TX 75215, (214) 860-5851

The Dallas County Community College District officially opened the Business Incubation Center June 4, 1990. An integral part of the Bill J. Priest Campus, 1402 Corinth Street, Dallas, Texas, the Business Incubation Center has just over 30,000 square feet of space available for businesses located on site. Designed as a corporate headquarters facility, the Incubation Center offers cost-shared equipment and services for up to 50 small business owners.

The following is a profile of the businesses that are associated with Business Incubation Center as of March 2011.  (And on the list):

NORTH TEXAS FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE, Valerie Ballard, SUITE 123, (214) 884-7020: A regional partnership of community and faith-based agencies promoting responsible fatherhood by providing for male children, teens and adults educational workshops, mentoring, job skills assessments and training, counseling, household products and clothing. They also provide career counseling & job training for ex-offenders, assists families become [i.e., “in becoming”]…homeowners, and computer technology training for jailed offenders.

Check out the tie to the National Fatherhood Initiative, and grants solicitation, underneath the marriage education.

“…When you donate $125 on behalf of a family member, friend or yourself, we will create a memorial fund in honor of the recipient. Anyone may contribute to the memorial fund, at any time…All donations are tax deductible under our 501(C)3 non-profit organization. ”  and “The Why Knot? program is designed to help men develop a positive view of marriage. The National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) developed Why Knot? to help men understand the benefits of marriage…”  etc.

Well, let’s see….. where is this North Texas Fatherhood Initiative nonprofit registered?

http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/search.php

(So far — going to 4th search site — haven’t found anything “North Texas Fatherhood Initiative.”)

Texas Secretary of State

Apparently in Texas (and DNK where else) one may form an “Unincorporated Nonprofit Organization,” meaning, no registered agent:

Nonprofit Corporations: Not all non-profit organizations are filed with the Secretary of State. Many, but not all, non-profit organizations chose to incorporate. A nonprofit corporation is created by filing a certificate of formation with the secretary of state in accordance with the Texas Business Organizations Code (“BOC”). “Nonprofit corporation” means a corporation no part of the income of which is distributable to members, directors, or officers [BOC, Section 22.001(5)]. A nonprofit corporation may be created for any lawful purpose, or purposes permitted by the BOC. Not all nonprofit corporations are entitled to exemption from state or federal taxes.

Unincorporated Nonprofit Associations: Section 252.001 of the BOC defines an unincorporated nonprofit association as an unincorporated organization consisting of three or more members joined by mutual consent for a common, nonprofit purpose. All unincorporated nonprofit associations, whether or not the entities are tax exempt, are subject to the provisions of the Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act, Chapter 252 of the BOC. The Act addresses a limited number of major issues relating to nonprofit associations; namely, the authority of the nonprofit association to acquire, hold and transfer property in its own name; the authority to sue and be sued as a separate legal entity; and the contract and tort liability of an association’s officers and its members. If you need further information regarding these provisions or how they might affect your association, you should contact your own legal counsel.

An unincorporated nonprofit association may, but is not required to, file with the secretary of state a statement appointing an agent authorized to receive service of process on behalf of the nonprofit association. The filing of the statement does not represent the creation of the nonprofit association; it simply provides a method for a nonprofit association to receive notice of any lawsuit brought against it.

(one can also look at the 990s through these sites).

EIN:	113774629
Name:	Texas Healthy Marriage and Relationship Initiative — Google
Location:	PO Box 764274 Dallas, TX 75376
County:	Dallas County
Ruling Date:	2006   (Approximate year when founded)
IRS Type:	501(c)(3) – Public charity: Religious, educational, charitable, scientific, and literary organizations…
Legal basis for public charity or private foundation status (FNDNCD):	15 – Organization with a substantial portion of support from a governmental unit or the general public
NTEE:	P50 – Personal Social Services
Most recently completed fiscal year (TAXPER)	12/2009
Total Revenue	$67,520
Total Assets:	$9,811

For an idea just how popular the idea is of forming a corporation (profit or nonprofit) in the “healthy marriage” field, see this search:

(Corporation Wiki:  “Texas Healthy Marriage and Relationship Initiative“) (it pulls up similar titles in many other states.  Click on any and get a simple diagram of the Board of Directors — whether current or not is not my issue…  Probably taken from searching Secretary of State or IRS information)….This one has 5 people, including Ms. Ballard, above….

Apparently (per “TAGGS.hhs.gov”) this group got only a single $50K grant in 2006, and were up and running?  If they received any more federal funding after that, I haven’t found it yet (however, my database skills aren’t professionally trained….)…

To search USASPENDING.gov, one needs (or it’d help) a DUNS# which here, is 949423417

They are top-down (HHS) funded under healthy marriage.  Meanwhile, in TEXAS there is also a “Council on Family Violence” supposedly keeping some watch on the Healthy Marriage promotion so it doesn’t promote staying together for a healthy family and ending up in a homicide or other violence.   I imagine this ALSO is public funding, and it’s informative about the healthy marriage funding, too:   I notice, it reads:

Please note that Healthy Marriage programs do not provide intervention for couples undergoing serious marital or family problems and stresses, nor do these programs provide counseling. It could be potentially dangerous for an individual in an abusive relationship to participate in a healthy marriage program. The key is to do whatever is needed to ensure your safety and / or the safety of your children. There are services and resources available to assist with this issue. For help and information, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

The Board of Directors of THIS nonprofit (presumably) has a “Chief Executive Officer Emeritus” Sheryl Cates, who can be seen on the “Telling Amy’s Story” video referenced on the “Family Justice Center Alliance web pages, right underneath an interview with Casey Gwinn & Ellen Pence.  This video was produced from Penn State.  It’s a small world, I guess)

NOW THAT WE SEE AT LEAST IN TEXAS, COLORADO, OKLAHOMA AND WASHINGTON, A LOT OF “FATHERHOOD” IS “FEDERAL” THE QUESTION COMES UP — WHEN THE PROMOTION OF MARRIAGE & FATHERHOOD IS VOLUNTARY, HOW CAN PEOPLE BE PERSUADED TO CONSUME THE CLASSES, THEREBY CONTINUING TO JUSTIFY THE PROGRAMMING (WEBSITES, BOOTCAMPS, SEMINARS, BOOK SALES, ETC.)??

(I mean, after all, most healthy marriage program recipients are not judges, and so can’t just order it, like AFCC judges can.  And the research professionals are out researching and gathering the fatherhood data and running institutes and conferences (Columbia, Princeton, Harvard, Brookings,Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, etc.) so they are busy…)

Well, in March 2011, here is a nice webinar to explain some of the basics:

NATIONAL HEALTH MARRIAGE RESOURCE CENTER

Opportunities to Partner with the Courts Webinar….

The National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (NHMRC) will host a webinar entitled, Healthy Marriage Programs: Opportunities to Partner with Courts on Thursday, March 31, 2011 from 1:00 – 2:30pm (E.S.T.).

Courts deal with a range of people who could benefit from relationship education—couples filing for divorce, parents involved in the child support system, and youth who are processed for misdemeanors as well as felonies are among them. Some Healthy Marriage programs have developed fruitful partnerships with court administrators and/or judges to facilitate referrals. Speakers at this webinar will discuss the potential benefits of such partnerships, how they can be established, and how court-referred participants are profiting from Healthy Marriage program participation.

Webinar Speakers

Alicia Davis, J.D., Principal Court Management Consultant, National Center for State Courts, will discuss the types of cases that courts could refer to Healthy Marriage programs, how program managers can establish partnerships with the courts, and how approaches for forming these partnerships will vary by state.

Lynda Williams, Drug Court Coordinator, Dallas County, TX. will discuss the types of cases she refers to the ANTHEM Healthy Marriage program and why; how the referral process works; and the extent to which the Dallas County drug court finds this partnership beneficial.

Ann Bruce, Program Manager, Building Healthy Marriages, Weld County, CO., will discuss how her program’s partnership with the courts was formed, whether it is a significant referral source of participants, and the extent to which clients referred from the courts are a good match for the type of services that her program delivers.

Rich Batten, Program Manager, National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (NHMRC), will moderate this session.

I’m figuring this is probably the same Alicia Davis, J.D. a member of the Court Improvement Project Program  here:

Ms. Alicia Davis, J.D. Family Unit Supervisor, SCAO Colorado State Court Administrator’s Office 1300 Pennsylvania Street Denver, CO 80203

and others, such as various judges, and

Ms. Susan L. Blumberg, Ph.D. Child and Family Program Specialist Administration for Children and Families, Region 8 1961 Stout St. 9th floor Denver, CO 80294  {{relates to welfare & foster care, this link.  }}

Alicia Davis

Alicia Davis, Principal Court Management Consultant, has expertise in court-community collaboration, program development, data-sharing, child, family and probate law, and alternative dispute resolution.  {ADR  or “mediation,” essentially — is an AFCC hallmark)

Her education includes a J.D. from the S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, and a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Barbara in Spanish and English Literature.

Simply — as with Parenting Coordination, one simply needs to connect the dots — and teach Marriage Program Recipients how to match up their programs with the courts and prisons.

Another funds recipient from Arizona (Dr. Leo Godzich) has an organization that was at one point connected with a kill-the-gays movement in Uganda — while taking federal marrriage (a.k.a. fatherhood) monies.   And belongs to a mega-church.  And wrote this book:

Men and women are different. That probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you, but most couples are eventually surprised by it. To improve your relationship, you not only have to learn how to understand the differences between men and women, but how to enjoy discovering those differences on a daily basis for the rest of your lives.

((Let us teach you.  Buy the book!))

This is not a one-sided look at men or at women; it is a call to restore dignity in marriage by inspiring increased cooperation, a renewal in humility and personal responsibility while increasing joy and intimacy. Learn how to develop a vision for your marriage together, a mutual understanding of how magnificent it can be—and follow the practical steps you can take to make your marriage magnificent. Loaded with deep and engaging insights, these exciting explanations will help you realize how to turn resentment to rejoicing, tension to togetherness, confusion to commitment, and loneliness to loveliness.

This book is a sometimes stunning, always inspiring, and frequently funny examination of how men and women differ—and how to celebrate those differences to make a marriage that fulfills its purposes, and models a healthy marriage relationship to other

Yes, this was money taken from TANF, or welfare, as another database shows:

This funding began in 2006.  FOr a comparison, in 2006, the same group contributed to opposing same-sex marriage in Arizona, under “NAME” — meaning it was taking from TANF for political activity:

PROTECT MARRIAGE ARIZONA C-02-2006 (ANTI-GAY)
The National Association of Marriage Enhancement
13422 N Cave Creek Rd, Ste 3
Phoenix, AZ 85022
05/16/06 – $5,000.00 – Cash – Filed: 06/30/06
10/17/07 – $2,000.00 – Cash – Filed: 06/16/08

And in 2008, they helped organize a marriage conference in Uganda:

Sunday, 14th September, 2008

E-mail article Print article

By Joyce Namutebi DR. Martin Ssempa, a pastor at Makerere Community Church, has received an award for his fight against homosexuality. Ssempa and his wife Tracey received the plague from Apostle Alex Mitala, the overseer of the National Fellowship of Born Again Churches in Uganda. This was during the “Great Marriage Celebration” organised by the National Association of Marriage Enhancement in conjunction with the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches in Uganda at Nakivubo Stadium over the weekend. Mitala led hundreds of couples who converged at the stadium from various parts of the country into a prayer for Ssempa to continue being the torch-bearer in the fight against the vice in Uganda.

Just for the record, this organization was likely registered at all to received HHS Healthy Marriage Funds….  This is Ssempa supporting the infamous “kill-the-gays” legislation.

(ARTICLE IS FEB 2010; as far as I know, this bill is still “live” in Uganda….)  Since October of last year, Uganda has been the focus of international attention due to a proposal in their Parliament which would ban homosexual behavior of any kind via the death penalty for HIV people who engage in homosexual behavior and life in prison for others who attempt such behavior. One of the chief supporters of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill has been Martin Ssempa, a pastor in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala and well-known among Western evangelicals. Rev. Ssempa this week has called for a “million man march” which he hopes will bring large crowds out to support the harsh legislation. In addition, Ssempa has organized several news conferences in order to rally support among Ugandans for the bill.

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 (click here for full text) would make any homosexual contact subject to life in prison, or even death if the participants are HIV positive. Those who know of homosexuals but do not report this information to the police could face fines and jail time. No exceptions are made for clergy or health care professionals.

 

So glad to know that HHS has discretion in WHO gets the marriage funding….NAME did.  In case you are wondering what they might be doing in Uganda, it seems that world wide travel on behalf of helping reduce the welfare caseload in the USA and help poor fatherless children HERE, this appears to be a conference schedule, UNDER this nonprofit organization, and for marriage education.  Wouldn’t you like to see the tax return?  Although it says “NATIONAL” clearly “INTERnational is meant…”

I clicked under “MEETINGS” and found quite the list of locales:

heck out some of the upcoming speaking engagements of Dr. Leo and Molly Godzich. If there is one in your area, we hope to see you there! If you would like to schedule a Together Forever Weekend or Pastor Leo for a sunday, please call our office 602-404-2600.

June 19
Bologna, Italy
La Parola Della Grazia

June 26
Torino, Italy
Chiesa Evangelica Internazionale

July 2-3
Alicante, Spain
Iglesia Rio de Vida

July 10
Paris, France
Charisma Eglise Chretienne

July 15-17
Irvine, Scotland
Bridge Church

August 19-20
Cincinnati, OH
Towne Worship Center

September 2-3
Harrison, OH
Church on Fire

September 6-10
Lima, Peru
Conferencia Salvemos a la Familia

September 22-24
Phoenix, AZ
International Marriage Conference

and back to Tennessee for September 28-October 1
Nashville, TN
AACC World Conference (that’s American Association of Christian Counselors).

THIS LINK (with youtube) ADVERTISES how there should be a NAME Center in your church — or community (i.e., advertising)

and apparently many churches said “Yes!” to Goodzich and joined the ‘war on divorce’ — such as at THIS link:

And they also rescue pastors:

(granted, this seems to be before the marriage funding began from HHS):  “In 2003, Pastor Leo and Molly Godzich started the Pastoral Rescue Center. It was founded on the idea: “how can pastors lead people when they cannot lead their own home.” Pastors’ marriages often go through struggling seasons like anyone else, but the predicament is they do not know who they can talk to. Where do they go for help? What will happen if members of the congregation find out that their home life is falling apart?

{{Not to worry.  Most congregations are still pre-occuppied with not noticing and not reporting or, in fact, doing anything to stop domestic violence and child abuse among the “saints.”  Keep the smiles on, keep the music playing, the tithes will keep coming}}

NAME responded to this thought by expanding its ministry (=expanded the scope of its business) to target pastors and church leaders. The pastoral rescue center has been able to restore so many marriages from divorce in complete confidentiality. The NAME headquarters is located in Phoenix, AZ so many pastors come and stay in a hotel while having secret counseling appointments, or they have call in appointements to the headquarter office

But the concept does rather bring one to the relationship between Pastor Leo and the disgraced (?) John Hagee.  It’s a bit hard to find information on this not laced with theology, but one blog notes (of Hagee) — in context, this is about Marriage Enhancement —

John Hagee was the leader of the charismatic {i.e., pentecostal} Trinity Church in 1975 and was the father of two children.

John Hagee had an adulterous affair with a woman and admitted to immorality in front of his church.

Pastor John Hagee then divorced the mother of his two children and married a younger woman (Diana Castro, now Diana Hagee) from that same congregation. Pastor John Hagee willfully abused his position of trust and power to take advantage of a younger gullible woman and cheat on his wife.

(not exactly something new under the son, however…..)

So what happened after John Hagee admitted to cheating and abusing his power? Did he repent and pursue becoming a better person and living a life based on Biblical principles? Did people stop following his ministry? The answers are very obvious. John Hagee married the woman he cheated on his wife with and immediately became the pastor of another congregation- the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio Texas.

Pastor John Hagee went on to push his evangelical, speaking in tongues Cornerstone Church into becoming a megachurch that televises his weekly sermons. Nor did he do so for free.

If you visit the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas or watch Pastor John Hagee on his television show, you will see him perched on top of an enormous white and blue throne watching his massive choir or jazz band. When they finish, John Hagee will approach the pulpit for his favorite time of the week- tithe time! Pastor John Hagee has his congregation members raise their money towards the sky and repeat after him “Give and it shall be given.” He then instructs his audience that “When you give, it ualifies you to receive God’s abundance. If God gives to you before you give to him, God himself will becom a liar… If you’re not prospering it’s because you’re not GIVING!” Contained in those few sentences is everything that is unscriptural and wrong with the New-Age “Prosperity Message” pushed on gullible congregations by megachurch pastors nationwide.

Pastor John Hagee – Cornerstone Church Ministry, Heresy, Divorce & Dirty Deeds

“All hurricanes are acts of God because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that.” – John Hagee

Of course that predates the male prostitute scandal.   “Haggard, 52, resigned as president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals and was fired from New Life Church amid allegations that he paid a male prostitute for sex and used methamphetamine. ….

As part of a severance package with his former church, Haggard agreed to leave Colorado Springs for a period and not speak publicly about the scandal, church officials said at the time. But he never really disappeared, making news when he relocated his family to Arizona and solicited financial support in an e-mail.

One restoration team member, H.B. London, said a return to vocational ministry in less than four or five years would be dangerous for Haggard, his family, former church and Colorado Springs.

“To sit on the sidelines for a person with that kind of personality {ego/greed/drive/lust, etc.) and gifting is probably like being paralyzed,” said London, who counsels pastors through a division of Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs-based conservative Christian group. “If Mr. Haggard and others like him feel like they have a call from God, they rationalize that their behavior does not change that call.”

Haggard, who declined to be interviewed, is not the first fallen evangelical figure to agree to oversight and then balk. In the late 1980s, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart confessed to liaisons with a prostitute, begged forgiveness and submitted to the Assemblies of God, his denomination. Swaggart was ordered not to preach for a year, but resumed broadcasts after a few weeks and was defrocked.

* * * *  Haggard’s support system includes Leo Godzich, who runs a Phoenix-based marriage ministry and said he met with Haggard at least once a week for more than a year. Godzich said Haggard remains committed to restoration, has paid a high price and still has much to offer. * * * *

“If all men are honest, all men are liars and deceivers,” Godzich said. “Once someone is gifted and called, that is something they generally cannot escape. They will be used in that regard again.”

Yes, this is definitely a type of religion  that believes in USING people — God uses people, and so do they.  SO what’s wrong with that, eh???

And NAME ave opened many marriage centers, particularly in churches.  THIS list (see site) is huge, and a bit disturbing only partial listing here:

NOt the best post, but did I make my point about WHO is paying for Fatherhood Funds — and who knows what is being done with them?

Just remember that, and check the US Congress “House Ways and Means Committee” to track the next installments.

Happy Fatherhood Day; Be well and prosper ….