A seed in good soil

Ministry | On a golden anniversary, Teen Challenge grows as political plants choke amid thorns | Marvin Olasky

A summer irony: As Teen Challenge celebrated its 50th anniversary with a June 25-28 conference in Manhattan, pundits were proclaiming the demise of President George W. Bush's faith-based initiative. The juxtaposition is sadly amusing because the faith-based initiative really began with Gov. Bush's taking the side of Teen Challenge of South Texas in 1995.

At that time Texas state officials tried to pull Teen Challenge's license because its counselors used a "give yourself to Jesus" approach to fighting alcoholism and addiction rather than a secular one. Bush—alerted by a WORLD cover story on the dispute—sided with Teen Challenge's record of effectiveness, and went on to develop programs and push legislation that removed barriers to religious programs.

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July 12, 2008, Vol. 23, No. 14

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