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November 12, 2001
SALVATION ARMY RESCINDS DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFIT POLICY
Dear AFA Action Alert Team,
Earlier today I sent an AFA Action Alert that urged you to contact Commander Busby of The Salvation Army and express your shock that they would the extend health benefits to the sex partners of its homosexual employees and thus support unbiblical changes in family structure rather than upholding the New Testament definition of family. I also requested that you join us in praying that God would use our collective contacts with the Salvation Army to change their heart on this vital matter. <http://www.afa.net/activism/aa111201.asp>
I am pleased to bring you good news regarding a decision from The Salvation Army to rescind its policy allowing the extension of health benefits to the sex partners of its homosexual employees. The Salvation Army, well-known for helping society's hungry and poor, announced the policy change in a statement issued today. We are extremely happy that The Salvation Army has rescinded this policy, because it had caused great confusion and consternation within the Christian community in the United States.
Numerous Christian and pro-family groups were stunned to discover over the last two weeks that The Salvation Army's Western Corporation, encompassing 13 states, had decided to begin extending domestic partner benefits to the same-sex partners of its homosexual employees. That corporation had done so after the national 5-person Commissioners' Conference had voted to allow the four regional organizations to decide for themselves about the policy change.
The new statement says any review of The Salvation Army's health benefit policy "has always centered on service to people and we deeply regret the perception that the Commissioners' Conference surrendered any biblical principles in making the original decision. Today, November 12, 2001, the Commissioners' Conference established a national policy to extend health benefit access to an employee's spouse and dependent children only."
Thank you for your good actions! Together, and with God's help, we have made a difference!
For our families,
Donald E. Wildmon AFA President
ACTION NEEDED
Please contact Commander Busby of The Salvation Army and thank him for supporting the New Testament definition of family by the decision to rescind a policy allowing the extension of health benefits to the sex partners of its homosexual employees.
Let's also give thanks to God for answering our collective prayers by changing the heart of The Salvation Army on this vital matter.
The Salvation Army National Headquarters Commissioner John Busby National Commander 615 Slaters Lane P.O. Box 269 Alexandria, VA 22313 Telephone: (703) 684-5500 Fax: (703) 684-3478 Email: <SA_Information at usn.salvationarmy.org>