“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
— James 1:27
In May of 2000, Senior Pastor Kenneth Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, Washington preached on the ‘parable of the talents’ in Matthew 25: 14-30. He stated, “God has entrusted much responsibility to His servants but that many of us don’t make the most of what we’ve received because of fear of failure or out of laziness…and that there are serious consequences in failing to make the most of what you’ve received.” Following the sermon, each child aged 5–17 years old was given $5 and each adult congregant was given $10. The church distributed $16,000 to those in attendance that Sunday. Attendees were then instructed to pray about what to do with their money and put their plan into action. Seven months later, at Christmas, the church asked for a return on their investment – collecting a miraculous total of $280,000 from the congregation. That money established Antioch Adoptions.
Antioch Adoptions is a non-profit Christian agency in Washington and Arizona with the goal of making family a reality for every foster child currently on the path to adoption. Since its establishment in 2000, Antioch Adoptions has finalized over 500 fee-free adoptions. There are currently 2,803 children on the path to adoption in Washington State.
Antioch Adoptions assists Christian parents and families with services that range from foster care licensing to adoption plans and even adoption finalization. For over 24 years, this Christ-centered organization has been an integral part of finding “forever homes” for foster children. Why is that significant? Because foster children need and deserve the stability that can only be provided in a loving home. Foster children that ‘age out’ – not finding placement before becoming an adult – face difficult consequences, including:
- 20% will be instantly homeless;
- 25% will not graduate from high school;
- 60% will become child sex trafficking victims;
- 60% of males will be convicted of a crime; and
- 70% of females will become pregnant by the age of 21.
Antioch Adoptions focuses their foster care placements on permanency. At the time of placement, the decision to adopt has already been determined by the foster/adoptive parents. Antioch places children into loving, Christian homes. Children in foster care have often suffered some form of abuse and neglect. These children may be older, have physical and/or emotional challenges, or are part of a sibling group. Families are selected with the understanding that they are entering into a sacrificial mission field, not just growing a family.
Antioch Adoptions also builds families and relationships through their Private Adoption Program. The goal for the birth family and the adoptive parents is the same – successful completion of an adoptive plan where a relationship is built between the birth family and the adoptive family who both share love for their child. Caseloads are purposefully kept small in order to provide individualized attention to needs that may arise during the adoption process.
In addition to foster placements and adoptions, Antioch Adoptions also offers support for unplanned pregnancies. They provide compassionate mentoring before, during and after the birth of the baby – helping women understand all their choices honestly and accurately.
Since their inception, Antioch Adoptions has stood firmly in refusing to accept federal or state funds. Today, they continue offering all adoption services fee-free to families. Financial support comes strictly from its supporters, including churches, private grants and corporations. Receiving state or federal funding would force them to place children in non-Christian homes and non-traditional relationships. As a biblically based organization, Antioch Adoptions believes that children grow-up best when placed in a home with both a father and a mother.
Executive Director Zeke Bambolo, Jr., Regional Director Jynger Pleasant, Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator Patricia Hutcherson (founder with her late husband, Pastor Kenneth Hutcherson), Development Coordinator Sheryl Bullard, Placement Coordinator and Program Manager Tammie Paul and the rest of the Antioch Adoptions staff are all Christ-centered. Their work is the very definition of sacrificial love in action.
The team works side by side with churches across Washington state as a partner in ministry. Here are some ways your church can help:
- Invite Antioch Adoptions to share information about their ministry with your church;
- Host an informational meeting facilitated by Antioch Adoptions;
- Educate church staff on the challenges faced by foster families;
- Facilitate a foster care support group; and
- Consider adding Antioch Adoptions to your monthly charitable donations budget.
With abortion advocates unabashedly pushing their agenda across Washington state, supporting alternatives, like the adoption services offered by Antioch Adoptions, is one-way Christians can take a Pro-Life stance. To find out more about Antioch Adoptions or to make a donation, please click HERE.
