Locations: Fayetteville
Phone: 479-531-1631
Website: http://www.ubcfayetteville.org/the-james-initiative/
Mission: Encouraging and empowering the local church to care for and look after the orphan
About: The name of the organization comes from James 1:27, "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." (NIV). The founders, Ben and Carrie Butler, are local North West Arkansas who (after adopting from Ethiopia) felt the Holy Spirit pressing in on them to do more towards God's mandate of caring for the over 168 Million orphans if the world.
The James Initiative exists to empower the local Church to care for the orphans of the world. Our job is to connect the needs of the orphan with the time, talent, resources, and influences of NWA believers in a sustainable way. We have led medical, dental, and service trips to Ethiopia to assist great organizations caring for street children, business training courses to inspire Christ-like business practices, and construction trips to help with our sustainability efforts. To enhance the money raised, the James Initiative started the Bethel Guest Home in Ethiopia. All profits go to supporting like-minded Ethiopian organizations caring for their orphans.
The organization is locally run via volunteer efforts by the board of directors, their families and supporters. The James Initiative (through its guest home) employees 14 Ethiopians, helping to provide local economy and break the poverty cycle.
Services: Financial support to like-minded organizations caring for orphan and street children in Ethiopia, Christ-like business principles and training for Ethiopian business leaders, job opportunities via the guest home.
Volunteer Opportunities: There are three main ways to plug in:
(1) Pray for our organization and the people of Ethiopia to be transformed by the Gospel (which will bring about lasting change for the orphan crisis).
(2) Go with us on our volunteer trips to engage in medical, dental, construction ministry for the local children in need.
(3) Give of your time, talent, resources (financial and other), and influence.
