For many years, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children (OBHC) has been the largest provider of private, not-for-profit, residential childcare in the state. As affiliates of the Oklahoma Baptists, both work together to assist 1,700 Oklahoma churches with their childcare and family support ministries. In August 2024, Gerald Peters became the Director of Foster Care for OBHC and sought to help churches promote their foster care ministries.
“When I stepped into the role and this important work that OBHC and Teri Blanton began, what I decided was I wanted to mobilize local churches,” said Peters. “We want the local church to understand what [foster care] is, and that it’s a statewide need, but it’s also an ‘in your church’ need.”
In the past year, Peters and OBHC have been working to raise awareness about the various needs of their families and children and give them ways to address those needs.
“All it requires is that church having that vision and having that heart,” said Peters. “We’ll come alongside them, and we’ll show them, help them figure out what’s the path and how can they get there.”
Their efforts have been fruitful as numerous churches have either started new foster care ministries or have given more attention to previously created programs.
Dewar, First was one of the churches that reached out to Peters and asked about starting a foster care and adoption ministry. During their conversations, one topic that came up was about starting a bed ministry, a program where churches construct beds for families that don’t have them or are unable to afford them. Peters partnered Dewar, First with the ReNew Hope Bed Ministry from Bethel Acres, New Hope to help them create a bed ministry program.
Another church, Goldsby Church, has been heavily promoting foster care through their program, Fostering Hope. This program provides trauma informed training, weekly small groups for foster or adoptive and kinship parents, a clothing closet and other services. The clothing closet, called Blessing Box, has been successful so far with over 70 requests being made to pick up clothing from the ministry.
Most churches have the capability to start these kinds of programs, but they’re just sometimes not aware of how to help.
“They want to help, they’re willing to help. They just don’t know how,” said Peters. “Some churches don’t even realize the number of resource families, foster and adoptive families that already exist in their church because those families don’t speak up a lot of times and they don’t ask for help,” added Peters.
The process of adopting children is only the first step for most families, after that they have to find ways to provide for the child and programs like those mentioned help out in those areas. As followers of Christ, we are called to support and provide for those in the Church who need help.
“I think the support from the church is the game changer,” Peters said. “It’s what keeps people fostering. We know that the number of people fostering, when they’ve got support from the church, goes up dramatically. It’s the same thing for adoptive families.”
Every single church has the capacity to contribute to foster care. OBHC is there to help churches with foster and family care, all they need to do is ask and have the willing heart to put in the work.
“So however the church wants to serve, tell us what your vision is,” said Peters. “What is your vision? Who do you want to serve? How do you want to serve them? Let us know and we’ll help you get there.”
For more information about OBHC foster care programs, visit obhc.org/ministries.
