World Vision reverses gay marriage decision

UPDATE (5:05 p.m.): World Vision U.S. released a statement (see below) this afternoon confirming it has reversed its decision to allow its American branch to hire employees in same-sex marriages: “The board acknowledged it made a mistake and chose to revert to our longstanding policy requiring sexual abstinence for all single employees and faithfulness within the Biblical covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. … We are brokenhearted over the pain and confusion we have caused many of our friends, who saw this decision as a reversal of our strong commitment to Biblical authority.”

WORLD will continue to follow this developing story.

OUR EARLIER REPORT: Less than two days after international poverty ministry World Vision announced it would allow its American branch to hire employees in same-sex marriages, the Christian group is reportedly set to reverse its decision.

World Vision U.S. board member Stephen Hayner, president of Columbia Theological Seminary, replied to an email inquiry from WORLD this afternoon concerning the outcry from evangelicals over the original decision: “The Board of World Vision is just concluding a meeting and will be releasing a statement shortly reversing the decision that was made. It was never the intention of the Board to undermine our firm commitment to the authority of the Scripture.”

Over the past two days, many major Christian leaders, churches, and evangelical bloggers had responded with shock and dismay over the group’s decision to embrace the unbiblical practice, and some Christians had wondered whether they could continue supporting the group’s popular child sponsorship program.

WORLD will continue to follow this development, and report more if World Vision releases a statement confirming the decision.

Listen to Nick Eicher and John Stonestreet discuss World Vision’s reversal on The World and Everything in It: