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A common concern is that the government might require faith-based groups to set aside the life-changing religious component of their work. As one of the leaders of these groups says, "If government wants the power drill without the juice, the deal's off!"

Government contracts for welfare services were first opened to qualifying faith-based organizations through the charitable-choice provision of the 1996 welfare reform law.

While the opportunity is perceived by some as a devilish trade of cash for compromised character, a closer look at the law's provisions shows it to be broadly protective, largely underused, and poorly understood, says Stanley Carlson-Thies, director of social policy studies at the Center for Public Justice (www.cpjustice.org).

Charitable choice protects the rights of government-funded faith communities to hire and fire employees using religious criteria, to maintain religious surroundings, and to evangelize and disciple welfare recipients, says Carlson-Thies. But charities cannot pay for worship services or proselytization with federal funding, discriminate or refuse to serve welfare recipients on the basis of race or creed, or force beneficiaries to participate in religious activities without furnishing an alternative.

"If you've contracted and agreed to give job training, you have to give that and not divert that money to evangelism. And while you may argue correctly that someone's biggest hurdle in getting a job is a spiritual crisis and they need to get saved, government can't pay for this," Carlson-Thies said. "If while learning to prepare a résumé someone indicates a spiritual hunger, on the other hand, you can respond to that after class, but you can't require people to sit through preaching or prayer."

"The religious component is not just part of our program; it's the heart of the program," said Dave Batty of Teen Challenge's Brooklyn branch. "We don't treat drugs as the major problem. We introduce men and women to a whole new way of living, to a relationship with Jesus Christ."

Loyalty to this mission has its costs, says Batty, who carries on the legendary tradition of Teen Challenge's original base. The ministry's donor list, which grew with founder and evangelist David Wilkerson's success 40 years ago, has shrunk as the Teen Challenge model has spread, and dispersed donors, to 336 cities worldwide.

Yet Batty is optimistic: "I think a huge majority of Americans would be in favor of funding us if they compared our success rate to the abysmal failure of government drug and alcohol programs that have drained millions of their dollars in tax money."

Today, none of the 156 Teen Challenge centers in America receive government funds, and a vocal segment of Teen Challenge directors are suspicious of entanglements, says David Scotch, accreditation coordinator at the national headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.

But most directors would gladly receive government funds in separate accounts for more clearly protected aspects of their programs, he says.

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April 2 2001, Vol. 45, No. 5