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Fuller recognizes that the board is yearning for a different kind of leader: "Habitat has been a movement, and I still see it as one. But that is messy, and our professional board members want a neat, crisp, clean business. That does create conflict."

The culture change goes beyond management style, Fuller contends, to a shift in spiritual emphasis.

"We've overloaded the board with 'money' people, all of whom are nominal Christians, but many of whom are not spiritually grounded," said Millard Fuller. "Some seem put off by my overt declaration of Jesus."

Fighting for reinstatement
Habitat spokesmen would not respond directly to these assertions, but the organization's church relations director, Rick Beech, said the firing was a personnel matter, not a difference over Christian identity.

"Habitat is and continues to be a Christian ministry," Beech said. "We do not hide this in our literature or communications, we start construction work days with devotions, and we present Bibles to homeowners as a witness to Jesus Christ."

The last chapter may not be written. A group of Habitat for Humanity affiliates around the country has banded together to form Habitat Partners. The day after the announcement of the firing, the group sent letters to all 1,700 U.S. affiliates asking that they support Millard Fuller's reinstatement, and established a website (http://www.habitatpartnersunite.com/) to coordinate action.

Chris Clarke, Habitat's senior vice president of communications, told CT that "there doesn't seem to be the groundswell the Fullers were expecting."

The website had 3,000 visitors and 100,000 hits in the first three days, and the petition has more than 1,260 signatures, many with fiery comments.

"The number of people who are supporting the petition, and their comments, are humbling," Millard Fuller told CT. "I am so encouraged, and I don't understand how the board could remain silent and unmoved."

The organizers are more devastated than angry.

Speaking from a Habitat building site in Westchester County, New York, local Habitat director Jim Killoran explained, "I don't have animosity for anyone who made the decision, but I want everyone to pray, to recommit to building more and more homes, and to reinstate Millard. God has used Millard Fuller and he is an inspiration to us."

David Snell, secretary of Habitat's Colorado affiliate, started the dissident movement.

"While we would like to see the numbers move higher more quickly, we continue to be encouraged," Snell said. "We now have signatures from 25 countries, and we expect to see a large increase this week as we get information to more people and countries."

While Habitat building sites were buzzing with the news over the weekend, and about 150 people rallied for the Fullers' reinstatement in an Americus park, Millard and Linda Fuller met Saturday with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter to discuss the board's action.

Snell admits that he doesn't know what will become of their effort.

"Habitat folks are good Christians and not real confrontational," he said. "They've been presented with a situation that many are clearly unhappy with, but don't quite know how to handle. This is now in the hands of the Lord, the affiliates, and the volunteers."

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February (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49