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Little-bit Christians
GA04035
June 28, 2004

Little-bit Christians

Habitat founder points out God's gospel mandate to do more

by Eva Stimson

RICHMOND, June 28 - "Everybody who is made in God's image should have a
decent place to live."

That is the vision behind Habitat for Humanity International, the world's
largest Christian housing ministry. And that was the uncompromising message
delivered by Millard Fuller, Habitat's founder and president, to nearly 1,000
Presbyterians at this year's General Assembly breakfast.

A natural entrepreneur, Fuller was a self-made millionaire by age 29. But
then his life fell apart. After much soul-searching, he and his wife decided
to sell all their possessions, give the money to the poor, and devote their
lives to Christian service. Habitat was one result of that commitment.

Fuller began his Assembly speech by presenting plaques to the Rev. Clifton
Kirkpatrick, the stated clerk of the Assembly, and to Moderator Rick
Ufford-Chase, thanking Presbyterian congregations for their strong
involvement in Habitat ministries. He noted that the Presbyterian Church
(USA) and the United Methodist Church are Habitat's largest supporters.

But before the back-slapping could begin, he shifted gears.

He noted that, every year, three times as many million-dollar houses are
built in the United States as Habitat houses. And many of those luxurious
houses are being built for Presbyterians.

"We could build 300,000 Habitat houses with the money spent per year on
million-dollar houses in the United States," he said.

Habitat builds about 5,000 houses in the United States each year.

Fuller told about visiting the home of one of the largest Habitat donors, in
a town in Florida. Local Habitat officials were excited because this man had
contributed $1,000. But he had spent $30 million on his own home, which was
still under construction.

Fuller said this donor was like the rich man in Jesus' story of the rich man
and Lazarus in Luke 16. He wasn't completely unconcerned about the poor, he
said, like the man in the gospel who gave token assistance to Lazarus by
throwing crumbs over the fence.

"But crumb-giving doesn't do it," he said.

"There's a huge problem facing the Presbyterian Church and the church of
Jesus Christ," he continued. "We live in the lap of great affluence - and the
Bible has a lot to say about that."

So often, he said, church meetings like General Assemblies "spend a lot of
time majoring in minors" rather than focusing on the major themes of the
Bible, he said. But "God has given us the mandate to do more than throw
crumbs over the fence."

During a post-breakfast press conference, Fuller said more than 5 million
U.S. families are without decent, affordable housing.

At the same time, he said, "Some people are over-building, to the detriment
of those who don't have anything."

Fuller recalled that he'd raised this issue once with a group of students at
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, asking them, "At what point is a house too
big?"

After a moment, a voice from the back of the room said, "When it's bigger
than my house!"

Asked about the size of his own house, Fuller said he and his wife lived for
20 years in Americus, GA, in a 700-square-foot home without air conditioning,
but in 1996 he gave in to his wife's request for a home that was more
"grandchildren-friendly." He said they now live in a 2,000-square-foot house
on four acres of land - with air conditioning.

This story and many others may have photos, media, video clips that can be
found at http://www.pcusa.org/ga216/.

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