Statement of What?

And so it begins.

Well I think we are officially in the process of adopting a child! Melissa (I’ll just use M from now on) contacted Bethany and signed us up for a presentation/meeting thingamagiggy next week. On top of that, the paperwork has begun. Now, I officially have too many projects going on at the same time, and I’m not even including the mish-mash of projects at work.

I’ve got a half weeded flowerbed (it’s a huge bed, so it takes a good 8 hours to clean it up once, especially if I don’t use chemicals or I neglect it for 18 months). I’ve got a bunch of strategically arranged 2X4s and iron rods awaiting the delivery of concrete tomorrow. I’ve got another area along the house cleared out awaiting new shrubs and hopefully decorative stone. Ok, one more – I’ve got 2 more windows to replace in the house in order to say we’ve officially got all new windows.

But judging by the info included in “The Packet”, I’m pretty darn sure I’ll be able to finish all those projects before we become parents. Oh, and that includes the fact that my parents are moving after having lived in the same house for 30 years. I’m sure that will be an interesting adventure for all four of us boys and girls. Yikes!

So, while M has yet to return from a meeting at church, I figured I better sit down and review what she’s got filled out so far. You might be wondering what the first steps are. Here’s one of my famous lists (get used to it) – I’ll stop at and comment on the step we’re completing now:

1) Get “The Packet”
2) Read “The Packet”
3) Pray your butt off because of what you learned in “The Packet”
4) Make an appointment for a scheduled Bethany presentation.
5a) Fill out a “Preliminary Adoption Application.”
5b) Sign a prepared “Statement of Faith.”
5c) Prepare your own “Statement of Faith.”

Yup, a statement of faith. To be more precise, the canned form includes a series of statements. When I first learned that this was the case, I must admit a smidgen of worry came over me. I am a Christian dude, and have been for quite some time. While I don’t believe anything particularly radical, there are a few key areas where my own beliefs differ from those of the typical Christian, as well as those of the typical Moravian – the particular flavor of which I am a member. Not sure if a “for instance” is in order, as I’ve said this blog is about my adoption experience. But, let’s just say I’ve had my share of Christians of all sorts peg me as pretty far to either extreme – which means I’m pretty hart to peg down, and I’d like it to stay that way!

Much to my relief, the Statement of Faith turns out to be exactly that. It’s anything but generic or wish-washy, but it is NOT a statement of belief. In other words, in order to adopt via Bethany Christian Services, I only need profess my Faith in Christ as the one true Savior. There’s nothing in the statement about Pastoral delineation, infant Baptism, pipe organs, or even whether it’s supposed to be called a graveyard or cemetery (Moravians will know where that one comes from).

Nothing in the statement should be the least bit objectionable to any Christian, whether Catholic, Lutheran, Mennonite, or Messianic Jew. I guess that’s the point – Bethany appears to be an ecumenical organization, which quite frankly, equates just fine with my own POV. Now that I’ve accepted the organization’s statement, I’ll need to write up a personal version – more on that next time.