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Mercy Ministries was founded in 1983 by Nancy Alcorn who had previously worked for eight years at the [[Tennessee Department of Correction|Tennessee Department of Corrections]], a correctional facility for juvenile delinquent girls, as an athletic director, then moved on to supervise foster-care placements.<ref name="Transformed">{{cite web | last=Transformed Magazine | title=Bring Increase to Your Life - The Power of Giving | url=http://transformedmagazine.com/people/living-better-at-50-plus/| accessdate = 22 July 2012}}</ref> Whilst supervising foster-care placements, she worked with the Emergency Child Protective Services Unit where she investigated charges of abuse and neglect. After eight years with the state of Tennessee, she was appointed Director of Women for the Nashville Teen Challenge program where she worked for two years.<ref name="WashingtonTimes">{{cite news | last =Waters | first =Jen | coauthors = | title =Mercy Not Strained; Christian Mission Nurtures Young, Distressed Women |newspaper =The Washington Times | location=Washington DC | pages = | language = | publisher = | date=8 August 2003 | url = | accessdate =15 October 2012 }}</ref>
Mercy Ministries was founded in 1983 by Nancy Alcorn who had previously worked for eight years at the [[Tennessee Department of Correction|Tennessee Department of Corrections]], a correctional facility for juvenile delinquent girls, as an athletic director, then moved on to supervise foster-care placements.<ref name="Transformed">{{cite web | last=Transformed Magazine | title=Bring Increase to Your Life - The Power of Giving | url=http://transformedmagazine.com/people/living-better-at-50-plus/| accessdate = 22 July 2012}}</ref> Whilst supervising foster-care placements, she worked with the Emergency Child Protective Services Unit where she investigated charges of abuse and neglect. After eight years with the state of Tennessee, she was appointed Director of Women for the Nashville Teen Challenge program where she worked for two years.<ref name="WashingtonTimes">{{cite news | last =Waters | first =Jen | coauthors = | title =Mercy Not Strained; Christian Mission Nurtures Young, Distressed Women |newspaper =The Washington Times | location=Washington DC | pages = | language = | publisher = | date=8 August 2003 | url = | accessdate =15 October 2012 }}</ref>

In 1983, Alcorn moved to [[Monroe, Louisiana]] to establish a Christian residential program to help young women overcome life controlling issues. Her previous experience led her to believe that the secular state run programs were not producing the necessary results to help young women and she established Mercy Ministries to incorporate a faith-based approach and provide an alternative to secular treatment.


==Ethos==
==Ethos==

Revision as of 23:13, 23 October 2012

For the Catholic religious order, see Sisters of Mercy.
Mercy Ministries
Founded1983
FounderNancy Alcorn
Websitewww.mercyministries.org
Formerly called
Covenant Ministries

Mercy Ministries is an international Christian and charitable organization that offers a six month residential treatment program for young women aged between 13 and 28 who struggle with various “life controlling” issues such as eating disorders, depression, self harm, abuse issues, and drug and alcohol addictions.[1]

Due to their evangelical worldview and faith-based approach, Mercy Ministries takes a pro-life and anti-gay stance,[2] and, as such, provide treatment for applicants who wish to cease homosexual behavior[3] and sexual identity issues[4] as well as young women with unplanned pregnancies by providing alternative solutions to abortion.[5]

In 2010, Mercy Ministries extended their program to treat victims of sex trafficking.[6]

History

Mercy Ministries was founded in 1983 by Nancy Alcorn who had previously worked for eight years at the Tennessee Department of Corrections, a correctional facility for juvenile delinquent girls, as an athletic director, then moved on to supervise foster-care placements.[7] Whilst supervising foster-care placements, she worked with the Emergency Child Protective Services Unit where she investigated charges of abuse and neglect. After eight years with the state of Tennessee, she was appointed Director of Women for the Nashville Teen Challenge program where she worked for two years.[8]

Ethos

Whilst the Mercy Ministries website states they are a non-denominational Christian organisation, Mercy Ministries are also considered to be evangelical in their approach to treatment.[9] and charismatic[10]

The Mercy Ministries website states that the founder, Nancy Alcorn, established the following three principles for the program:

  1. Accept girls free of charge
  2. Give at least ten percent of all donations to other organizations and ministries
  3. To not accept any state or federal funding as it interferes with the freedom to share Christ."[11]

Locations

Mercy Ministries homes currently exist in four countries - the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand.

Mercy Ministries previously operated two homes in Australia, located in Sydney and the Sunshine Coast respectively. However, following controversy and widely publicised abuse scandals, the Sunshine Coast facility closed in June 2008.[12] followed by the Sydney home in October 2009[13]

The four Mercy Ministries homes in the United States are located in Monroe, LA, Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO and Sacramento, California. The Nashville home is also the site of the Mercy Ministries of America corporate headquarters.

The Mercy Ministries homes abroad are located in Bradford, Surrey (United Kingdom), Canada; and Auckland, New Zealand (known as "A Girl Called Hope").

Funding

Mercy Ministries are funded through donations from individuals, businesses and organizations and do not accept state or federal funding.

Charitable partnerships

MMOA partners with numerous other nonprofit and charity organizations. One of their principles states that they will give at least ten percent of all donations that they receive to other organizations and ministries.[14][7]

In 2012, Big Idea Entertainment, the animation production company best known for the VeggieTales films and now owned by DreamWorks Animation SKG, announced a partnership with MMOA. The partnership revolves around the company's August 2012 video entitled VeggieTales: The Penniless Princess - God's Little Girl, which features a video intended to help drive donations to Mercy. The video contains testimonials from girls who have been through the MMOA program.[15]

In November 2000, Donna Summer recorded the song "Take Heart" for The Mercy Project, a compilation CD with proceeds benefiting MMOA. Other artist supporters featured on the CD include Amy Grant, Martina McBride, Point of Grace, and Michelle Tumes.[16] MMOA's website also lists CeCe Winans, Melinda Doolittle, Natalie Grant, Jars of Clay, Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff and Mandisa as artist partners.[17]

Programs

MMOA describes their program as featuring biblically-based counseling, life-skills training and educational opportunities, including nutrition and fitness instruction. The program is free of charge to the girls it serves and does not accept government funding.[18]

Structure

Mercy provides counseling, life-skills training, including nutritional and financial management instruction. Some of the resources used in the program include authors and teachers such as Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Jordan Rubin, and Dave Ramsey.[15] They also offer a counseling curriculum, called "Choices That Bring Change", that they describe as combining biblical principles of healing and unconditional love with best-practice clinical interventions. They use trained counselors to identify causes of destructive behavior, help residents to set goals, and equip them with life skills.[15]

Media outlets

There are two media outlets used by MMOA. The first is Mercy Ministries Magazine and the other is Mercy Multiplied Radio. Mercy Magazine is an annual publication and contains articles about their mission as well as the financial status and current board members of the organization.

Mercy Multiplied Radio is a radio show hosted by Alcorn. The show is broadcast to over four million households on KXEN 1010 AM in St. Louis, Missouri. The show airs live on Thursdays and during drive time on Fridays. The show is a call-in show on which Alcorn answers questions from callers and also speaks on various topics affecting young women.

Controversy

There were previously two independent franchises in Australia (known as Mercy Ministries Australia - MMAU) which were closed in 2008 and 2009. These franchises were said to have forced residents to sign over their Centrelink (welfare) checks even though it was represented as a free program. There were also allegations of residents receiving counseling from unqualified individuals who were only Bible college students. The director of MMAU (Peter Irvine) initially denied the allegations but later apologized.[19]

References

  1. ^ Feineman, Carol (14 March 2012). "Mercy Ministries needs more than the Bible for its treatment methods". Lincoln News Messenger. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  2. ^ Capone, Alesha (14 November 2007). "Borders passes the hat for anti-gay, pro-life charity". Crikey. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  3. ^ Hannan, Caleb (2 October 2008). "Jesus RX". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  4. ^ Croft, Margaret (19 October 2012). "Mercy Ministries". The News Star. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  5. ^ . Mercy Ministries http://www.mercyministries.org/what_we_do/why_mercy/unplanned_pregnancy.html. Retrieved 23 October 2012. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ "Mercy Ministries and The Home Foundation partner to provide residential care for US victims of sex trafficking". FOX Business - PR Newswire. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  7. ^ a b Transformed Magazine. "Bring Increase to Your Life - The Power of Giving". Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  8. ^ Waters, Jen (8 August 2003). "Mercy Not Strained; Christian Mission Nurtures Young, Distressed Women". The Washington Times. Washington DC. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ Pollard, Ruth (17 December 2009). "Mercy Ministries admits claims were false". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  10. ^ Hannan, Caleb (2 October 2008). "Jesus RX: The untold tale behind Mercy Ministries one-size-fits-all prescription for recovery". The Nashville Scene. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  11. ^ Mercy Ministries. "Who We Are". Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  12. ^ Mundi, Rex (7 June 2008). "Mercy Ministries to close Coast home". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  13. ^ Mundi, Rex (7 June 2008). "Mercy Ministries to close Coast home". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  14. ^ Mercy Ministries. "Who We Are". Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  15. ^ a b c Mercy Ministries. "Our Program". Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  16. ^ "The Mercy Project". Amazon.com. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  17. ^ "Artist Supporters". Mercy Ministries. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  18. ^ "Young Women Get Help At Mercy Ministries". The Tennessean. 24 December 2010. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  19. ^ "Ministry Leaders Admit Deceits, Agree To Payments, Apologize To Clients". The Tennessean. 18 December 2009. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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