The reality of the foster care crisis within the Potomac Ministry Network (PMN) became painfully clear during a training when church leaders learned of a teenage girl who had lost her life. With no foster homes available, she had been placed alone in a hotel room. Her situation was tragically preventable had more families been ready to step in. It was a sobering reminder that when the Church is not fully engaged, children’s lives are on the line.
For the past three years, Backyard Orphans has been building a relationship with leaders in the PMN, a church network serving Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the greater Washington D.C. region.
Through Backyard Orphans’ network training model, God has been raising leaders such as Pastor Jon Burtram, who stepped forward to help lead the charge for the 350+ churches in the network! After the PMN leadership team participated in a multi-day workshop in Washington, D.C., and Pastor Jon dove deeper at our Trainer Summit, momentum began to grow. Churches are now entering the orphan care process, creating pathways that could lead to thousands more children finding families in that area. When the Church shows up, children are not just supported, they are saved!