Black Ministers at Center of Adoption Plan

The powerful influence of black ministers will be the centerpiece of an innovative program that will have state bureaucrats working with black churches to find adoptive families for 1,500 black children in California, according to state and church officials.

Several ministers and officials from the San Diego Urban League joined Father George H. Clements, pastor of the Holy Angels Church in Chicago, to announce the beginning of the One Church, One Child program in the state. The program, which is already in effect in 27 states, calls for a qualified family from each black church in the state to adopt one black child.

Adopted 3 Sons

The outspoken Clements, 55, and a priest for 30 years, defied Catholic Church officials in Chicago in 1980 and adopted the first of three sons, Joey, who is now 19. Clements adopted Friday, now 18, in 1983 and Stewart, now 17, in 1984. The sons, like Clements, are black.

Clements and 20 black Protestant clergymen founded the first One Church, One Child program in Chicago in 1980. When the program was launched in Illinois, there were 700 black children awaiting adoption in the state. Today there are about 40 children awaiting homes, said the Rev. James Hargett, a founding member of the Illinois program and now the statewide coordinator for the California program.

Linda McMahon, director of the state Department of Social Services, attended the press conference that was held at the Bethel A.M.E. Church in San Diego, to announce state support for the program.

State Support

“We are committed to bringing the One Church, One Child program to California and to commit state dollars to it,” said McMahon, who said there are about 5,600 children in the state eligible for adoption, of which 1,500 are black.

According to Clements, the state will act as a facilitator by providing a listing of available black children to black churches throughout the state. The children will be drawn from private and state agencies who are working to find adoptive families for them.