Good News Ministries The Hypocrisy of Good News Ministries Indianapolis, Indiana

Over a year ago I went to the Good News Ministries because of a economic situation forced me out of my home.  During my period there, I worked extremely hard, followed all their rules to the letter, attendinded their chapel services, even though their religious believes (funadamental Baptist) and mine (Catholic) were not compatable.  I had even been assigned to one of their outside-the-facility positions assisting them in the acquirement of necessary product to run the Mission. 

After a long struggle, I finally achieved employment -- a contract position that pays me for my travel time (plus milage) as well as my time performing the job.  This company even paid for my trip out of town for training, covering the hotel espenses and food as well.

To arrange this, I went through proper channels, receiving full support of the Ministries Chaplain and the Executive Director.  Upon my return, I though an agreement had been reached with my Mission supervisor that I would continue to work the outside position, with sufficient time off to perform my tasks for my employer until such time as the job level built up too much to allow this.

With ever job I went out on, I fulled proper procedure, indicating what job I was going on, how long I expected it to take and when I would return.  On most, I would proceed first to my outside Mission work and work there until I had to leave, or proceed to the job and return to the Mission assigment.  I made every roll-call, morning and evening.  Everyone was informed, from my Mission supervisor to the supervisor at the outside facility.

Tuesday, I was informed that my Mission supervisor claimed he didn't know where I was at (he was informed the night before), that I had lied to him.  I was removed from that position, informed I would have to go onto regular work detail, could not have independent communication with my employer or vendor base; it would have to go through the mission itself.  I offered to pay full rent (I had been paying $2.00 per hour for each hour I was gone), only to be told they wouldn't except this, that it was only based on the hours worked (my job has a flexible schedule but pays well in excess of most 40 hour week jobs.)

Subsequently, I was forced to leave the mission, well aware that they were putting as many impediments into my emplyment as possible -- basically giving me the choice of working for them only or else.  To quote the Executive Director, the residents of the Mission are "an inexaustable source of labor."

Mine is not the only case.  I know of clients who have had salary positions with flexible hours that have been told that they have to miss Wednesday work to make their "church obligations" at the Mission, as well as people who have been denied access to their family shelter because of their work "would interfere with what the Mission is trying to do for them."

The hypocrisy of Good News is quite evident.  They claim they are trying to assist you, but they do everything they can to keep you down and under their thumb.  They only real goal is to "save you", aka, convert you to their particular religion.