An Agency Overview of Seattle's Union

Gospel MissionBy Jaren Nadong

History of Service to the City of Seattle

• Born from the concerns of local churches over the local homeless population during the Great Depression

• The Apostolic Faith Mission of Pioneer Square• Gatewood Baptist Church of the South End• Tabernacle Baptist Church on Capitol Hill• First Presbyterian Church in Downtown

• Leadership assistance from Minnesota’s St. Paul Mission• Initial pilot program: Seth MacFarlane• Reverend Francis O. Peterson

History (continued)

• Under Francis O. Peterson• Budget was around $1500 • Served soup with whatever vegetables could be donated by the

food drives of the local churches• Acted mostly as a soup kitchen

• Used a pot borrowed from a local confectioner's kitchen

History (continued)

• World War II• Expansion of services to

include a men's shelter• Women's shelter was

added later on in 1958

• The Rebellious 60 and 70s• Further expansion of

services• drug addiction treatment• services targetting

populations other than adult males 

The Mission

• Mitigating the impact poverty and homelessness have on the disadvantaged communities of Seattle

• Five mission initiatives• Hunger• Homelessness• Poverty• High risk youth• Addiction

• Requirements and entry to the programs• Referral by a court• Officer of the law• Voluntary entry• Minimum paperwork and valid ID

Values

• Based on a Christian belief system from the Anglican and Reformed church sub-group denominations

• Statement of Faith• “serving those in greatest need is how we put our faith into action.

We serve anyone in need regardless of their religious beliefs or backgrounds.”

Values (continued)

• We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the infallible, authoritative Word of God.•

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.•

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father and in His personal return in power and glory.

•We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

•We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

•We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost.

•We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in Christ.

Strategies

• Food and shelter programs• Drug rehabilitation• Transitional housing• Medical rehabilitation• Youth and prison services• Hispanic outreach services• Legal and dental services

Funding and Budget

• Primary funding source: generous public and anonymous donations

• Information from the 2010 fiscal yearRevenueContributions $9.5 million Investments $1.5 millionSpecial events $49,907Government grants $0

Total revenue 17.68 million dollarsTotal expenses 17.87 million dollars

Structure

• Board of trustees• Staff leadership council• General paid staff and volunteers