Frequently Asked Question

Is There Religious Coercion at TVO?

The most frequently asked question by those unfamiliar with TVO is "How can you not force your religion on the people you serve?" The answer is in two parts.

First, salvation is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, according to Scripture, for God's glory. In that spirit we take seriously His admonition to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and generally help the poor. TVO provides a "common sense" program of independent living skills such as work, worship, chores, and money management to those who want to be helped to help themselves.

Second, TVO's major focus is assisting others to move beyond homelessness toward more responsible adulthood into the larger society. One component of that process is making better decisions. Part of the life-skills experiencing for residents, therefore, is to decide for themselves whether they will attend chapel at TVO or off campus. Or not to worship at all.

Is there no coercion? Not unless you consider turning off the TV during chapel as coercion.