On February 6, the blog section of the White House website announced a recent executive order signed by Obama establishing the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighbourhood Partnerships. “Instead of driving us apart, our very beliefs can bring us together,” Obama said on February 5 during the National Prayer Breakfast. “E pluribus unum, in other words,” the blog declared.
“Whether it’s connecting groups that are training people to do new jobs, or figuring out the role of faith-based organizations in combating global climate change, this office creates those partnerships in a way that’s responsible, constitutional, and — bottom line — helps those in need,” said Joshua DuBois, a Pentecostal pastor, social activist, and former campaign religious outreach director who was appointed to lead Obama’s faith-based initiative.