What individual Christians do about entering into contracts is one thing. What churches do is another matter. There are two major food banks in my community. One takes government money (a very small portion of their budget), one does not. At the latter, no one has to fill out any forms to get food. At the other, government required paperwork has to be kept. My church supports the solely privately funded one.
And by the way, I go to a church that has a significant minority of Democrats. They largely support government welfare programs. I don’t. We all agree that we should do what we can as a Church to mitigate suffering in our community without any possibility of government dictation at any time or in any manner. We can sing hymns together on Sunday and happily vote against each other on Tuesday the way God intended. :)
I understand what you're saying and appreciate your reply as well as the zeal of your congregation to fulfill your mission. God bless you :) Imagine though for a moment that your church started a hospital 130 years ago. What would you do with that hospital now that it has to meet unfunded government mandates and other regulations that weren't in place when your church began its ministry to provide health care to the poorest of the poor?
To be entirely free of the government, you'd have to refuse to treat Medicare and Medicaid patients. You wouldn't be able to stay in operation very long because you'd be running afoul of patient discrimination laws. You'd have to shut down your hospital. On the other hand, you could contract with the government as other groups are free to do and continue providing health care services. You could also accept grants that are available to care for the uninsured. Or you could be pure and refuse them, but you'd still have to close down because the law doesn't allow you to stop accepting indigent patients when your finite resources have been exhausted.
If you see Christ in the ill, have you abandoned him if you close your hospital to avoid government intrusion in your ministry? Please understand I am not trying to be argumentative. The only way to avoid government interference is to shut down your hospital and let secularists eventually fill the void. Your conscience may feel pure about not being under the thumb of the govt, but how does it feel about all those sick people in your community who now have fewer hospital beds during flu season? Fewer options for the uninsured? Fewer outreach programs? Fewer surgical suites in the community? The gaping hole you made in the community's safety net? Is it more in keeping with Christian charity to burden the entire system or try to adapt to continue alleviating the burden in the community?
Finally, I wholly respect your efforts to privately fund your food bank. Even without govt funds there are federal and state laws to comply with. The days of having a ministry without "any possibility of government dictation at any time or in any manner" are gone. Forever :( Nonacceptance of federal funds isn't exemption from federal law.
Peace be with you.