Executive director of Bethany Ministries resigns over donations

The executive director of Bethany Ministries, a charity designed to aid the homeless, announced his resignation earlier this month from the organisation. Rev. William Kuntze resigned over a decision to accept donations from the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. In a letter to the board on 2 May, Kuntze said that casinos such as the Sands were responsible for "destroying the lives of people we want to save". He said that his resignation reflects a desire to protect vulnerable people "easily exploited by things like the promise of gambling".

The resignation in part reflects Kuntze's ongoing strained relationship with the president of the Bethany Ministries board, Robert Wilkins. Whilst the collaboration between the two has been credited with the success of Bethany Ministries in recent years, the partnership has been riddled with tension. An earlier incident saw Kuntze's staff reject a donation of leftovers from a catered casino event prompting disagreement within the organisation.

This week will see the Bethany Ministries board take a vote regarding the acceptance of casino donations. Vice president Bette Kovach called Kuntze an "outstanding leader" and said "we were very sorry to accept Bill's resignation". Kuntze said that he was "saddened and grieved" by the situation, adding that he hoped those who volunteer and support the organisation will "continue to do so" in an effort to aid those in need. Many will now be regarding the situation as an important charitable dilemma with broader applications. For now, supporters of Bethany Ministries will be anxiously waiting the board's decision in a move which is likely to impact on the lives and futures of many others in the community.