The Chaneys are a family in Houston who have chosen to adopt. Read about their experience and the blessings they have experienced. Their decision has impacted many in a powerful way.
PROFILES IN FAITH:
Changing the World Through Adoption
David and Amy Chaney Children: Ben and Ellen
Dave and Amy Chaney met at church and were married in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1991. Their son Ben (who is their first child) was also born there in 1995. In 1997, they moved to Philadelphia. Their daughter, Ellen was born in China in 2002. In 2003, when she was 17 months old, the Chaneys traveled to China to adopt her and bring her home to Philadelphia. The Greater Houston church (Houston, Texas) was privileged to have the Chaneys join the congregation when they moved to Houston last year and David accepted a position with the Houston Food Bank.
Adoption is a godly and noble undertaking. David said that adoption was something that he and Amy discussed when they first got married. They saw it as a great way to “to look after orphans and widows in their distress,” as it says in James 1:27 (NIV). After their son, Ben was born, they wanted a daughter as well and knowing there were so many children in the world who needed a forever family—it just seemed to make sense for them.
Adoption is not without its challenges and the Chaneys said their biggest fear was whether they would be able to afford it. In the end though, they were able to recoup all of their costs through financial assistance from employers, the U.S. government (through the Adoption Tax Credit), the church, family, and friends. Another concern was that because they already had a biological child, would they be able to love an adopted child the same. Other adoptive parents reassured them and they realized intellectually it could be done. Emotionally, they knew it would certainly happen as they first peered into the doorway of a room in China and saw their daughter for the first time, cradled in the arms of an orphanage worker. Ellen took their breath away—the same way they had felt eight years earlier when they saw their son, Ben for the first time, in the arms of the doctor in the labor and delivery room in Cincinnati.
David and Amy joyfully share that adopting has given them one of their two biggest blessings—their daughter. She is strong, courageous, persistent as the day is long, helpful beyond her years, smart as a whip, and loves to laugh. They cannot even imagine what their family would be like without her. Adoption has perfectly completed their family and given Ben, the gift of being a big brother, with a sister to love, protect, and compete with for parental attention! Adopting has also given the Chaney family a deeper respect for the Chinese culture and people who see the world quite differently than Americans do.
The Chaney family has been blessed greatly by adopting. They think it is a great way to help both children who need families and families who want to love and raise children. For those who are thinking about children, they encourage families to pursue adoption. They recommend lots of prayer, and also to take a sober look at motivations and circumstances of life. We are all moved emotionally by the plight of orphans, but it takes more than pity to bring a child into your home and raise them with unconditional love and commitment. Those who are parents already (whether biologically or through adoption) know it is sometimes a thankless job and not for the faint of heart.
Nonetheless, David and Amy love adoption. They shared that it reminds them that we all have been adopted—by God! In the Message version of Ephesians 3 it says, “Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.” For the Chaneys, that pretty much says it all!
—Toney Mulhollan
Left to right: Ben, Ellen, Dave and Amy Chaney
Editors Note: We are excited about this new series on Disciples Today regarding adoption. We tell stories of disciples who have adopted a child and the impact it had on their family and community. Do you have a good news adoption story to share? Download the Adoption_Story _form >>>, tell your story and submit it to Toney Mulhollan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This is a great way to share your story and encourage more and more disciples to fulfill James 1:27: "to look after orphans and widows in their distress"