Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm told a meeting of 700 religious leaders that social-services agencies and religious groups share common values and "sing out of the same hymnal" in their mission to help the poor and vulnerable. "The government isn't separate from you, it is you," she said.

The new Office of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives, directed by Greg Roberts, is located in the new Department of Human Services, formerly known as the Family Independence Agency.

Granholm made no new funding promises to church leaders, although the office will help religious groups access federal funding. The governor also said churches cannot discriminate based on religion, and Wendy Waggenheim, spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, echoed that message. "No one can be required to pray before they get soup at a soup kitchen,"she said.

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