About Free the Captives

About Free the Captives

Free the Captives is a theocentric anti-human trafficking 501(c)(3) non-profit, evangelical and interdenominational in nature. Being theocentric is being God centered or God focused while being anthropocentric means that man is the central focus. And while human trafficking, by definition is anthropocentric because actual people are being trafficked, we are committed to being focused and oriented on God. Therefore, our focus is not about what man can do to fight the injustice of trafficking, rather our focus is on what God is doing and then seeking prayerfully about how we can be a part of His plan. Free the Captives' Statement of Faith can be found here.

Sex Trafficking in Houston

Houston is a hub for both international and domestic sex trafficking. International human trafficking is prevalent in Houston because this city is located near the border, has a port, an international airport, and is ethnically diverse. International women and girls are being trafficked in Houston's massage parlors and cantinas.

Additionally, Houston has a significant problem with the sex trafficking of American minors, which is Free the Captives' predominant focus. Typically, these minors are teenaged girls, but there are also boys being trafficked in Houston as well. The children most at risk for trafficking are runaways, throwaways, and homeless. The girls that we work with typically come from a background that includes sexual abuse, broken homes, low self-esteem, fatherlessness, and juvenile delinquency. These factors make them greatly vulnerable to sex traffickers. American girls are being sold over the Internet and trafficked through local Houston motels or private residences.



FOUNDATIONAL VERSES FOR FREE THE CAPTIVES       

Isaiah 61:1-3

 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
       because the LORD has anointed me
       to preach good news to the poor.
       He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
       to proclaim freedom for the captives
       and release from darkness for the prisoners,

 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
       and the day of vengeance of our God,
       to comfort all who mourn,

 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
       to bestow on them a crown of beauty
       instead of ashes,
       the oil of gladness
       instead of mourning,
       and a garment of praise
       instead of a spirit of despair.
       They will be called oaks of righteousness,
       a planting of the LORD
       for the display of his splendor.

 
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan.

Psalm 146

1 Praise the LORD.
       Praise the LORD, O my soul.

 2 I will praise the LORD all my life;
       I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

 3 Do not put your trust in princes,
       in mortal men, who cannot save.

 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
       on that very day their plans come to nothing.

 5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
       whose hope is in the LORD his God,

 6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
       the sea, and everything in them—
       the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

 7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
       and gives food to the hungry.
       The LORD sets prisoners free,

 8 the LORD gives sight to the blind,
       the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
       the LORD loves the righteous.

 9 The LORD watches over the alien
       and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
       but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

 10 The LORD reigns forever,
       your God, O Zion, for all generations.
       Praise the LORD.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.