If you believed
everything you read in the liberal press, and I pray you
don’t, you would think that Christian leaders
were actively working in Washington to dismantle our
government and set up a theocracy, similar to that in
Iran. The facts, however, say something different, but
one thing that is clear is that the old guard of
Christian political involvement has some powerful new
members.
We looked at 20 of the top Christian ‘political’
organizations in an attempt to see through the liberal
smoke screen and see what old members were still in
their seats of power, and who the young whippersnappers
who had gained seats at the table were. The results, in
no particular order, were quite eye opening as the
influence of these organizations is quietly being felt
around the country, and their connections to each other
are many and varied.
The Family Research Council (FRC) is the
powerhouse of Christian influence in Washington. Founded
in 1983 by Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the
Family, the FRC is led by former Louisiana state
representative Tony Perkins. The FRC reportedly
has the ear of many members of Congress, the White
House, and Christians nationwide. FRC is actively
involved in educating religious leaders about moral
issues being affected by decisions in Washington, and
also in representing those leaders directly to the
decision makers themselves. You will find them well
represented on news channels and radio stations
nationwide, and at meetings where key strategies are
planned like the Arlington Group.
The Arlington Group is a networking organization,
similar to the conservative networking organization, the
Council for National Policy. However it is
limited in scope and only deals with moral values at
risk in America. The assault on traditional marriage is
a key area that the group, and its exclusive membership
of around 100 leaders, focuses and coordinates on.
Members include FRC’s Tony Perkins, Focus on the
Family’s Dr. James Dobson and Rev. Rick Scarborough,
head of the judicial focused
Judeo-Christian Council for Constitutional
Restoration (JCCCR)
The JCCCR is an outgrowth of years of work with
churches nationwide by Rev. Rick Scarborough. He is a
Baptist minister whose life was changed when he took a
stand against pornographic sex education in his
daughter’s school. Today the JCCCR is an active presence
on Capitol Hill and hosts regular conferences that
attract key conservative leaders. Both Rev. Scarborough
and the group’s executive director Philip Jauregui,
former legal counsel to Chief Justice Roy Moore,
are a common site on Capitol Hill. The JCCCR is a key
driving force behind the “Values Voter Contract with
Congress,” which is also heavily supported by Phyllis
Schlafly of Eagle Forum, and
Ambassador Alan Keyes of Renew America.
Eagle Forum, led by the Margaret Thatcher of American
conservatism, Phyllis Schlafly, is a long time force in
Washington, D.C. Based in both St. Louis and Washington,
Phyllis Schafly’s influence extends far beyond the halls
of Congress as her opinion is held in high regard by
most Christian organizations who work in ‘political’
arenas. Her behind the scenes leadership has been a
powerful voice of reason and experience as more and more
Christians take the biblical mandate of societal
involvement seriously. Key strategy sessions often find
her and Ambassador Alan Keyes, former Presidential
candidate and the head of Renew America, at the same
table.
Ambassador Keyes’ and Renew America’s, influence is
profound, as his ability to see through political
pandering and cut to the heart of an issue being
discussed is well documented. A key area where
Ambassador Keyes pulls no punches is the issue of
abortion and he has, on numerous occasions, been known
for calling the kettle black when others in the room see
a shade of gray. His direct comments are usually
accompanied by nods of agreement from the others in the
room, which reveals the deference this man is shown.
Sharing this passion for protecting the unborn, and
often in the same room, is Father Frank Pavone,
who heads Priests for Life, and who is considered
a key leader in the fight to protect life in America.
Father Pavone is considered a go-to man on the life
issue, and there is hardly a pro-life press conference,
or a meeting on the subject, that does not have him in a
prominent position. At those same meetings you will also
usually find the presence of two lesser known but very
influential men, Rev. Rob Schenck of Faith and
Action and Tom Smith of America 21.
Faith and Action has a solid presence on Capitol Hill
from their offices right next door to the U.S. Supreme
Court. Faith and Action is not a lobbying organization,
however; it is specifically a missionary organization to
Capitol Hill, but its influence is just as profound.
Many days will find staff members in prayer sessions
with decision makers in Washington, and their sharing of
the gospel with those in power has changed lives for the
better. A few houses down on the very same street you
will find America 21. Tom Smith, the head of the group,
is a quiet, focused individual whose legal expertise and
outside of the box thinking has made him a voice of
reason and influence in many policy discussions and
strategy sessions. He was a lead influence in the
drafting of the Constitution Restoration Act, along with
Herb Titus, former dean of Regent University,
and is a profound force in the battle to protect
innocent life in America that is daily raging in our
courts.
Fighting the battle in our courts and found in many
of the same strategy sessions, are organizations such as
the Alliance Defense Fund, Liberty Counsel, the
Foundation for Moral Law, and the American
Center for Law and Justice. These organizations
actively work within the court system, fighting to
protect the freedoms granted to American citizens by our
founding documents.
The Alliance Defense Fund, led by Alan Sears,
provides effective pro-bono legal defense on religious
issues, as does Mat Staver’s Liberty Counsel.
Liberty Counsel led the recent fight in the U.S. Supreme
Court to protect the display of the Ten Commandments in
McCreary vs. ACLU, a court case that saw most of
these top 20 organizations filing supporting amicus
briefs. The American Center for Law and Justice, led by
Jay Sekulow is believed to have very close ties
to the current White House, which sets it as quite
different from, but just as powerful as, the Foundation
for Moral Law, which was founded by former Chief
Justice Roy Moore, who is currently running for
Governor of Alabama and is not known as an establishment
insider.
Equally as important as the direct hands on fight in
our nation’s court system is the ongoing battle for the
hearts and minds of the American people. This is where
organizations like Joyce Meyer Ministries (JMM),
the Center for Reclaiming America, and Vision
Forum Ministries come into play, and again these
organizations are well represented when decisions are
made.
JMM’s “Stand Up and Be Counted” program is reported
to have over 140,000 active participants spread across
the country. This program uses the web and direct email
campaigns to deluge members of Congress on issues of
moral importance, and also to educate Christians about
their heritage, their freedoms, and their duty to
protect both. Likewise, D. James Kennedy’s Center
for Reclaiming America is focused on both education and
influence. Both organizations put a huge emphasis on
educating people, and thus empowering them to make a
difference.
Equally as focused on education, but with the
emphasis of future leaders is Vision Forum Ministries.
Another non-lobbying organization that has made our
list, Vision Forum is effectively raising up leaders and
working to see that those that lead our country in the
future are grounded in a biblical world view. Led by
Doug Phillips, son of Howard Phillips who
still leads the Conservative Caucus and has the
ear of many conservative leaders, Vision Forum is
quietly making waves that will be felt in the coming
decades.
Working alongside some of these organizations we find
a couple of very effective Internet communication
organizations that has had profound success in
harnessing the power of the Internet.
RightMarch.com and the American Family
Association are found at most strategy sessions
involving Christian organizations in Washington, D.C.,
and their trademark is effectively activating concerned
citizens using technology and the Internet.
RightMarch.com is led by William Green and
Phil Sheldon, and their involvement in the recent
battles over Supreme Court nominees was quiet, yet
profound, and contributed significantly to the
confirmation of both Chief Justice John Roberts and
Justice Samuel Alito. The American Family Association
led by Don Wildmon has an extensive reach into
the lives of concerned Christians and has reportedly
been quite effective both in Washington and in
influencing corporate America.
Finally, we find both the Traditional Values
Coalition and Concerned Women for America,
who work hand in hand with many of these organizations
and often are seated at the same table during key
strategy sessions.
The Traditional Values Coalition is led by Rev.
Lou Sheldon and is currently having a profound
influence through educational efforts on Capitol Hill.
Also working on Capitol Hill on similar issues is
Concerned Women for America, the brainchild of
Beverly LaHaye, which educates and activates
women from across the country and, at the same time, it
employs a staff of highly effective activists in
Washington.
Today, these are the top 20 Christian political
organizations in America, along with an honorable
mention for the Conservative Caucus.
These names are always changing, more will be added,
some will fade, but one thing is true; these
organizations are organized and are working together
like never before towards common goals and moral
purposes. Their agenda is that which they see in the
Word of God, and Catholics, Protestants, Baptists and
others are working hand in hand to ensure that our
nation continues to be a nation where the freedom to
acknowledge God and promote morality to our children is
a freedom honored and protected for generations to come.
