Tanner Dibella joins Allen Jackson to discuss current events.
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Allen Jackson NOW | Allen Jackson: Faith Tested | Allen Jackson Now | June 19, 2026
- Yeah.
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- I'm excited about my guest today.
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- Tanner dibella, you are evidence that there are
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- Christians in california.
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- I like to say that i am from babylon visiting tennessee.
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- This week, from central california, the sacramento area.
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- Sacramento.
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- Yeah, you are the reason i've got the list here.
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- You're the founder and president of the american council,
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- But you're an author, a pastor so fully engaged in church.
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- But god has expanded your vision.
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- Absolutely. you grew up in church?
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- Yeah.
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- And realized that there were some topics
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- That churches were avoiding
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- And decided to do something about it.
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- Yeah. born and raised in the same church.
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- My grandparents were pastors.
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- My mom's in ministry and leadership.
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- And so it seemed like a family business.
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- And it wasn't until 2020 when covid
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- Hit that things began to change for the global church.
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- But in my own life, on a lot of family businesses.
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- Yeah, asking the question, what is the church's
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- Responsibility and mandate in this moment?
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- Very good.
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- So tell us a little bit about what the american council is
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- And how you were attracted to that whole idea.
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- It's pretty interesting.
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- Yeah, well, i started in ministry at the age of 17
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- And never had an intention to get involved in politics.
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- Loved politics.
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- Always had a desire to engage in it, but never,
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- Imagined myself becoming a political engager
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- Full time and went to uc davis on the most progressive schools
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- In california in political science came out,
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- And then a unicorn
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- Still came out of conservative and christian.
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- So, that was wonderful.
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- Went and got a master's degree in executive leadership
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- And then finishing my doctorate right now.
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- But i always imagined myself staying in ministry.
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- And fast forward to 2020.
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- California governor gavin newsom shut the doors of
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- The church. and,
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- In my church, destiny, under
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- The leadership of greg and kathy farrington.
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- The first four weeks, we were compliant
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- And we shut down and did ministry and church online.
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- But i can remember being in a living room
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- With them for weeks and and just seeing tears
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- Roll down my pastor's face
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- And saying, i don't think i can do this anymore.
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- I cannot pastor my flock from a distance.
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- And so they made a decision
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- To reopen the doors of their church
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- In defiance of governor gavin newsom.
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- Well, excuse me just a bit to step back into that window.
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- You know, they told us
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- There was a virus coming from wuhan
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- And that millions of us were going to die,
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- And that if we would shelter
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- In place for a couple of weeks, we could flatten the curve
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- Two weeks to slow the spread and we'd all go back to normal.
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- Yeah.
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- And we got into that and what we were watching
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- And what they were saying didn't line up anymore. yeah.
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- And so there were a few courageous people
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- Across the country,
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- In churches, in health care and other places
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- That began to say, wait a minute.
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- And so your pastor was one of those people.
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- Yeah. yeah.
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- Well, there was a lot of confusion
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- In the church at that time.
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- People didn't know what to do
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- And what to think and how to lead in that moment.
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- And as i witnessed my lead pastors demonstrate
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- Such courage in that in california, of all places,
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- You know, having conversations of what happens
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- When the police show up and had a game plan.
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- If, you know, our pastor
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- Got arrested on a sunday morning and we had protesters
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- Try and break into the doors of the church and death threats,
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- And i'm seeing all of this unfold.
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- And i began to pray of i'm seeing my pastors demonstrate
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- Such courage, such boldness in the face of such opposition.
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- What is my role in this?
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- And i felt the spirit of god tell me that
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- I want you to engage
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- In the church on how to help
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- People think clearly and lead well in the public
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- Responsibility and public square space.
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- And so we launched at that's just a small job.
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- That's just a small job to that.
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- And i had no, no idea of what it was going to become.
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- But at the height of covid,
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- We incorporated formed a nonprofit and myself,
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- A historian and a christian college
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- President, decided we're going to start this
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- With a class called we the people.
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- And it was 11 weeks of american history,
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- Christian ethics, political engagement.
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- And we launched in april, had 1300 people show up.
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- Wow, during the height of covid.
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- And we walked away from that with just this burning sense
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- That people want to engage, they want to know their history,
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- And they want to know how to engage biblically
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- In such a confusing season.
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- And it kind of just took on from there.
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- We started running people,
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- In the local church to run for office and engaging
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- People on bills and legislation and then teaching people
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- How to think thoughtfully
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- About public discourse and really what the bible
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- Has to say about government. it has a lot to say.
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- And so that's what we do.
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- So you had a great response from within your community of faith
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- And put some candidates out in the public square,
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- And some have gotten elected, but i suspect that i don't know.
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- So i'm i'm going to ask a question.
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- I know the answer to.
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- I doubt the entire community just cheered with great joy
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- At that attitude and that expression.
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- How did the larger community respond?
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- Well, you know, we had many from the church community
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- That were, excited about mobilized in that moment.
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- But there were many people in our community,
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- Who hated what we were doing.
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- And there was a season when we first launched
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- Where we had to hire security, for myself, got death threats,
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- All the labels, recycled lines that i'm sure you've gotten
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- Over the years. you know, christian nationalist.
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- My favorite was the christian taliban.
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- And protests at our events.
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- We had charlie kirk come out for our first annual gala
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- And had people try and break in to the the main ballroom.
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- And it has been a season of opposition,
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- But it was a
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- Season of tremendous growth and fruit, really helping people
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- Become leaders in the political space. and,
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- It has been incredible to see what god has done.
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- We have trained, recruited and supported 800 candidates
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- On the west coast since 2020, 800, 800 and so amazing.
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- So just to clarify,
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- Because the great fear is that we're trying to dictate,
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- You know, how people should practice their religion,
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- What color grape juice to use for communion,
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- And how many children to put in a sunday school class.
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- And you know, all the things and i don't imagine that your
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- Goal, i would imagine, is to bring like
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- A biblical worldview into public policy.
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- But yeah, maybe you clarify.
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- Yeah, we you know, we have
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- We are not in the business of coercion.
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- And we believe that the true gospel demands a choice.
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- And out of that, we want to give people,
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- A biblical worldview on politics.
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- But we don't tell people how to vote, or how to live.
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- We give people
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- This is what the bible says, and it's
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- Ultimately their decision on how they want to respond to truth.
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- But we don't you
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- Know, we've gotten called
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- All the labels and trying to force our religion on people.
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- It has nothing to do
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- With coercing people from our religious worldview.
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- We know, through american history
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- That this has been a christian nation.
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- And when you look at places like jeremiah 29 seven or,
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- Judges, six,
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- Romans 13, there's a really clear demonstration
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- Of what the bible has to say about you and i, as christians,
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- As christian leaders,
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- Advocating for our
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- Society, for the common good and for human flourishing.
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- And so that's where our posture comes from.
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- In fact,
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- I think the clearest
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- Understanding of scripture is we are called
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- To engage our culture. yeah.
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- Not just to teach a historical faith.
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- Yeah.
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- Yeah.
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- You've got some amazing success stories.
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- Yeah.
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- Can you share a couple of those with us?
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- Because it's. yeah.
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- Well, we're we're really passionate
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- About building public leaders
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- And specifically in local elections.
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- We've been involved in local, state and federal elections.
- 00:08:02.574 --> 00:08:05.710
- But i have a real burden for local leaders and school
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- Boards, city councils and the year that we first
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- Launched, there was a pastor in my church, our family pastor,
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- Who had a kid
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- In one of our public school districts and began to feel
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- God pushing her to run for local school district.
- 00:08:21.926 --> 00:08:26.197
- But it was a large feat.
- 00:08:26.731 --> 00:08:27.999
- It was a milestone to come across
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- Because she would be running against a 31 year progressive
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- Incumbent, 31 years.
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- She's never had any political experience.
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- She's never served in educational leadership.
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- And she wants to represent not only her kid,
- 00:08:42.614 --> 00:08:45.316
- But all the families in the community.
- 00:08:45.316 --> 00:08:47.485
- And so she decided, i'm going to run,
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- But i'm going to need your help.
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- And so we mobilized the church.
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- We started raising money for her.
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- We got all her branding signs, website, fliers.
- 00:08:54.692 --> 00:08:59.030
- We hosted fundraisers.
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- We did mailers, mobilize the church around her,
- 00:09:01.265 --> 00:09:04.235
- And she beat that incumbent by double digits.
- 00:09:04.235 --> 00:09:08.006
- First time in 31 years.
- 00:09:08.506 --> 00:09:10.375
- And now she is the president of that school district
- 00:09:10.375 --> 00:09:13.411
- And has led that school district for, five years.
- 00:09:13.411 --> 00:09:17.448
- We flipped that entire school district in next election.
- 00:09:17.448 --> 00:09:20.585
- We have like, i said, 800 candidates
- 00:09:21.352 --> 00:09:23.388
- That we have trained and supported.
- 00:09:23.388 --> 00:09:24.789
- But it's just numbers.
- 00:09:24.789 --> 00:09:26.491
- Until you look at the people behind those numbers,
- 00:09:26.491 --> 00:09:29.427
- We have flipped probably 30, 35 school districts in california.
- 00:09:29.427 --> 00:09:34.832
- But one of the most impactful stories for me came in a state
- 00:09:34.832 --> 00:09:38.903
- Legislature seat named joshua hoover, godly christian man.
- 00:09:38.903 --> 00:09:43.741
- And he decided to run for state assembly
- 00:09:43.741 --> 00:09:46.878
- In california as a christian.
- 00:09:46.878 --> 00:09:49.947
- That's a rare story in the golden state.
- 00:09:49.947 --> 00:09:52.684
- And so he decided to run, and we put all of our resources
- 00:09:52.684 --> 00:09:55.853
- Behind him again, held fundraisers.
- 00:09:55.853 --> 00:09:58.990
- He went and spoke at churches and our network, did mailers
- 00:09:58.990 --> 00:10:01.759
- For him, got volunteers to door knocking canvasing.
- 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:05.096
- And i'm at home watching the tv one day and it's,
- 00:10:05.096 --> 00:10:08.599
- You know, on a low volume.
- 00:10:08.599 --> 00:10:09.801
- And i'm reading a book and often
- 00:10:09.801 --> 00:10:11.169
- I hear the name tanner dibella. it's a commercial.
- 00:10:11.169 --> 00:10:13.871
- So i'm watching the news
- 00:10:13.871 --> 00:10:15.673
- And i look up and i see my face with the red ax over it.
- 00:10:15.673 --> 00:10:19.210
- And his opponent, who was an incumbent
- 00:10:19.210 --> 00:10:22.714
- In california, put $2 million into advertising against joshua
- 00:10:22.714 --> 00:10:28.019
- Hoover, saying he is supported by this anti-abortion,
- 00:10:28.019 --> 00:10:31.422
- Christian nationalist, extremist pastor tanner dibella.
- 00:10:31.422 --> 00:10:35.927
- But $2 million into it.
- 00:10:35.927 --> 00:10:38.162
- And i
- 00:10:38.162 --> 00:10:39.430
- Immediately called josh hoover, and i said, what do you need?
- 00:10:39.430 --> 00:10:41.466
- And so we continue to support him.
- 00:10:41.466 --> 00:10:43.301
- He was the only seat in the state legislator that
- 00:10:43.301 --> 00:10:46.304
- Got flipped that year.
- 00:10:46.304 --> 00:10:47.638
- And this all translates obviously to leaders.
- 00:10:48.539 --> 00:10:50.875
- And some people ask, well,
- 00:10:50.875 --> 00:10:52.009
- What is the benefit in getting pastors
- 00:10:52.009 --> 00:10:55.079
- And christians elected to local and state office?
- 00:10:55.079 --> 00:10:58.282
- I'll tell you, there was a pastor in loomis,
- 00:10:58.282 --> 00:11:01.686
- California, local suburb of where i live.
- 00:11:01.686 --> 00:11:05.089
- He has a progressive church.
- 00:11:05.089 --> 00:11:06.791
- And i had a parent call me one day
- 00:11:06.791 --> 00:11:09.227
- Who has a student in the local district and said,
- 00:11:09.227 --> 00:11:12.430
- I just found out that this pastor is on campus
- 00:11:12.430 --> 00:11:16.400
- And they have created afterschool clubs
- 00:11:16.400 --> 00:11:19.470
- And where they are teaching kids who are curious
- 00:11:20.404 --> 00:11:24.842
- About their gender expression on binders
- 00:11:24.842 --> 00:11:28.880
- And hormones, the churches.
- 00:11:29.480 --> 00:11:32.683
- The pastor of the church launched campus
- 00:11:32.683 --> 00:11:35.520
- Clubs, afterschool campus clubs, helping students navigate
- 00:11:35.520 --> 00:11:39.857
- Transition and transitioning.
- 00:11:39.857 --> 00:11:42.126
- Unbeknownst to the parents, we saw a flier of him
- 00:11:42.126 --> 00:11:46.063
- Telling the students,
- 00:11:46.063 --> 00:11:47.265
- Tell your parents you're going to the library after school.
- 00:11:47.265 --> 00:11:50.501
- And so we did some digging and we found out that
- 00:11:50.501 --> 00:11:52.637
- He had a club in every school district in our county.
- 00:11:52.637 --> 00:11:58.509
- Hundreds of kids.
- 00:11:58.943 --> 00:12:01.445
- Well, we have just flipped the majority
- 00:12:01.445 --> 00:12:03.581
- Of those school districts.
- 00:12:03.581 --> 00:12:05.449
- And so i started calling trustees and school board
- 00:12:05.449 --> 00:12:08.719
- Presidents, letting them know that this was happening.
- 00:12:08.719 --> 00:12:11.055
- And over the course of six months, he was removed
- 00:12:11.055 --> 00:12:13.825
- And banned from every school campus in that county.
- 00:12:13.825 --> 00:12:17.895
- That is the fruit of getting good,
- 00:12:17.895 --> 00:12:20.331
- Principled men and women to leadership
- 00:12:20.331 --> 00:12:23.701
- Who can hear something like that.
- 00:12:23.701 --> 00:12:25.136
- And respond with clarity
- 00:12:25.136 --> 00:12:27.138
- And with conviction that this is something
- 00:12:27.138 --> 00:12:29.106
- That we're not going to stand for.
- 00:12:29.106 --> 00:12:31.075
- We're going to protect our children.
- 00:12:31.075 --> 00:12:32.510
- We're going to protect our families
- 00:12:32.510 --> 00:12:33.811
- And prevent somebody like this from being on a campus.
- 00:12:33.811 --> 00:12:37.548
- You know, as i listen to you talk, i'm
- 00:12:37.548 --> 00:12:39.317
- Sure there's some people that will hear this
- 00:12:39.317 --> 00:12:42.053
- And think, this is a radical approach or
- 00:12:42.053 --> 00:12:45.623
- Something far outside the standard or the norm.
- 00:12:45.623 --> 00:12:48.893
- And the reality is, for the first
- 00:12:48.893 --> 00:12:52.063
- 200 years or so
- 00:12:52.430 --> 00:12:53.631
- Of our nation, what you're describing was normal behavior.
- 00:12:53.631 --> 00:12:56.500
- Yeah, that we wanted
- 00:12:56.500 --> 00:12:57.768
- People in public office that held biblical worldviews.
- 00:12:57.768 --> 00:13:00.872
- Yeah.
- 00:13:00.872 --> 00:13:01.372
- In fact,
- 00:13:01.372 --> 00:13:02.173
- The founders made it really clear
- 00:13:02.173 --> 00:13:03.241
- That it was a qualification in so many ways.
- 00:13:03.241 --> 00:13:06.310
- I mean, there's just multiple examples of that.
- 00:13:06.310 --> 00:13:08.145
- We don't we just did the bartons all weekend.
- 00:13:08.145 --> 00:13:09.914
- So i won't rehash all the history,
- 00:13:09.914 --> 00:13:12.350
- But what you're describing is far more in line
- 00:13:12.350 --> 00:13:15.152
- With the pattern of behavior that was in place in america for
- 00:13:15.152 --> 00:13:18.456
- 200 years or so. yeah.
- 00:13:18.923 --> 00:13:20.591
- And it's really
- 00:13:20.591 --> 00:13:21.626
- The contemporary church, the just recent decades
- 00:13:21.626 --> 00:13:24.228
- Where the church has stepped
- 00:13:24.228 --> 00:13:25.396
- Away from that and said, we will talk about our history,
- 00:13:25.396 --> 00:13:28.666
- But we won't talk about what it means to be salt and light
- 00:13:28.666 --> 00:13:31.235
- In the current season. yeah.
- 00:13:31.235 --> 00:13:33.738
- And so you sound a bit like you're a radical,
- 00:13:33.738 --> 00:13:36.974
- But you're you're a radical, like the church has always
- 00:13:36.974 --> 00:13:40.111
- Been a radical. yeah.
- 00:13:40.111 --> 00:13:41.412
- Well, yeah, it's so funny.
- 00:13:41.412 --> 00:13:42.446
- I hear a lot that people love to scream at me.
- 00:13:42.446 --> 00:13:44.982
- Separation of church and state and
- 00:13:44.982 --> 00:13:47.518
- And i
- 00:13:47.752 --> 00:13:48.920
- Believe in, in a version of that.
- 00:13:48.920 --> 00:13:52.189
- It's not their version,
- 00:13:52.189 --> 00:13:53.691
- But what i find it so interesting is in
- 00:13:53.691 --> 00:13:55.493
- These conversations is we're talking about
- 00:13:55.493 --> 00:13:57.495
- What is the relationship between a spiritual conviction
- 00:13:57.495 --> 00:14:01.432
- And engagement in politics,
- 00:14:02.033 --> 00:14:04.568
- The people that love to shout that out
- 00:14:04.568 --> 00:14:06.437
- And use that as cannon fodder.
- 00:14:06.437 --> 00:14:07.772
- My question back to them is, do you vote?
- 00:14:07.772 --> 00:14:12.109
- Are you engaged in legislation
- 00:14:12.710 --> 00:14:14.946
- And what's happening in the school boards?
- 00:14:14.946 --> 00:14:16.981
- If the answer is yes, you're doing that
- 00:14:16.981 --> 00:14:18.950
- With a moral standard.
- 00:14:18.950 --> 00:14:20.584
- It may be a pagan one, it may be a godless one,
- 00:14:20.584 --> 00:14:23.988
- But it is a moral standard.
- 00:14:23.988 --> 00:14:25.189
- You are using your worldview and you are trying to place
- 00:14:25.189 --> 00:14:28.759
- That worldview on the rest of society.
- 00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:30.695
- Every time you go to the ballot box.
- 00:14:30.695 --> 00:14:33.331
- And so when we're talking about faith in context of engaging
- 00:14:33.331 --> 00:14:36.734
- In politics,
- 00:14:36.734 --> 00:14:37.835
- I really believe that there has been a lie
- 00:14:37.835 --> 00:14:40.338
- That has been disseminated and believed in the modern church,
- 00:14:40.338 --> 00:14:44.942
- That your faith somehow has to stay at the door
- 00:14:44.942 --> 00:14:48.612
- When you begin to engage in public discourse
- 00:14:48.612 --> 00:14:51.983
- Or voting in an election, or running for office,
- 00:14:51.983 --> 00:14:54.785
- Or going to a school board meeting,
- 00:14:54.785 --> 00:14:56.687
- When in reality i actually believe
- 00:14:56.687 --> 00:14:59.156
- That it is a strategy to silence the church.
- 00:14:59.156 --> 00:15:02.660
- It is a strategy to say, because i disagree
- 00:15:02.660 --> 00:15:05.796
- With your politics, i'm going to make you believe
- 00:15:05.796 --> 00:15:10.067
- That you are a radical extremist whose beliefs,
- 00:15:10.067 --> 00:15:14.005
- Whose convictions, does not belong in politics.
- 00:15:14.005 --> 00:15:18.909
- Politics is not the problem.
- 00:15:18.909 --> 00:15:20.911
- A vision for politics is the problem,
- 00:15:20.911 --> 00:15:23.781
- And so many pastors, so many christians, have bought the lie
- 00:15:23.781 --> 00:15:27.618
- That because we believe in god,
- 00:15:27.618 --> 00:15:30.554
- We somehow are disqualified
- 00:15:30.554 --> 00:15:33.257
- From seeking the betterment of our neighbors,
- 00:15:33.257 --> 00:15:36.394
- Of our communities and really engaging in politics.
- 00:15:36.394 --> 00:15:40.464
- Well, we have watched
- 00:15:40.965 --> 00:15:42.066
- For several decades now the purposeful, intentional
- 00:15:42.066 --> 00:15:46.037
- Organization and forwarding of worldviews
- 00:15:46.037 --> 00:15:48.672
- That stand contrary to christianity
- 00:15:48.672 --> 00:15:51.575
- Gain increasing influence
- 00:15:52.143 --> 00:15:54.779
- Over so many of the institutions and organizations
- 00:15:54.779 --> 00:15:57.281
- That have shaped our culture, whether it was boy scouts or
- 00:15:57.281 --> 00:16:00.418
- I mean, it's just an an endless list.
- 00:16:00.418 --> 00:16:03.988
- And somehow christians have watched that and still remained
- 00:16:03.988 --> 00:16:07.992
- Disengaged as if it were inappropriate.
- 00:16:08.826 --> 00:16:11.395
- Yeah.
- 00:16:11.395 --> 00:16:12.496
- You know, and the truth is, before people are afraid
- 00:16:12.496 --> 00:16:14.632
- That we're going to have a unified expression
- 00:16:14.632 --> 00:16:16.434
- Of what it means to be a christian,
- 00:16:16.434 --> 00:16:18.469
- You know, like the church of england.
- 00:16:18.469 --> 00:16:21.238
- I've spent my whole life in the the church world.
- 00:16:21.238 --> 00:16:24.775
- That kind of unity doesn't exist now,
- 00:16:24.775 --> 00:16:27.645
- You know,
- 00:16:27.645 --> 00:16:28.779
- If we can organize around the fundamental principles
- 00:16:28.779 --> 00:16:30.314
- That jesus was the son of god
- 00:16:30.314 --> 00:16:31.749
- And the bible is the authoritative
- 00:16:31.749 --> 00:16:33.818
- Word of god, that's an amazing beginning.
- 00:16:33.818 --> 00:16:36.654
- We're not trying to dictate practices of faith.
- 00:16:36.654 --> 00:16:39.156
- No, we're simply saying
- 00:16:39.156 --> 00:16:40.624
- The bible holds out to us some general principles
- 00:16:40.624 --> 00:16:43.794
- For, human beings and our social interaction
- 00:16:43.794 --> 00:16:47.064
- Together that makes the world a better place.
- 00:16:47.064 --> 00:16:55.006
- Together that makes the world a better place.
- 00:16:55.006 --> 00:16:59.811
- You brought up a topic
- 00:17:00.278 --> 00:17:01.379
- That i think is worth just a moments exploration.
- 00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:04.282
- You created some categories
- 00:17:04.282 --> 00:17:05.917
- That were all under the general umbrella of the christian,
- 00:17:05.917 --> 00:17:09.254
- And not everybody listening may have thought of that
- 00:17:09.254 --> 00:17:12.457
- In those terms, but i would agree with you.
- 00:17:12.457 --> 00:17:15.494
- I think you can be. i call them generic christians.
- 00:17:15.494 --> 00:17:17.662
- You don't declare yourself buddhist or muslim,
- 00:17:17.662 --> 00:17:20.966
- And you live in a country where christianity
- 00:17:20.966 --> 00:17:23.301
- Is still kind of the primary faith.
- 00:17:23.301 --> 00:17:24.870
- So you just.
- 00:17:24.870 --> 00:17:25.837
- Yeah, i'm christian
- 00:17:25.837 --> 00:17:27.572
- And on the other end of that is somebody who's purposely made
- 00:17:27.572 --> 00:17:31.676
- Jesus lord of their lives and submitted themselves
- 00:17:31.676 --> 00:17:33.778
- To the authority of his authority. yeah.
- 00:17:33.778 --> 00:17:36.515
- And there's a whole spectrum between those positions.
- 00:17:36.515 --> 00:17:40.085
- So how do you pray?
- 00:17:40.552 --> 00:17:41.720
- Because we've seen enough public officials.
- 00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:43.989
- I hear these lines like, well,
- 00:17:43.989 --> 00:17:45.223
- You know, personally, privately, i'm a christian.
- 00:17:45.223 --> 00:17:48.026
- But in my public life
- 00:17:48.026 --> 00:17:50.061
- I have a responsibility to my broader constituents.
- 00:17:50.061 --> 00:17:53.398
- So i'm going to vote in an ungodly way.
- 00:17:53.398 --> 00:17:55.066
- They don't say the ungodly way, but it's what they do. yeah.
- 00:17:55.066 --> 00:17:58.003
- So how do you coach people in your leadership school?
- 00:17:58.003 --> 00:18:00.972
- How do you
- 00:18:00.972 --> 00:18:02.240
- How do you help them identify where those values come from?
- 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:05.243
- And i mean, there's a lot of diversity amongst christians.
- 00:18:05.243 --> 00:18:07.712
- You know, the i,
- 00:18:07.712 --> 00:18:09.147
- I live in the south, so there's some
- 00:18:09.147 --> 00:18:10.549
- Very conservative christians
- 00:18:10.549 --> 00:18:12.551
- Who if you drink anything other than water, you're suspect.
- 00:18:12.551 --> 00:18:15.453
- And then there's some segments
- 00:18:16.054 --> 00:18:17.055
- Of the christian church where you can.
- 00:18:17.055 --> 00:18:18.990
- Jack daniels is your friend and everything in between.
- 00:18:18.990 --> 00:18:22.327
- So in your leadership school, how do you coach them to lead
- 00:18:22.327 --> 00:18:25.997
- Understanding the diversity in that community,
- 00:18:25.997 --> 00:18:28.099
- But understanding what it means to be a disciple of jesus?
- 00:18:28.099 --> 00:18:32.037
- You know, i'm reminded of, the gospels and
- 00:18:32.037 --> 00:18:35.106
- You have the disciples watching
- 00:18:35.740 --> 00:18:38.243
- Jesus feed this large crowd.
- 00:18:38.243 --> 00:18:41.546
- And i like to compare the two is
- 00:18:41.546 --> 00:18:44.482
- I ask the question, are you a crowded christian?
- 00:18:44.482 --> 00:18:47.919
- Or are you a disciple?
- 00:18:47.919 --> 00:18:49.688
- Because the crowded christian responds
- 00:18:49.688 --> 00:18:52.624
- And wants more miracles because they want more food.
- 00:18:52.624 --> 00:18:55.860
- They're not following jesus because
- 00:18:55.860 --> 00:18:57.262
- They're surrendering to him.
- 00:18:57.262 --> 00:18:58.730
- They're following jesus because they want more bread.
- 00:18:58.730 --> 00:19:03.101
- And how jesus responds as he's talking to the disciples,
- 00:19:04.202 --> 00:19:07.138
- He asked them, are you going to leave to?
- 00:19:07.138 --> 00:19:10.742
- And the disciples
- 00:19:11.176 --> 00:19:12.077
- Respond and say, where else would we go?
- 00:19:12.077 --> 00:19:15.580
- And it's this position, this posture, this difference between
- 00:19:15.580 --> 00:19:18.917
- Are we pursuing god
- 00:19:19.384 --> 00:19:20.952
- Because it's advantageous to our constituents?
- 00:19:20.952 --> 00:19:24.823
- You know, you're in the south running on a christian platform,
- 00:19:24.823 --> 00:19:28.693
- Or are you totally rejecting your faith in the public square
- 00:19:28.693 --> 00:19:32.297
- Because it is also advantageous?
- 00:19:32.297 --> 00:19:34.065
- Or are you are you someone who follows christ to the point
- 00:19:34.065 --> 00:19:37.936
- That it requires something of you?
- 00:19:37.936 --> 00:19:40.772
- Or are you like the disciples who say,
- 00:19:40.772 --> 00:19:43.141
- I have nowhere else to go?
- 00:19:43.141 --> 00:19:45.877
- And you look at that,
- 00:19:45.877 --> 00:19:48.046
- And i'm brought to the place of saying, well,
- 00:19:48.046 --> 00:19:51.916
- The bible teaches us really clearly what the relationship
- 00:19:51.916 --> 00:19:55.487
- Between our personal conviction and public demonstration is.
- 00:19:55.487 --> 00:19:59.090
- There's no separation.
- 00:19:59.557 --> 00:20:01.493
- There's not a sacred secular divide that,
- 00:20:01.493 --> 00:20:03.795
- You know,
- 00:20:03.795 --> 00:20:04.729
- You love to hear that in the church, but
- 00:20:04.729 --> 00:20:05.897
- It impacts everything and people that have been transformed
- 00:20:05.897 --> 00:20:09.668
- By jesus know that because it impacts how they see
- 00:20:09.668 --> 00:20:12.704
- People, how they see themselves, how they treat people,
- 00:20:12.704 --> 00:20:15.940
- How they lead, how they love, it impacts every gamut
- 00:20:15.940 --> 00:20:19.911
- Of their personal life and of their worldview.
- 00:20:19.911 --> 00:20:23.048
- And so for elected officials, for candidates
- 00:20:23.048 --> 00:20:25.350
- Who make the decision, well, yes, i'm personally a christian,
- 00:20:25.350 --> 00:20:29.421
- But because i'm representing this constituency,
- 00:20:29.421 --> 00:20:32.223
- That's not all christian.
- 00:20:32.223 --> 00:20:33.224
- I can't bring that into the public square.
- 00:20:33.224 --> 00:20:35.927
- My question is, where have you read that in scripture?
- 00:20:35.927 --> 00:20:39.097
- Because i see i see no example, none
- 00:20:39.097 --> 00:20:42.267
- Of someone who
- 00:20:42.600 --> 00:20:43.802
- Utilized their politics in such a way where there was
- 00:20:43.802 --> 00:20:47.072
- The christian john and then the political john,
- 00:20:47.072 --> 00:20:51.142
- They were married together
- 00:20:51.710 --> 00:20:54.179
- Because a true transformation of your heart, of your mind
- 00:20:54.179 --> 00:20:57.849
- And of your soul changes everything,
- 00:20:57.849 --> 00:20:59.651
- Including how you lead in politics.
- 00:20:59.651 --> 00:21:01.720
- And if your faith only works when you're sitting in church
- 00:21:01.720 --> 00:21:04.122
- For a worship service, it's a joke.
- 00:21:04.122 --> 00:21:06.491
- Yeah, it's got to.
- 00:21:06.491 --> 00:21:07.926
- It's got to be a part of the breadth of our lives.
- 00:21:07.926 --> 00:21:16.368
- We always try to leave our audience with what can we do?
- 00:21:16.368 --> 00:21:18.969
- So you've got an audience.
- 00:21:18.969 --> 00:21:20.871
- It's probably going to be more in the southeast
- 00:21:20.871 --> 00:21:23.507
- Than you're accustomed to in central california.
- 00:21:23.507 --> 00:21:25.943
- What can we do?
- 00:21:25.943 --> 00:21:27.211
- How do we take some first steps towards this
- 00:21:27.211 --> 00:21:29.513
- While you're getting, the american council built out,
- 00:21:29.513 --> 00:21:32.082
- How do we start to move?
- 00:21:32.082 --> 00:21:33.183
- Yeah, well, the first obvious one is prayer.
- 00:21:33.183 --> 00:21:35.486
- I do believe in the power of prayer.
- 00:21:35.486 --> 00:21:37.020
- And, we have a lot of opposition,
- 00:21:37.020 --> 00:21:39.623
- And we've got full time attorneys
- 00:21:39.623 --> 00:21:40.891
- Because of the work that we do.
- 00:21:40.891 --> 00:21:42.593
- And we're constantly,
- 00:21:42.593 --> 00:21:44.495
- In a position of of having adversaries
- 00:21:44.495 --> 00:21:47.631
- In culture. and so prayer, prayer
- 00:21:47.631 --> 00:21:49.500
- For safety, for our team, for myself.
- 00:21:49.500 --> 00:21:52.569
- But then also engaging, you know, we have opportunities
- 00:21:52.569 --> 00:21:54.738
- For people to serve.
- 00:21:54.738 --> 00:21:56.206
- We have a dozen classes online for people that want to know
- 00:21:56.206 --> 00:21:59.476
- More on what it looks like to have a biblical worldview
- 00:21:59.476 --> 00:22:02.479
- In politics.
- 00:22:02.479 --> 00:22:03.480
- Maybe you're, you know, have an audience member
- 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:05.282
- That's thinking about running themselves.
- 00:22:05.282 --> 00:22:07.584
- We have training for them, so engaging in our material
- 00:22:07.584 --> 00:22:10.220
- And our content, but then partnering financially,
- 00:22:10.220 --> 00:22:13.690
- You know, our capacity at this point is staff.
- 00:22:13.690 --> 00:22:16.160
- We want to see this expand outside of california.
- 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:18.595
- And so we're strategically looking at places like tennessee
- 00:22:18.595 --> 00:22:21.732
- And texas.
- 00:22:21.732 --> 00:22:22.766
- And so,
- 00:22:22.766 --> 00:22:23.901
- You can go to the american council.com to learn
- 00:22:23.901 --> 00:22:25.903
- More about all the volunteer
- 00:22:25.903 --> 00:22:26.904
- Opportunities, all the resources,
- 00:22:26.904 --> 00:22:28.772
- And how they can partner with what god is doing.
- 00:22:28.772 --> 00:22:30.707
- So the best place to get more
- 00:22:30.707 --> 00:22:31.842
- Information is the american council.com.
- 00:22:31.842 --> 00:22:34.077
- Yeah. very good.
- 00:22:34.077 --> 00:22:35.879
- Yeah. tentatively.
- 00:22:35.879 --> 00:22:37.281
- Thank you for what you're doing.
- 00:22:37.281 --> 00:22:38.448
- Thank you i appreciate you visiting tennessee.
- 00:22:38.448 --> 00:22:40.384
- It's an honor to be with you.
- 00:22:40.384 --> 00:22:40.384
