Live from the Pastors Roundtable!

May 28, 2021

Thursday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins welcomed pastors from nearly every state and nine countries to our Watchman on the Wall virtual gathering. Though COVID restrictions that persist in DC restrained an in-person meeting, it did not restrain our message. In fact, FRC has worked hard to keep pastors informed, engaged and encouraged during the pandemic for one simple reason: Spiritual leaders are in the best position to provide biblical solutions to the escalating problems we are facing in America. As FRC Executive Vice President, retired Army Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, often points out, pastors are strategic force multipliers in the spiritual war in which we are engaged. Consequently, as goes the pastor, so goes the church. As goes the church, so goes the culture and the government. That is why it is so vital that America's pastors step up and take their place as spiritual Watchmen on the walls of our nation.

During our virtual gathering, we heard from some premier Watchmen as well as other leaders and cultural experts. Here's a sampling:

Watchmen Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills framed the challenge: "We need to go back to the pulpits being the epicenter of light, understanding, truth and vision like never before... Is it possible that God has allowed all of these things to be stripped away so that just a handful of God's men would rise up in the pulpit...come out of their closet on fire at an hour like this, that it would actually be a catalyst which would bring about revival among the church and awakening among the lost?... I believe that's the only hope for America."

New FRC Senior Research Fellow George Barna revealed that only six percent of Americans have a biblical worldview, which is arguably a major contributor to the societal breakdown that we are witnessing across the country. However, the positive is that more than three quarters of all people who say they believe in God say they also believe that God cares a lot as to whether or not they take their faith and apply it to all dimensions of life. So there is an opportunity to change the trajectory.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), a warrior on Capitol Hill for faith, family and freedom, addressed the temptation to give up in light of the flood of bad policy advanced by the Biden administration and Congress: "David didn't sit there in his pasture and just pray God, please deliver that sheep from [the lion's] mouth.... He went after it and struck it and he rescued it. And we need men and women of faith... to be bold, to contend for the faith... to tell the truth and love, to equip people with the facts and to rise up and to stand for truth in this age and to take them back, take back our flock for Christ and for the good of our country."

Pastor Andrew Brunson, who was released from a Turkish prison by the Providence of God, the prayers of His people, and the efforts of the Trump administration and FRC, helped prepare pastors for the persecution he sees on the horizon: "[W]e need to...begin to build their hearts, especially in, I think, intimacy with God, because when we love someone, we're willing to suffer for them... And so we make that decision now that we will be faithful, that we will look to him because we need to make those decisions now so that when we're under pressure, we do not run. But we stand firm."

Dr. Mark Harris, pastor and new vice president for the association of churches and ministries that FRC is forming, encouraged pastors to join our new association and tap into all the benefits offered: "For me as a pastor, Family Research Council has some of the greatest resources that any pastor could ever hope to find.... And not only that, you've got the fellowship of other pastors in your community and in your state that are there. And then we've got ministries... such as the Stand Courageous men's conferences..."

Finally, we launched the new Center for Biblical Worldview with the director David Closson, senior research fellow George Barna, and former congressman and President Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows, who was asked how pastors can pray. He responded: "Pray for leadership... pray for boldness, pray for those in Congress who are willing to stand up against all persecution." Tony concluded with a challenge: "We must stand in the gap. We must rise up and proactively defend the truth. We must stand on God's word and advance Biblical truth. And having done everything, we are committed to standing. May God bless you and may God bless our nation."

Please forward the link to this virtual event to your pastor and encourage him to join the ranks of multiplied thousands of Watchmen all across America. We firmly believe that, under God, the future of America depends largely on them taking their stand in this critical moment in our nation's history. What could God do through your pastor taking his place with these Watchmen? Get him connected with us, pray for him, and find out!