AFA - Pastors – Past, Present, and Politics

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Colonial America was “a time when pastors believed the Christian faith was formative, not only to personal and ecclesiastical life, but also to cultural and national existence,” writes Stephen A. Flick, PhD. He is executive director of Christian Heritage Fellowship, an organization committed to reclaiming America’s Christian heritage.

Reviewing Truths of the Past

Our nation’s early history is well populated with godly pastors who spread the gospel for decades leading up to the Revolutionary War. They served God by evangelizing Native American Indians, pastoring early immigrant settlers, and ministering to the troops in wartime. Those 1770s pastors were prominent in crafting the foundation of the United States of America.

In fact, they frequently held official roles among the statesmen who declared our independence in 1776. More than one hundred years later (1864), author Joel Tyler Headley published an ambitious project titled The Chaplains and Clergy of the Revolution. Headley identified more than one hundred preachers and chaplains who served in the Revolutionary War.

Dr. Flick edited and enlarged Headley’s book with a similar title, Leading Clergy of the American Revolution. He says that he tackled the challenge “believing that Mr. Headley’s effort is an important contribution to the larger discussion of Christianity’s influence in the rise of America.”

Most of the men named in this book are not cited in secular history books – and certainly not in student textbooks in the nation’s public schools.

However, readers will find a few familiar names, e.g., Alexander Hamilton. Or we may have heard the dramatic story of Pastor John Peter Muhlenberg, who preached a fiery farewell sermon in which he announced that he was leaving to join the military.

Recognizing Danger in the Present

Unfortunately, over recent decades, the world’s greatest republic ever founded on biblical truths has taken a nosedive in its moral character and civil behavior. During this Pastor Appreciation Month, we honor the faithful pulpiteers who do hold the moral line on our nation’s raging cultural battlefield.

On the other hand, we must hold accountable the errant pastors who have abandoned lifting up Jesus Christ as the One who set the precedent for all human interaction.

“With the demise of confidence in the Bible in seminaries and universities,” Dr. Flick reminds us that many of today’s pastors “speak with diminishing confidence in the teaching of scripture and the faith that gave birth to America.”

At the same time, masses of Bible-believing Christians are confident that if every pulpit across the nation would convey the clear truths of God’s Word, we could yet turn the nation’s course back to a united front rooted in truth, respect, principled behavior, and righteousness. Count American Family Association and Christian Heritage Fellowship among champions of the cause.

Righting the Ship at the Polls

Clear-headed and honest citizens cannot ignore reality – our treasured Good Ol’ USA is skating on thin ice. However, in a few days, we head to the polls to decide if we dare begin rebuilding a national moral foundation or continue a downward spiral toward a socialist, anti-civil, and anti-God national chaos.

Voters in every state can find comprehensive insights into the views of both conservative and liberal political candidates on ballots across the nation at AFA Action’s iVoterGuide.

“It is imperative that Christians exercise our right to vote and that we support candidates who stand for biblical morality,” said AFA executive vice president Ed Vitagliano. “To do less is irresponsible citizenship.”

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