Evangelicals Prepare Plans to Reclaim America for Christ

Some 900 Evangelical Christians from across 40 US states gathered at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the 2005 Reclaiming America for Christ Conference, on Friday, Feb. 18, 2005.

The conference, which featured several keynote evangelical speakers, including Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission, David Limbaugh, Rush Limbaugh's brother and author of Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christianity, and David Barton, a Christian historian who was listed among Time magazine's 25 most influential evangelicals, addressed issues of concern for today’s evangelicals and laid out a game-plan to "reclaim America for Christ" in the next four years.

Gary Cass, the executive director of the Centre for Reclaiming America, urged the evangelicals to answer their civic call to duty and get involved with the government, according to the Miami Herald.

"We used to be a minority and now we've got to learn how to lead," Cass said. "It's very ambitious, and we can't do it alone, and that's why you're here."

Cass also outlined four new initiatives in the fight to protect traditional marriage, the sanctity of unborn life and the freedom of religion, during one of several grass-roots training sessions. The four, as listed by the Herald, were: Opening a lobbying office in Washington, D.C.; Launching a "strategy institute" to study the tactics of their political opponents; Expanding the centre's media outreach; Recruiting one million grass-roots activists around the country.

Cass also addressed the critical need to appoint sound Supreme Court judges and to open faith-based action centres in all 435 congressional districts. To accomplish such plans, Cass said, there must be a "war chest" to allow evangelicals to do what must be done.

"We're raising money to have a war chest so that we can do what we need to do," said Cass.

Meanwhile, Land, named one of the most influential evangelicals by Time magazine, explained in Christian terms why evangelicals must seek God’s guidance in carrying out their civic duty.

"We've got God-sized problems in our country and only God can solve them," Land said, alluding to the high divorce rates and the growing efforts to legalise gay "marriage".

The Reclaiming America annual meeting closes on Saturday, February 19, 2005.




Pauline J. Chang
Ecumenical Press