A Call to Repentance & Renewal

An Open Letter to Christian pastors, leaders and believers 

who assist the anti-Christian Progressive political movement in America

September 27, 2016

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation… (St. Paul, II Corinthians 7:10 NIV)

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Tip:  To help substantiate claims in the letter, please click on embedded links.  A Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section will soon be added to our website.  We seek to base concerns in hard data including public financial and other documents of foundations and the U.S. government.  Surely we are not without error as this is a complex story and we are still learning.  We invite corrections and information.  May this lead to a healed and healthy church and nation.

We invite you to sign the letter, at the bottom

Each of us is called to repentance. Our entire nation will be revived as we return to the Lord. We, the evangelical and Catholic signatories below, know we are sinners forgiven by the saving work of Christ. And believers who normally turn the other cheek are, at times, also called to overturn tables. This is a moment for such believers to speak truth to power.

After years of earnest but less public attempts, it is now with heavy hearts, and a hope for justice and restoration, that we Christian leaders urge ‘progressive’ evangelicals and Catholics to repent of their work that often advances a destructive liberal political agenda. We write as true friends knowing that most believers mean well. We desire the best for you and for the world God loves.

As recent leaked documents confirm, and as Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners eventually admitted, wealthy, anti-Christian foundations, following the lead of billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Foundation, fund and “rent”* Christian ministers as “mascots” serving as surprising validators for their causes. The consequent realities include injury to countless people, the Church, the family, nation and the global Church including many martyrs.

We must reclaim the Church’s witness in the world. Biblical truth and wisdom are the highest love for human beings.  While God loves justice and mercy for all, many “social justice” campaigns are politically crafted and not the true Gospel. Only the truth of our sin, both personal and systemic, and Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for our salvation and rebirth, is true hope for persons and nations. The gospel charges all things with hope.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” ~ Jesus, John 14:6

We are not here endorsing or denouncing a political candidate but reminding you of basic Christian morality. How ironic, stale and shameless for the very leaders whose ‘progressive’ policies are hurting minority communities to falsely label those with political differences as ‘racists.’ Under liberal leadership, Hispanics and African-Americans suffer the loss of work and income, rising urban violence and family disintegration including children targeted by abortionists for death. It’s time to tell the truth and rebuild together.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught, “In contrast to ethical relativism, Christianity sets forth a system of absolute moral values.”  He wrote, “We need to recapture the gospel glow of the early Christians who were non-conformists …. Their powerful gospel put an end to such barbaric evils as infanticide …. Finally, they captured the Roman Empire for Jesus Christ.”

To religious leaders assisting unwise, anti-Christian politicians and global elites:

• What wise and loving biblical morality would Jesus declare to be ‘hate-speech’?
• What justification would Jesus offer for ending the lives of unborn children and selling their body parts to the highest bidder?
• What money would Jesus give to a nation stating, “Death to Israel and America”?
• What judges would Jesus appoint who attack Christian believers and the Church?

“Tolerance [of evil] is not a spiritual gift; it is the distinguishing mark of postmodernism,and sadly, it has permeated the very fiber of Christianity.”~ Rev. Dr. John Stott

Consider some of the consequences of Progressive political activism over the past eight years:

1. A growth industry trafficking in human baby organs and body parts – funded and defended by the Democratic Party.
2. The abandonment of a biblical view of marriage that protected and liberated children and adults from centuries of pagan slavery, poverty, polygamy and non-life-giving sexuality.
3. The Transgender agenda imposed by Obama-government edict, including gender re-education to be forced on our citizens, businesses, schools, military and churches.
4. Doubling of our national debt, economic stagnation and increased welfare dependency.
5. Increased minority unemployment, poverty and violent inner city lawlessness, with an accompanying loss of opportunity, self-determination and family stability.
6. Heightened racial division and tension, and the growing phenomenon of paid demonstrators being recruited and dispatched to instigate protests that often become riots.
7. Open borders and ‘sanctuary’ cities increasing drugs, disease, crime, gangs and terrorism.
8. Forced refugee resettlement in hundreds of American cities without citizen consent, mandated by the federal government in collusion with the United Nations. “Refugees” are primarily non-assimilating Muslims, while authorities reject persecuted Christians.
9. Hostility towards Judeo-Christian religious liberty in our courts, media and universities including the suppression of conservative speakers, free thought and moral education.
10. The widespread, political use of the IRS to intimidate conservative, patriotic and Christian groups that disagree with the current political establishment.

After such demoralization and pain, why would any religious leader ask Christians to embrace a Progressive political agenda that is clearly anti-Christian?

When Hillary Clinton stated during a 2015 speech at the Women in the World Summit that religious beliefs “have to be changed,” she was openly declaring war on Christian believers and the Church. And now Progressives claim that supporting such a view is the Christian thing to do?  This is spiritual abuse of the family, the Church and the nation.

“The framers of our Constitution meant we were to have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.” Rev. Billy Graham

For many years, Soros’s Open Society and other liberal foundations have funded not only most of the disturbing campaigns mentioned above (1-10) but also the Religious Left, using and creating ostensibly evangelical and Catholic organizations to “message and mobilize” Christians into Progressive causes. They use the Marxist-Alinsky tactic of funding “ministers” who cherry-pick faith language to confuse and divide the Church’s morality, mission and vote.

At a time when many Christian ministries are struggling, a few of the Soros network “faith” and “interfaith” grantees are Jim Wallis of Sojourners, Richard Cizik’s New Evangelical Partnership, Telos, J Street to malign Israel, “ Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, Faithful America and Gamaliel. Faith in Public Life to “counter” Christians and the Tea Party in the media and, with PICO, advocate for amnesty, mass Islamic migration, and even to attempt to influence the visit and priorities of Pope Francis himself. Billions of additional dollars to “Christian VOLAGs” for large scale “refugee” and migrant resettlement come from the Obama administration.

Joining “faith” fronts, the Soros network also funds thousands of other collaborators and projects that suggest a pattern and goal to demoralize America (and Europe). The list includes: film studios and hundreds of media outlets; attempts to control the Internet; racial and gender agitation; euthanasia; drug legalization and “injection zones;” abortion and the “sex worker” industry; Al Gore’s Climate campaign; pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel projects; the rights of jihadists and Sharia advocates.

In the ironic rhetoric of compassion, Soros and friends also fund mass immigration followed by redistricting schemes and “voting “rights,” while financing the campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. (Soros is a major donor to the Democratic Party and co-chairman of Ready for Hillary PAC.)  One wonders if the end goal is the destruction of national identity through demoralization, open borders and debt, thus the “fundamental transformation” (weakening) of American civil society for their leveraged global power. (They have done this to other nations.)

We urge you to question the true intentions of persons or organizations that receive money from Soros and other billionaire globalists. We must not give their surrogates four more years.

Our true America is more just, generative and loving than the “new America” of stateless and “post-American” social engineers. Global socialism is a system of control over the lives of others. This sends us backwards. The hostility of the Progressive political agenda to biblical faith is foreign to the Spirit of Jesus. Instead, let us do justice to the American story and future. Though imperfect, it is a great forward leap in human dignity, freedom and actual progress.

And so we ask again, why do those who claim to share our faith in Christ continue to advocate for politicians who will pass legislation, and appoint justices and judges who will attack Christian liberty and persecute believers? Turning our nation over to the enemies of biblical faith does not honor Christ, promote love of neighbor, or advance God’s kingdom in the world.

We ask those who have intentionally or unwittingly aided the Progressive agenda in the past to look at the actual consequences of their policies. Please stop inviting fellow believers to assist global profiteers and political activists who are determined to de-Christianize America. Please repent, refuse funding and turn away from those who attack the Church and injure the nation. 

Only the Gospel restores hope. Let us return to the whole counsel of Scripture, not the political abuse of Scripture.  Together, we can commit to healing, wisdom and renewal of our faith and culture. Let’s stimulate humility and gratitude, not pride and entitlement. Let’s see the image of God in people and enable the virtuous cycle of creativity, opportunity, work, productivity, wealth and thus greater voluntary generosity. (We will explore solutions at AmericanEvangelicals.org)

To the Church in every nation, now is the time to pray, to speak and to act with Godly courage. If America continues to fall, the mission of the global Church also suffers. We are bound together. Let us stand together.

“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” Rev. Billy Graham

In faith, hope and Agape love, we write as evangelical and Catholic followers of Jesus Christ, stewards of the nation he has placed us in, and fellow workers for the Kingdom of God in the world He loves.

                                                * affiliations for identification purposes only

Kelly Monroe Kullberg                                  America Conservancy; author, Finding God Beyond Harvard

Dr. Alveda King                                             Civil Rights for the Unborn, Director; Priests for Life; Evangelist

Bob McEwen                                                  U.S. House of Representatives, Fmr. Member, Ohio

Steve Largent                                                  NFL Hall of Fame; U.S. House of  Representatives, Fmr. Member, OK                    

Lt. Gen. Wm. “Jerry” Boykin                        Founder, Kingdom Warriors Ministry

Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely                               US Army (Ret), Stand Up America/Glacial Forum

Eric Metaxas                                                   Bonhoeffer; and If You Can Keep It, author; Radio host

Miles McPherson                                            The Rock Church, San Diego, Pastor

Bishop Harry R Jackson, Jr.                            Hope Christian Church; High Impact Leadership Coalition

George Barna                                                   Researcher and author

Mat Staver                                                       Liberty Counsel, Founder and Chairman

Dr. Jim Garlow                                                Senior Pastor, Skyline Church, San Diego

Kay Coles James                                             Former Bush Appointee; author, Transforming America

Dr. Everett Piper                                             Oklahoma Wesleyan University, President

Fr. Frank Pavone                                            Priests for Life, National Director

Tim Wildmon                                                 American Family Association & A.F. Radio, President

Herman Martir                                               Asian Action Network, President

Kevin Freeman                                              National Security Investment Consultant Institute, founder

Pastor Fred Berry                                           Azusa Street Mission

Sandy Rios                                                     American Family Association, Director of Government Affairs

Sam Sorbo                                                     Actress, author and radio show host

Mariam Bell                                                  Former National Policy Director for Charles Colson

Dr. Ted Baehr                                                MovieGuide, Publisher

Jeremy Story                                                 Campus Renewal, President

Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riano                            Regent University, Executive Vice President

Dr. Wayne Grudem                                       Phoenix Seminary, Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies

Dr. Jay Richards                                           The Catholic University of America

Steve Strang                                                 Charisma Media, Founder and President

Nancy Schulze                                             The American Prayer Initiative, Co-founder (with Vonette Bright)

Peggy Dau                                                   Voice of the Martyrs

Jason Benham                                              Entrepreneur, author and speaker

David Benham                                             Entrepreneur, author and speaker

Rebecca Hagelin                                          Family Talk (board); Council for National Policy, Secretary

Doug Benefield                                            Wounded Warrior Corps, Chairman/CEO (U.S. Navy)

David Barton                                               Author and speaker

Dr. Lance Wallnau                                       Speaker, leadership consultant

Stephen E. Reiter                                         Precept Ministries, Executive Director

Pastor Carlton Smith                                   Cleveland, Ohio

Dr. Jay Grimstead                                        Coalition On Revival

Jerry Nordskog                                            Nordskog Publishing, President and Publisher

Bryan Hickox                                              Bryan Hickox Pictures, Inc., President & CEO

Matt Bennett                                               Christian Union, CEO

Charles Limandri                                        Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund, President & Chief Counsel

Archbishop Wm. Paul Mikler                     Communio Christiana

Pastor Jim Franklin                                     Cornerstone Church, Fresno CA, Senior Pastor

Pastor Steve Riggle                                     Grace Church, Houston TX, Senior Pastor

David & Anne Durell                                  Columbus, Ohio

Mark Gonzalez                                            Hispanic Prayer Network and the Hispanic Action Network

Samuel B. Casey                                         Jubilee Campaign, Managing Director

Bill Dallas                                                   United in Purpose

Rick Scarborough                                       Vision America, President

Dave Welch                                                 U.S. Pastor Council, President

Linda Cattani                                              Cleveland Right to Life

Daniel Smithwick                                       Nehemiah Institute

Bob Williamson                                         The Williamson Group

Dr. John D. Morris                                     Institute for Creation Research, President Emeritus

Robert Schwarzwalder                               Regent University, Senior Lecturer

Pastor George Grant                                   Parish Presbyterian Church

Dran Reese                                                The Salt and Light Council, President

Dr. Benny Tate                                           Rock Springs Church, Senior Pastor

Robert K. Fischer                                       Conservatives of Faith

Pastor Dudley Rutherford                          Shepherd Church, Porter Ranch, CA

Dr. Larry Lamb                                          Cielo Vista Church, El Paso, TX, Lead Pastor

Chip Weiant                                              Pregnancy Decision Health Center, Board Member

Diego Rodriguez                                       Publisher, Dominion Books

Dr. James Yanney                                     Charleston, South Carolina

Kitty Allen                                               Columbus, Ohio

William Millis                                          High Point, North Carolina

Kevin Jessip                                             Global Strategic Alliance, Founder and President

Bill Blankschaen                                      FaithWalkers, You Will Be Made to Care, co-author

Andrea Lafferty                                       Traditional Values Coalition

David Kullberg                                        Author, Breaking Babel; America Conservancy, President

Dean Broyles                                           National Center for Law & Policy, President

Chuck Hurley, Esq.                                 The Family Leader, Vice-President & Chief Counsel, Iowa

Molly Smith                                            Cleveland Right to Life, President; From the Median radio

John Becker, CTP, MBA                        State Representative, Ohio’s 65th District House of Rep.s

Jacqui Fetsko                                          Lake County Right to Life, Executive Director 

Michael Phillips                                     All In, President

Paula Westwood                                     Right to Life, Cincinnati OH, Executive Director

Steve Smothermon                                 Pastor of Legacy Church (Albuquerque)  

Pastor Tim Throckmorton                      Crossroads Church, Circleville, OH, Senior Pastor

Dr. Glenn Sunshine                                         Author, teacher and speaker

Rich Bott                                                            Bott Radio Network

John Zmirak                                                      Author; The Stream