Old Soldiers Never Die

A birthday wish to my good friend and predecessor at the Christian Coalition of Washington from 1993 to 1997. Dave Welch is currently the Executive Director for the Greater Houston Area Pastors' Council in Houston, Texas.


“Old soldiers never die. They just fade away.”
--Gen. Douglas MacArthur

Sir David,

What a month. Both you and Barack Obama celebrating your 50th birthdays!

Although you are now becoming an “old soldier,” somehow I don’t think you will ever “fade away.” You are certain to go out with a bang!

I think back to our earliest connection—it was shortly after your family arrived at Evergreen Christian Center in Olympia. I was told that some young guy was out in the foyer registering people to vote. Hmph…that job belonged to Shirley Brundage and me! We were the official whack jobs that always made the pastoral staff uneasy—what with thinking that God is lord of all—even Church and State. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Welch.

Dave, while we’ve shared many worthwhile experiences along the path we’ve both been called to, one remembrance blesses me above most others when your name comes to mind.

It was some 17 years ago—probably that banner year of 1994 when you literally ran the tires off your car (as well as transmission and rear-end) recruiting Christians for county precinct work all around Washington State. This particular late spring Saturday morning, you, Paul Middleton, and I, were heading over Snoqualmie Pass for a ten o’clock breakfast meeting in Ellensburg with fellow Christian Coalition members.

We were just starting up the pass after a brief pit stop in North Bend, when you directed Paul to pull off to the shoulder behind what appeared to be a disabled car with hood in the air. As we approached the vehicle from behind, we could see a flat tire, and a lady standing nearby. She didn’t know what to do, especially with the locking wheel covers.

Now, there were several reasons why we could have been excused from pulling over. First, we were already running a few minutes behind schedule. Second, it was a busy highway and there were lots of other cars passing by and services were only three or four minutes behind us. And, third, we were dressed in business attire, including white shirts and ties. But almost before I could finish those thoughts, you had your sleeves rolled up and had pulled a tire and jack from the lady’s trunk. I’ll have to say at that moment, the Lord was showing me who you REALLY were—and are!

Some say that moments like that are opportunities for us to develop character. Nonsense. I say that moments like that reveal one’s character. I thank God for who you are in Christ.

I’ll always treasure that special memory of you, my friend. Have a wonderful 50th birthday.

Regulate Those "Baby-lovers"

An abortion doctor has been arrested along with nine other suspects accused of murder and other illegal practices at West Philadelphia’s “Women’s Medical Society.” Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 69, is charged with eight counts of murder in the deaths of a woman following a botched abortion and seven other babies, who prosecutors allege, were born alive following illegal late-term abortions and then were killed by severing their spinal cords with a pair of scissors.

Gosnell, who has never been certified as an OB/GYN, is also accused of re-using unsanitary instruments and performing procedures in filthy rooms. Some of the rooms had litter boxes and animals present at the time of the operations. A search of his office revealed that bags and bottles holding aborted fetuses were scattered throughout the building. Jars containing the severed feet of babies lined a shelf. Investigators also said Gosnell allowed unlicensed employees, including a 15-year-old high school student, to perform operations and administer anesthesia.

In Olympia, reaction to this news has been swift. On Monday, the House Committee on Health Care &Wellness will hear HB 1366, “Concerning limited service pregnancy centers.”

Incredibly—and I mean INCREDIBLY—26 House Democrats have signed on to a bill that not only ignores the practices of in-state abortion clinics, it actually imposes new peculiar burdens on CareNet centers that exist to encourage and provided limited assistance for women who wish to carry their babies to full term.

Essentially, House Bill 1366 requires centers that do not provide abortion services to disclose that fact in five different languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Cambodian, and Laotian) in 30 point font on the front door of the centers, and on any advertisement or notice promoting the centers services.

HB1366 adds layers of regulations and liabilities associated with medical records that do not apply to any other medical/pregnancy (abortion) centers in Washington State.

And, HB1366 creates a private cause of action (lawsuit) against pregnancy centers for violations of any of the above regulations. In lawsuits against pregnancy centers anyone can be an aggrieved party even if that party has never been in or even seen a pregnancy center, and, there is no need to prove damages. Those who sue can collect legal fees if they win, but pregnancy centers cannot collect legal fees if they win.

In summary, HB1366 creates significant liability for faith-based pregnancy centers that receive no tax dollars while providing at least $16 million in free services to communities in Washington simply because they do not offer abortion services.

You may leave a message for your state representatives by dialing 1-800-562-6000—as I just finished doing.

Israel's Terrible Fires

Worst Fires in Modern Era

You probably heard about the fires that were raging in the forests of Mt. Carmel in northern Israel earlier this month—the worst in Israel’s modern 62-year history. Forty-two Israelis died, more than 17,000 people from 12 Israelis towns had to be evacuated, and about 45 percent of the Carmel Forest was destroyed.

No doubt the reason I am still thinking about the fires is because in a few weeks I will travel through the Carmel Mountains with 31 others from the Puget Sound region. Mount Carmel is where the prophet Elijah squared up against 450 prophets of Baal.

Anyway, on December 6, we were asked by a devout Jewish lady we know in “Samaria,” to pray for “G-d” to spare Israel further carnage. So we prayed, as many did, and the next day the fires were out.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu learned of the Carmel fires late on December 2nd. Since Israel does not own any fire suppression planes, he called several foreign leaders for help. “Within 24 hours, said Netanyahu, “we had 10 planes in the air from many countries.” More planes came within 48 hours, including the American ‘supertanker’ that can drop 80,000 gallons of water in a matter of minutes.

“We have to face the possibility of fires in the future that consume a large part of Israel,” said Mr. Netanyahu, differentiating between ‘mega fires’ and normal home, office or factory fires. “This requires a fundamentally different strategic plan,” he said.

The Joshua Fund’s Joel Rosenberg said he couldn’t help but think of Ezekiel 38-39 which indicates that in the “last days” there will be fire raining down from heaven in the region. “The Lord’s purpose will be, in part, to defeat Israel’s enemies. But there could be collateral damage, and Israel will need to be ready to fight such massive fires to protect their own citizens, as well as to be a blessing to their neighbors,” said Rosenberg.

Meanwhile, our Jewish friend followed up with this email:

(Dec 7)—“…Today it is raining in Israel, for the first time in months. Indeed, since March, it has rained maybe two or three times, and each time not very heavily. I have no idea how long the rain today will last and whether it will mark the beginning, finally, of the winter season in Israel, but it is a great day in any case. A day worthy of praise to G-d who has seen to our needs and opened up the heavens.”

Indeed, God does attend to Israel’s needs—and ours—when we cry out to Him. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:16)

It Really Hurts to Lose

Election 2010 is already in the rear view mirror and we’re on to other things. But I received an email from a candidate who lost his race and I want to share it with you:

"Dear Rick,"

"As you've probably tracked, our deficit has widened in the latest recount. It isn't possible to make up this difference now. The trend is going the wrong way.

Obviously, I'm disappointed and a little mystified. I'll have to do some more post-election analysis to better understand what went wrong for us.

My wife, family, neighbors, supporters, and … are completely devastated. I have one volunteer who probably door-belled six precincts himself—solo. Many other volunteers and some donors as well. I hate to let people down, but I failed. It isn't as bad as experiencing the loss of a major start-up company and having to lay off 50+ employees who I recruited and worked with for years, but it probably ranks in my top ten un-enjoyable experiences.

I greatly fear that these local election results will embolden the other side. I also worry about the discouragement on our side... However, I have caused great financial hardship to my family which might be difficult to overcome, so I will need to resolve that challenge first. I don't know if this can be done.

We did not enter into this political race lightly. My wife and I prayed about it for months before we jumped in. The Lord seemed to open so many critical doors for us to do this, so as always, I expect that I can only look back from some future date and understand why. Perhaps we will never understand, but it is fulfilling to see a small part of His plan come together and at least understand a small piece of it. I also can't really explain why I felt so moved by God in this process.

Please keep my family in your prayers..."

I think this letter points out what a huge commitment one makes when running for public office. If you get a chance this week, let someone who gave it their best know how much they are valued.

Textbook Wars Continue

Perhaps you have been following the debate between conservatives and liberals on the Texas State Board of Education. We have been interested because two states, Texas and California, drive the school textbook market through volume purchases. What they want in a school book will eventually wind up in classrooms in most other states. Well this is just in from Citizenlink.com:

“Late last Friday, the Texas State Board of Education passed social studies curriculum standards that strengthen requirements on teaching the Judeo-Christian influences of the nation's Founding Fathers and calls for the U.S. government to be referred to as a "constitutional republic" rather than "democracy." The guidelines will be used to teach some 4.8 million students for the next 10 years. They also will be used by textbook publishers who often develop materials for other states based on those approved in Texas.

In one of the most significant changes, the board—by a 11-3 bipartisan vote—approved strong language regarding religious freedom, which includes language from the U.S. Constitution and correctly identifies the source, context and intent of the popular phrase "separation of church and state." Additionally, the board rejected language to change the historic periods, B.C. and A.D., to B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and C.E. (Common Era).

The approval came after some had wanted to remove or diminish references in the Texas textbooks to Christmas, Independence Day and our religious heritage. A majority of the board stood firm and voted 9-5 to strike down attempts to rewrite history. Former board chairman Don McLeroy, one of the board's most outspoken conservatives, said the Texas history curriculum has been unfairly skewed to the left and he just wants to bring it back to balance.

California State Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) has now introduced legislation that would ensure that none of the new Texas standards are reflected in his state's textbooks.” CitizenLink.com

As you can see, Sacramento now becomes ground zero in the school textbook wars. We believe this is an important development and we trust you will join us in prayer for California schools.

For Tea Party Candidates

No doubt you are aware of the Tea Party movement and perhaps have attended a local rally or helped the cause in some financial way. Generally speaking, I am glad to see the grassroots movement gaining a foothold during this precipitous political season. My only reservation is the underlying (libertarian) premise that “fiscal issues” are at the root of America’s problems but “social issues” are largely a distraction.

A recent commentary in The Phyllis Schlafly Report (May 2010) addresses my concerns:

“The pundits like to divide Republicans into two classes, the fiscal conservatives and the so-called social conservatives, and pretend that their interests are different and mutually exclusive. In fact, the overwhelming reason for big government’s extravagant spending, which is properly railed against by limited-government conservatives, is the breakdown in our culture, which social conservatives have been battling for years.

If limited-government conservatives are dreaming of taking back America for fiscal sanity in the November elections, they should study how the unprecedented decline in marriage and the increase in illegitimacy are the major causes of our bloated government and its gigantic welfare spending.

In 2008, 40.6% of children born in the United States were born outside of marriage; that’s 1,720,000 children. This is not, as the media try to tell us, a teenage problem. Only 7% of those illegitimate babies were born to girls under age 18, and over three-fourths were born to women over age 20. The problem is the collapse of marriage as the social institution responsible for the costs of the care of children…

…The wrong-headed welfare system started in the 1960s with Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society and his proclaimed war against poverty. The system should have been called the war against marriage. LBJ’s Great Society set up a grossly immoral system whereby billions of people were taught that they had an “entitlement” to pick the pockets of law-abiding, taxpaying families if they met two conditions: they didn’t work, and they were not married to someone who did work. This destroyed the work ethic and subsidized illegitimacy by giving single moms money and scores of benefits such as welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, housing, utilities, and commodities.

LBJ’s welfare system undermined marriage and greatly increased all the social problems that flow from fatherless homes, such as drugs, sex, suicide, runaways, and school dropouts. The feminists rejoiced because all the cash went to women, thereby deconstructing what they called the oppressive patriarchy, and the liberals rejoiced because these handouts required more bureaucrats and higher taxes.”

Something to consider next time someone says he is “fiscally conservative” but socially moderate.

Upside of Down Economy

During the past few months, much attention has been paid to the worrisome economic issues of our day. Jobless rates are on the rise as are taxes. Worse, government is taking over huge portions of the private sector, having squandered billions in public trust funds—even to the exhaustion of the Social Security system.

There is also widespread concern in the Church. Ministry leaders worry that reduced “monies” (giving) will greatly hamper the impact and effectiveness of local congregations. However, an article this week in ChristianPost.com challenges that assumption:


“A recent ‘Lean Staffing’ survey — conducted by Leadership Network, partnered with Christianity Today International's Your Church magazine and Leadership Journal — discovered that it is possible to do ministry on less. The survey was conducted in January, 2010, and polled 735 leaders from Protestant and evangelical churches across the United States with attendance ranging from 52 to 28,000. Of that, the study separated 539 respondents to generate the ‘lean staffing’ comparison. Fifteen percent of that group spends less than 35 percent of its budget on staff, while the rest spend between 35 percent and 65 percent.”

“Warren Bird, director of research with Leadership Network, notes that, based on the survey's results, he was encouraged to see ‘lean-staffing churches spend a higher percentage of the budget money outside of their wall. ... It can be done.’… However, what the survey doesn't reveal is a recipe showing precisely how those slim-staffed churches do it.”

“Bird did say some general patterns from the ‘Lean Staffing’ survey can help churches begin evaluating their thinking now. In particular:

• Lean-staffed churches averaged one paid staff member per 86 attendees compared to a 1-to-70 ratio for those that spend more on staffing.

• Lean-staffed churches generally spent 18 percent of the budgets on outreach, such as missions and community aid, compared to 15 percent by the other group.

• Based on those numbers, church leaders can determine their staff-to-attendee ratios and the percentage of the budget spent on outreach, and then evaluate how much, if at all, they want those numbers to shift.”

“Overall, churches with lean-staff budgets do more with volunteers and lay leadership development, outsource certain staff jobs, tend to have poorer congregations and have extra income sources beyond donations from members. And, to a lesser extent, they are larger in size (attendance), growing, younger in average attendee age, younger in age as a church, located in an older residential area and using at least three part-time staff for each full-time staff.”


Simply put, our faltering economy could force more lay leaders and volunteers to shoulder the “Ark of the Gospel” as is the case in other global regions where the Good News is spreading rapidly.

And the downside?