|
Dear John,
Family Research Council is celebrating its 40th year of advancing faith, family, and freedom.
By God's grace and through the prayers and financial provision of countless supporters like you, the Lord has blessed FRC--multiplying our impact and influence in Washington, D.C., throughout our nation, and around the world.
FRC's vision is a prevailing culture in which all human life is valued, families flourish, and religious liberty thrives. And for four decades--because of your generous partnership--we have equipped men and women nationwide to stand for biblical principles.
Today, we are celebrating this milestone while preparing for the next 40 years!
You are an integral part of this story, so I want to share with you FRC's unique history of championing faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview, as well as the critical battles we now face and how we are actively preparing with hope for the future.
As we reflect on what God has accomplished these past 40 years, we pray God will use FRC in this next season. There are challenges ahead, but with your investment, we will never stop advancing a biblical worldview in our nation and around the world.
Will you give a special 40th-Anniversary gift today to advance faith, family, and freedom for the next generation?
DONATE NOW
The seeds for FRC were planted when Dr. James Dobson met and prayed with a small group of Christian leaders at a Washington, D.C., hotel in 1980 as an outgrowth of a research planning meeting for President Carter's White House Conference on Families.
From that beginning, it was resolved to establish Family Research Council to counter the credentialed voices assembled against life and family with those of equally capable men and women of faith.
Through hard work and prayer, FRC officially opened its doors in 1983.
Since 2003, I have had the privilege of serving as FRC's fourth president. I am grateful for the vision and dedication of our founders and past leaders that, along with the faithful prayers and generosity of supporters like you, enabled FRC to become one of America's most innovative and effective policy organizations.
What was born out of a prayer meeting in 1980 has become a leading organization in advancing biblical truth and protecting religious freedom in public policy and culture.
It's fitting that FRC was founded on a posture of prayer. It reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:17, when the apostle Paul reminds Christians to "pray without ceasing," or have an attitude of prayer. Since FRC's inception, that attitude has been a lifeline in a cultural torrent that is increasingly hostile to what God's Word says about the value of unborn life, marriage, sexuality, and so much more.
My tenure at FRC began with the nationwide fight over the historical and biblical definition of marriage when in May of 2004 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court said it was unconstitutional to restrict marriage to couples of the opposite sex.
FRC was on the front lines of a decade-long battle that saw state after state adopt constitutional amendments declaring marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Then in a shocking abuse of power, the U.S. Supreme Court in the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision imposed same-sex marriage upon the nation, a decision that has had profound implications for the family, the church, and religious liberty. And the recent so-called Respect for Marriage Act will only accelerate and intensify attacks on religious freedom in our culture and courts.
Protecting the institution of marriage and religious freedom is fundamental to who we are as Bible-believing Americans. But this recent assault on marriage and religious liberty makes it open season for anyone who wants to live out their biblical faith.
At Family Research Council, we stand unwaveringly for policies that protect natural marriage and the family. Your generous gift today ensures FRC has the resources to continue standing in our nation's capital for faith, family, and freedom.
DONATE NOW
For years, hostility toward Christians has been on the rise, threatening religious freedom and free speech for many Americans. The cancel culture and widespread woke ideology are resulting in believers being increasingly isolated and rejected from mainstream society.
My friend Pastor Andrew Brunson, a missionary to Turkey who was jailed for his faith and who is now FRC's special advisor for religious freedom, warns that a "wave of hostility and persecution" is on the horizon for the church.
Already we have witnessed hundreds of criminal acts against churches, pregnancy resource centers, and pro-life organizations over the last five years. And this trend continues to rise. The first three months of 2023 saw approximately three times the number of acts of hostility perpetrated against churches in the same timeframe as last year.
With government and the culture constantly attempting to silence biblical values in the public square, we must not be intimidated.
Scripture encourages us in how we are to face opposition: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10-11, ESV).
Our nation is in crisis, but the heart of that crisis is not political, it is not even ideological--it is spiritual.
Let's remember the power of prayer that inspired FRC from day one. Let's root ourselves in the Word of God to stand against a culture that rejects biblical truth. And let's answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15) with boldness and without fear.
When we stand for biblical truth, we can turn the tide!
Today, will you take this special 40th-Anniversary opportunity to pray for our nation and help FRC reach the next level of influence and impact for the sake of America's future?
Thank you for your partnership over the past 40 years that has enabled us to protect unborn life and children, fight for natural marriage, and advance religious freedom both here in America and abroad.
| 
2023 Family Research Council.