Justice, Compassion, and Hope: A Letter to Pastors and Churches on the Chauvin Verdict

A Letter to Pastors and Churches from Pastor Jeff Evans, Director of the Minnesota Church Ambassador Network

The Chauvin trial has come to a close. Christians around the state have a wide range of opinions and emotions. Some are relieved, some celebratory that justice has been served, and others concerned that justice may not have been served.  No doubt, you have been asked what you think about all that has transpired. You may be hearing (or delivering) a sermon on this very topic this Sunday.  While we don’t pretend to know all the right responses to such a multifaceted issue, there are a few things we think are essential for everyone to consider.

First, compassion for the family of George Floyd. He was a human being made in the image of God. No verdict will bring him back to his family and friends.

Second, human justice has been rendered through our court system, and needs to be respected. “…[T]here is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).  Such justice, though human (and therefore always imperfect and incomplete), is part of God’s mercy toward society. We should give thanks to God for the trial administered by Judge Cahill, the service of the jurors, and the long hours put in both by the prosecution and defense. What’s more, compassion and justice belong together, so let us thank pastors and lay leaders who prayed and worked hard for peace in the streets of our cities, and for the constitutional right of free and non-violent expression. Let us also pray for Derek Chauvin, and the other officers who participated in the tragic events of May 25, 2020. (Click here to continue reading)

A Victory for Women's Sports Protections and School Choice in the Minnesota Senate

In the past week, more than 600 Minnesota Family Council supporters contacted their state senators asking them to support school choice and girls’ sports, and those actions had results! On Thursday the Minnesota Senate approved a bipartisan education budget bill that empowers families with school choice options and protects athletic opportunities for female athletes in Minnesota!

The bill includes the language from Senator Carrie Ruud’s Save Women’s Sports bill that would preserve women’s sports by ensuring that biological males are not allowed to compete in female athletics and clarifies that any school that allows male athletes to compete on girls’ sports teams is in violation of Title IX and existing Minnesota laws that protect athletic opportunities for women and girls.

The bill would also create Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) that would equip parents to pursue educational opportunities that fit their family’s values and their children’s educational needs. Under the ESA program, when a parent chooses to withdraw their child from public school, the child’s share of state education assistance would be deposited into a savings account that parents would be able to use for tuition and fees at a different school, online learning, instructional material, or other educational expenses.

These provisions are good news for Minnesota’s families! They recognize that parents are the ones who are ultimately responsible for their children’s education and equip them to pursue an education that is the best fit for their students, and they recognize the biological differences between men and women and preserve fairness and opportunities in light of those differences.

Bloomington is the Latest Minnesota City to Pass a Restrictive Counseling Ban

On Monday evening, Bloomington became the ninth Minnesota city to adopt a so-called “conversion therapy ban.” Other cities that have adopted these bans include Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Duluth, and Rochester. With Bloomington joining their ranks, that means the five largest cities in Minnesota have adopted counseling bans. These draconian bans prevent minors who are struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria from receiving counseling to help them live in accordance with their biological sex.

By policing what a licensed counselor or therapist may say to his or her clients, these bans inappropriately infringe on the relationship between mental health care providers and their clients. Under Bloomington’s ban, mental health professionals can be fined $500 for their first violation and $1000 for subsequent violations if they offer counseling that does not fall in line with the LGBT agenda. 

It is not the place of elected officials to determine who gets counseling care and who doesn’t, and yet that is exactly what these bans do. These bans prevent families and individuals from pursuing and licensed professionals from offering counsel that accords with their Christian beliefs.

For young people struggling with gender dysphoria, counseling bans leave them to be ushered into social transition and medical “treatments” that carry tragic life-long effects and do not improve mental health outcomes. The vast majority of minors struggling with gender dysphoria who do not “transition” become comfortable with their biological sex by the time they reach adulthood.

A Prominent LGBT Group Gets It Wrong on "The Promise to America's Children"

In a recent Guide for Journalists encouraging reporting that promotes the LGBT agenda, GLAAD, a pro-LGBT activist group, smeared pro-family organizations and the Promise to America’s Children coalition as “attacking” young people with gender dysphoria and lobbying to advance an “agenda of hate.” This simply is not true. Promise to America’s Children is a promise to protect and treasure America’s children, recognizing their value and dignity and to refuse to allow them to be sexualized and used. 

Children deserve to be protected, valued, and loved, not used as political pawns to advance a radical sexual agenda, which is why Minnesota Family Council is part of the Promise to America’s Children coalition.

Promise to America’s Children pledges to protect children – body, mind, and heart – from harmful sexual ideologies. This means treasuring children’s minds by protecting them from pornography and other graphic sexual content; equipping kids with education that is tailored to their needs as identified by their parents - not bureaucrats or self-appointed "experts"; ensuring their right to free speech, including their right not to be compelled to promote messages that violate their consciences; and protecting their right to receive counseling that their parents determine is safe, appropriate, and in their best interest.

It also means honoring children’s bodies by protecting their right to safety and privacy in sex-specific spaces such as locker rooms, restrooms, and showers; maintaining fairness and safety in sports by recognizing biological differences and not forcing female athletes to compete against males; and protecting children from dangerous, experimental “treatments” that cause permanent damage to their physical bodies while failing to alleviate their mental distress.