Church Ambassador Network

QUICK DOWNLOADS:

1. Download a copy of our core principles HERE.
2. Download a copy of our CAN Vision HERE.
3. Download a copy of our Rationale, Core Principles and Purpose HERE.
4. Download a copy of “Just Imagine” HERE
5. Download a copy of “Practical Guidelines for Connecting with Elected Officials” HERE.

Introduction

At the Church Ambassador Network, we hold to the teachings of Scripture that government is an institution of God’s with the purpose of punishing evil and rewarding good, and that those who serve in it are God’s ministers. We believe that government is separate from the Church, and has its own unique responsibility. However, government needs moral guidance and counsel from the Church to fulfill its purpose to punish evil and reward good. It needs the true north that the Church provides through its head, Christ, and the Word of God.

Our Purpose

To develop authentic, redemptive relationships between Bible-believing pastors and elected officials who serve in statewide and local offices. We want the pastors in our state to view our Capitol in Madison and their local seat of government as mission fields.

Rationale

Recognizing that government is ordained of God and that its primary functions are to reward those who do right and punish those who do evil (Romans 13; I Peter 2:13-17); believing that elected officials are ministers of God who are given to us for our good (Romans 13:4); remembering that God’s standard for rulers is that they must be just, ruling  in the fear of God (II Samuel 23:3); mindful that rulers and all that are in authority are to be a special focus of prayer by God’s people (I Timothy 2:1-2); believing that God would have all men to come to saving faith (I Timothy 2:4) and that our witness must include our own Jerusalems (Acts 1:8; cf. Jeremiah 29:7); recognizing that pastors have unique spiritual authority (Hebrews 13:17; cf. I Samuel 9:6); and believing that those who govern need the spiritual authority and influence of pastors in their lives, just as David needed a Nathan, Nebuchadnezzar needed a Daniel, etc.

Our Core Principles

1. God desires ALL people to trust in Him for salvation. I Timothy 2:4; II Peter 3:9.
2. God is not a Democrat, Independent, or Republican; God is not a conservative, liberal or moderate. He is God, and His ways are not our ways. I Corinthians 1:25; Isaiah 55:8-9.
3. The United States of America is not a covenant nation, like biblical Israel. However, it is a nation that has experienced God’s blessings because of God’s grace and because to some extent it has honored God’s principles and precepts. Psalm 33:12; Proverbs 14:34.
4. Living a biblically moral life is not the same thing as spiritual transformation. Romans 2-3; Romans 10:3.
5. The Gospel, and the Gospel alone, has the power to transform individuals. Transformed individuals in turn transform the culture and the nation.
6. Pastors and churches are ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven. II Corinthians 5:20.
7. God created the family, government, and the Church. Each has a unique role that must remain distinct, but they should work together under God. Romans 13; I Peter 2:13-17.
8. Rulers are uniquely called by God to administer justice with the aid of the timeless counsel of the truth of God’s Word. Romans 13. Cf. II Samuel 8:15; II Kings 12:2; I Timothy 3:15.
9. Paul ministered to the Jew and Gentile, to the philosophers, to a king, and to those of Caesar’s household. Our commitment is to minister to legislators irrespective of party affiliation in ways that never compromise the truth of the Gospel and the truth of God’s Word. Cf. Joshua 5:13-14.
10. We will serve as ambassador missionaries who work to build intentional redemptive relationships with the ministers of the Lord’s institution of government with the goal of serving all, building up those who are believers, and sharing the gospel with those who are not believers.

Download a copy of our core principles HERE.

Proposal

Wisconsin Family Council will initiate and facilitate the engagement of Bible-believing pastors[1] from all over our state to meet on a regular basis with elected officials in our state Capitol and/or in their home districts. While the legislature is in session, our goal is ultimately  to have pastors in the Capitol at least three days each week—e.g., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, legislative schedule permitting—with some pastors being there once or twice during the legislative session, some once a month, and some weekly; that every pastor seek out at least one opportunity per year to meet with his state representative and state senator in their home district when the legislature is not in session; and that pastors also seek to connect with their local officials several times a year.

The goals of these meetings are:

1. Establish a relationship with one or more legislators;
2. Discover how to pray for the legislator and his/her family, and his/her work in the legislature, and his/her staff;
3. Pray for the legislator one on one, if possible, while at the capitol, and commit to praying for the legislator privately and as a church family on a regular basis, preferably at least weekly;
4. Be prepared to offer the legislator appropriate biblical counsel or guidance, if/when asked for, and as opportunity allows;
5. Offer guidance on issues of interest to the pastor or where the pastor has special expertise (g., sanctity of life, drug addiction, racial reconciliation, etc.), again, if/when asked for.
6. In all of this, our intention is that pastors focus on developing authentic relationships with our state legislators apart from any political or policy agenda.

The primary goal of the Church Ambassador Network (CAN) is to demonstrate the love of Christ and to share the light of the gospel. If this established redemptive relationship opens the door and/or lays a foundation for giving input on the moral issues of the day (sanctity of life, gambling, transgender ideology, the nature of marriage, addictions, racial reconciliation, immigration, etc.), that will be viewed as a blessing and welcomed opportunity. However, this must always be viewed as a secondary (though positive) outcome.

The primary purpose is to develop as much as possible authentic, redemptive relationships with the legislator; pray with and for the legislator, his/her family and his/her staff; ultimately, share the gospel with the legislator who is not a Christian; encourage the legislator who is a Christian. As it relates to coming to the Capitol, we want pastors to view that as similar to taking a short-term missions trip.

We cannot emphasize too strongly that this endeavor is non-partisan, non-political, non-policy in nature and that the party currently “in power” is irrelevant to this initiative. Our challenge is for the Bible-believing pastors in our state to view the Capitol as a mission field. Our assumption is that pastors care about the lost and will be excited about this opportunity to personally connect with, pray with and for elected officials and will earn the right to share the gospel with them as a result of developing authentic redemptive relationships. There is no hidden political agenda here. If policy or political issues arise as a natural consequence of an established relationship, that is fine. But that is explicitly not the goal and intent of this initiative.

Addressing the issues of the day should only be done after a relationship is established and when such input is appropriate or sought.

While we want pastors to connect with the state representative and state senator representing his community, they certainly are not limited to connecting only with their own elected officials. Further, we encourage pastors to intentionally plan to meet with their representatives and senators in their home districts when the legislature is not in session.

While the focus of the CAN is on developing redemptive relationships with state legislators, we further hope (as touched on above) that an outgrowth of the CAN is pastors/churches initiating and developing redemptive relationships with their local elected officials (Mayor, alders, county supervisors, etc.)

[1] For the purposes of this ministry we will understand “Bible-believing pastor” to be one who subscribes at a minimum to the National Association of Evangelicals Statement of Faith:  “We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.” [As adopted by the National Association of Evangelicals.]

Download a copy of our Rationale, Core Principles and Purpose HERE.