This Month’s Updates:
human sexuality
Working with Local Communities
(July 1, 2009) – While the Family Action Council is a statewide organization usually focused on issues at a state-level perspective, what happens in local communities can have a statewide impact. And when issues of that magnitude arise, FACT wants to be there to help and encourage those communities to the fullest extent possible. In June such an issue was raised in Shelby County.
Specifically, Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy advanced an ordinance that would have required the county government, certain private employers in the unincorporated parts of the county, and all private employers who do business with the county to recognize “sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression” as a specifically protected class in the workplace. Some prominent pastors spoke against the ordinance when it was considered in a committee, making it clear to some key members of the commission that there was strong opposition to the measure.
On June 1, the ordinance was before the full County Commission for a public vote.
Dr. David Shelley, FACT Director of Church and Community Relations, was privileged to drive over to Memphis to support the pastors and other Christians gathered at the Commission meeting. He was given the opportunity to speak on the ordinance, and shared information as to how it would adversely affect churches, businesses, and individuals in the county. Fortunately the ordinance failed, and a substitute resolution (resolutions not having the same legal affect as an ordinance) was put forth that merely repeated a provision that was already in the Shelby County employee manual forbidding employment decisions based on “ non-merit factors.”
The organization behind the ordinance, Tennessee Equality Project, was quoted as saying it would try to pass an ordinance for the cities of Memphis and Nashville. Naturally, this would be a tremendous problem for churches, businesses, schools, etc. in those cities.
As of the date of this newsletter, no ordinance has been filed with the Memphis City Council or the Nashville/Davidson Metro Council.
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religious liberty
July 4th and America’s Judeo-Christian Heritage
(July 1, 2009) – The FACT Web site contains a new church bulletin insert on the importance of remembering our Judeo-Christian heritage as we celebrate the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This and other church resources are available on the FACT Web site.
Dr. David Shelley has written a sermon entitled, America: A Judeo-Christian Nation, that may be used in pulpits and Bible studies across the state. In it, he quotes many of our founding fathers on the importance of the Bible and Christian principles in the crafting of American democracy along with a call to repentance and genuine revival for the church in America.
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biblical worldview
The Truth Project Training Events in Tennessee
(July 1, 2009) – As part of our effort to help the people in Tennessee build a strong biblical worldview, FACT is partnering with Focus on the Family to present two Truth Project training events in Tennessee this summer.
The Truth Project is a powerful, DVD-based, small-group biblical worldview curriculum. So many of the problems in American culture are due to a lack of understanding within the church of the biblical principles that we profess to believe—and how these principles relate to issues we face. These DVD are informative, “entertaining,” biblically sound, and designed to help Christians live out their faith in a post-Christian culture.
The training sessions are for those who think they might want to lead a Truth Project small group. With the quality of the DVD content and the leader helps, you do not have to be a theologian to lead a study. Participants will leave with a box of The Truth Project DVDs and all the information needed to begin offering The Truth Project in their area.
Find a training date and location near you. Please take advantage of this curriculum, and send someone from your church. You will find a promotional video on the Truth Project Web site that will give you a good feel for the material.
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networking
On the Road with FACT
(July 1, 2009) – With the legislative session finally concluded until next January, FACT will be on the road providing legislative debriefings in communities across the state. These informative community meetings are already set as follows:
- Memphis: Lunch on July 10
- Chattanooga: Lunch on July 21
- Lenoir City: Dinner on July 21
- Knoxville: Lunch on July 22
- Brentwood: Lunch on July 28
- Hendersonville: Dinner on July 28
- Murfreesboro: Lunch on July 29
Meetings in other cities will be scheduled for later this summer and fall. If you are in or near one of the communities listed, please join us. As details are firmed up, information will be posted on FACT’s speaking schedule.
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networking
Nationwide Tour of Family Policy Councils
(July 1, 2009) – In June, FACT welcomed to its office two outstanding young men, Brett Urig and Sam Pagel, who had previously interned with FACT’s sister family policy council in Arizona, the Center for Arizona Policy.
The young men were driving cross country, visiting a number of the family policy councils as Brett headed toward an internship with one of the U.S Representatives from Arizona. It is so encouraging to meet young people of this caliber who desire to be involved in politics and public policy.
One of their projects along the way was to make a “video postcard” of their travels by interviewing the various directors of the different family policy councils. Watch their brief interview with FACT’s president, David Fowler. In fact, if you’d like to know a bit more about a number of the family policy councils from Arizona to Virginia, check out all the video interviews they posted on their blog.
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News and Notes (July 2009) 
