Frank Pavone: Christian Lawmakers from Across the Country Gather in Washington, with Special Emphasis on Protecting the Unborn

Guest Post by Pro-life Leader Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life

Since its charter meeting in August of 2020, people who have come to know of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) have asked, “How is it that nothing like this has existed before in America?” it’s a good question given the Christian roots of our nation and the central role our elected lawmakers play.

Alexander Hamilton, one of our best-known Founding Fathers who helped draft the Constitution, did indeed propose the founding of a “Christian Constitutional Society” for the purpose of supporting the Christian Faith and the US Constitution. But his suggestion did not come to be – until now.

Recently, I took part in the 6th national meeting of this Association as one of its 33 National Advisory Board members.

As its mission statement says, the NACL aims “to bring federal, state, and local lawmakers together in support of clear biblical principles by meeting regularly to discuss major issues, propose model statutes, ordinances, and resolutions to address major policy concerns from a biblical world view.”

The NACL further states that its members “have a proven reputation for working hard to address issues such as electing more Christians to serve in public office, restoring faith in America, abolishing abortion, promoting traditional marriage between one man and one woman, addressing imminent threats to our economy surrounding ESG, exposing the ungodly effort to undermine our culture by Leftists, promoting school choice, protecting women’s sports, opposing threats to world peace, and standing strong with Israel.”

Established as a 501 (c)3 organization, the Association does not endorse candidates, but rather deals with issues. And the abortion issue was certainly front and center throughout the day as lawmakers from Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to Arizona, gathered at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC.

At the afternoon meeting of NACL’s National Legislative Council, I spoke on a panel about the various pro-abortion state initiatives around the country, and encouraged the lawmakers to challenge their pro-abortion colleagues back home to have an honest debate about abortion, beginning by defining their terms and telling the American people exactly what an abortion is rather than disguising it in euphemisms.

At the press conference that state Senator Jason Rapert of Arkansas – the founder and CEO of NACL – held, he pointed out that among the pieces of model legislation that the association has officially adopted are both the Heartbeat Bill and the Life at Conception Act.

And those who shared remarks at the evening Gala, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, emphasized the right to life as central to our priorities. Speaker Johnson pointed out that America is the only nation founded on a creed, which includes the self-evident truth of the right to life. US Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) proudly listed numerous pro-life bills that she has sponsored and supported. Bishop EW Jackson urged the hundreds of participants to stop using euphemisms and to help people face the fact that abortion is murder. Glenn and Jenny Story, who founded Patriot Mobile, America’s only Christian conservative wireless provider, were honored for how their company proudly supports in practical ways the pro-life efforts of so many groups. Andre Wommack, founder of Andrew Wommack Ministries was also honored, and pointed out that among his many accomplishments, he has founded five pregnancy centers.

And I was particularly encouraged when the Executive Committee of NACL adopted a unanimous resolution expressing support for me, for Priests for Life, and for the reversal of my dismissal from the priesthood. This is the kind of fraternal encouragement that the Association provides for all of us who are in this movement.

Permeating the events of yesterday was the clear conviction, expressed many times in both public and private remarks, that the best days of America are yet to come – and that they will come when, as Senator Rapert pointed out, people realize that we are not “far right,” but rather “in the center of God’s Word,” on which our nation was founded. We are called to be the salt of the earth, and of America – and indeed, another meaning of the acronym NACL is … salt!