Texas Baptists learn how to politically engage with Christlikeness at Advocacy Day

Russell Dixon, senior pastor at Canyon Church in Dripping Spring, was surprised by what he learned at the Texas Baptists Christian Life Commission’s (CLC) biannual Advocacy Day held March 3 and 4 at the Texas Capitol in Austin.

“I'm just amazed at how wide-reaching the, not only Texas Baptist, but the CLC’s influence is in very important things that, honestly, I had no idea were, not only going on, but that Christians had the ability to influence,” said Dixon.

Over the two-day event, participants heard from three keynote speakers, learned “Advocacy 101” from John Litzler, director for Public Policy for the CLC and general counsel for Texas Baptists, met with lawmakers and attended the 89th legislative session.

Impacting your community through radical obedience 

Steve Bezner, senior pastor of Houston Northwest Church in Houston, CLC Commissioner and author of “Your Jesus is Too American," opened Advocacy Day with a message on “how to change the world.” He explained that, as the church, we ought to create a church community so compelling that people are drawn to be a part of it. He said there are two parallel rails through which we do this: the gospel of the kingdom of God and the usefulness of the government. 

Bezner told attendees that radical obedience to Jesus is the centerpiece to helping people recognize the kingship of Jesus. 

“If I believe the gospel message, I will live the kingdom as my reality, and that kingdom being radical obedience to Jesus, creating a new way of life in the midst of a world that often believes something completely different,” explained Bezner.

Drawing from Jeremiah 29:7, Bezner encouraged attendees to “seek the welfare of our city” by “engaging your government with a prophetic voice and with faithful participation.” 

“The church's first role is to stand up and speak up for those who don't often have a voice, and to do so in a way that… tries to call us back to God,” said Bezner. “If we believe that truly Jesus has been risen from the dead, and we believe that one day we will be risen from the dead as well, that means that we can be encouraged and courageous today– no matter what lies before us– so we can speak the truth.” 

Bezner concluded his time by challenging attendees to “believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ with radical obedience to the Lord.” He said this is “powerful enough to make a difference” as we go forth trusting in him. 

Taking the opportunity to use your voice 

Over lunch, Litzler prepared attendees for meeting with their legislative officials on March 4 amidst the legislative session. He encouraged attendees to find common ground with their representatives, be flexible and be confident in “what your ask is” as they went into their meetings. 

Melody Slaton, associate pastor of missions and outreach at Sugar Land Baptist Church, is not new to advocacy but “new to Texas and new to Baptist life.” She said she wanted to get involved with the CLC to learn how advocacy works at the state level. 

“We are given the opportunity to use our voice in government… and I want to take advantage of that because not every country allows that,” said Slaton. 

Though Slaton is “pretty comfortable with the meetings and how they run and advocacy in general,” having previous experience with advocacy at the national level, she said it was valuable to learn from Litzler what the CLC’s policy priorities are and specific bills that were being discussed during the session, prior to her office visit. 

Being citizens of the city of God

In the second keynote session, Julio Guarneri, executive director of Texas Baptists, took participants through a biblical exposition of Hebrews 11-12. He explained that we are pilgrims of this world and citizens of heaven.

“Our faith is not based primarily on an earthly city, but on a heavenly one,” said Guarneri. “Cities will have their prominence and their own history… but the city that endures is the city of God.” 

Drawing from Hebrews 12, Guarneri explained that God’s kingdom includes suffering, intends sanctification and implies success. 

“He suffered because it was necessary, because without his suffering and shame, there would be no victory,” said Guarneri. “He became a suffering servant for a short season, so that he will be the conquering king for eternity. We will share with Jesus in his kingdom [and] we'll also share the suffering. If Jesus didn't avoid the pain and the suffering on the way to glory, then neither will we.”

He encouraged attendees that if “we want to see righteousness and justice in our community, it has to start with us.”

“We recognize that righteousness and justice are the fruit of grace. They flow from the inside out,” said Guarneri. “The best way to stop evil is for people to experience the transforming grace of Christ… A better kingdom requires better living.”

Guarneri concluded his time by encouraging attendees to remember three foundational truths from the scripture: Jesus is better, we are pilgrims of the earth and we will inherit an unshakeable kingdom.  

“We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We are filled with gratitude, filled with confidence, filled with the holy reverence for God that allows us to endure discipline, to bear suffering, to pursue holiness and righteousness and peace,” said Guarneri. 

Having a Christlike approach to politics

Tim Alberta, journalist and author of “The Kingdom, The Power and The Glory,” followed, sharing a message on how to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8) as we engage in politics. 

“At the end of the day, if you had to [capture the essence] of the early church into one compelling countercultural thought, it was ‘We embrace living on the margins,’” explained Alberta. “It is our saltiness that sets us apart from the world around us.” 

He challenged attendees to “not to think about how you approach a certain legislator… [or] how you can angle around a certain policy ” but to focus on “having the great bulk of your intake coming from scripture.” He said if we do this, we will have a Christ-like approach to politics. 

The first day closed with a panel discussion featuring the keynote speakers. They answered questions that were sent in throughout the day, reflecting on their messages. 

Dixon said there are “always things [to] learn,” as Christian leaders, about how to be a light with the platform God has given us.  

“I think a lot of times in the public sphere, as Christians, we can walk a delicate dance of ‘How much should we say? How much should we not say?’ So I think this has been a helpful resource to know where to lean in and how to lean in properly in some of these conversations that affect peoples’ everyday lives,” said Dixon. 

Capitol visits and celebrating 75 years of CLC  

On the second day, March 4, participants visited with their legislative officials and sat in the gallery for the 89th legislative session. A resolution was read during the session recognizing the legacy and 75th anniversary of the CLC, and Advocacy Day attendees were recognized from the Senate floor.

Emily Hughitt, a senior communication student at Howard Payne University, said she appreciated getting a Christian perspective on advocacy from Monday’s sessions. She said it was also helpful to learn about the specific bills the CLC was advocating for during the “Advocacy 101” lunch, prior to her visit in Texas Senator Phil King’s office. 

“It was cool to see that you can go talk to them and try to make an impact on what they think about different bills. It's nice to know that we can be involved in Texas government, especially as Christians,” said Hughitt. 

Jay Abernathy, pastor of First Baptist Church Woodville, also met with his state representative, Trent Ashby. He said he felt well-equipped by the CLC for his visit and enjoyed getting to celebrate the ministry’s milestone anniversary. 

“It can seem overwhelming, but the Capitol, though busy, is a welcoming place. Representative Ashby stepped out of a committee meeting, and we found a quiet hallway to discuss some of the bills pertinent to our priorities as Texas Baptists,” said Abernathy. 

Abernathy, an Advocacy Day veteran, said the event is “an effective way to collaborate with Texas Baptists and communicate with our legislators about our priorities.”

Texas Baptists President Ronny Marriott served as Pastor of the Day for the Texas Senate, providing an opening prayer for the day’s session. 

For more information on the Christian Life Commission and how to engage in public policy as a believer, visit texasclc.org/public-policy.