Vindication of church & state: Ohio clergy hear call to civic duty (SLIDESHOW)

NORTH CENTRAL OHIO — Is America too young to die? Some people believe this is the most critical time in America’s history. While citizens want to engage the culture, many believe it is a leap of faith to have pastors involved in civic government. There is a growing trend in the Buckeye Bible Belt, not of separation of church and state, but rather the vindication of church and state.

Reverend El Akuchie points out over half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were educated at schools founded to train ministers. While the clergyman has never run for office before, last week he was sworn in as Third Ward Mansfield City Councilman. He believes clergy with a Biblical worldview can be the juggernaut.

“When pundits say the church should stay out of politics, they turn a blind eye to the reality that there is just as much politics in church as there is in the world.” Akuchie went on to say, “I am of the opinion the Biblical issues of our day have been disguised as political issues. Since GOD created government, we need to tear the mask off and get more missionaries into government. What better candidate than the pastor? If we take courage, our society can still be redeemed.”

Ohio native James Garfield was an ordained preacher during the Second Great Awakening and publicly debated God’s creation against evolutionists. After serving in the pulpit, Garfield became a Congressman and eventually was elected as the twentieth President of the United States. During his time Garfield warned, “Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption.”

One clergyman believes this is a poignant statement accurate for contemporary times.

“For some time now we have elected Congressmen who promise before the election to act according to certain principles and then are motivated by pragmatism to do something else than promised,” says James DeWeese. “The benefit of having a genuine Christian serve in elected office is that they can recognize objective Biblical standards of morality and know that they will ultimately stand before God to answer for their stewardship to those standards.”

James DeWeese has served thirteen years as Elder of Providence Church beginning in 2008. All things considered, DeWeese was also elected Common Pleas Court Judge in Richland County between 1991-2018. He is well known for his eleven-year battle with the ACLU over his display of the Ten Commandments in his courtroom.

Because of the benefit DeWeese describes, the region has had bi-vocational clergy: preaching from the pulpit and serving in elected office.

John Temple has been Senior Pastor at Trinity Community Church for twelve years. Although he has never run for office before, Temple was recently elected on the Loudonville/Perrysville School Board in 2021. His church hosts a released-time Bible program during school hours for students. The Bible-based education affiliated with LifeWise Academy started this past Fall and teaches lessons on good character drawn from Scripture.

Toby Thomas is an Associate Pastor at New London Alliance Church. In 2019 he ran for office for the first time and defeated an incumbent to become Mayor of New London. Thomas regularly gives a prayer invocation before council meetings. In 2021, a released-time Bible program was also started at New London schools during school hours.

Ken Kinley has served as Senior Pastor for over thirty years in several local congregations in Bellville, Butler and North Liberty. He was also Mayor of Butler between 2016-2018 and between 2007-2015 on the Clear Fork Valley School Board. During his administration, he was instrumental in the construction of a new school in Butler and gave a proclamation on pornography awareness. Kinley believes a pastor has to be engaged in the community outside the four walls of the church to be an effective shepherd.

Larry Collins served as a Church of GOD pastor for 43 years before becoming Mayor of Ontario between 2010-2013 and as City Council President between 2014-2017. In his first year as Mayor, the largest employer in the region announced its departure from Ontario. Collins helped steer the city thru its worst economic crisis in its history. During his time as Council President, Collins was the tie-breaking vote to successfully prevent the marijuana industry from coming to Ontario. Collins was aided by seventy local clergy who publicly opposed the sale and harvest of cannabis.

“I encourage any pastor to run for office,” says Collins. “I regret I did not get into politics earlier. I was able to coax one pastor in Akron to run for school board and he won and has been a force for good.”

Steve Schag has served over forty years as Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church. In addition, he has served in the office of Mayor of Shelby between 2015-2021, and as Shelby City Councilman between 2007-2014. As Mayor, Schag reversed his predecessor and helped bring back a LORD’s prayer invocation prior to every council meeting. He also has made a public proclamation on pornography awareness and declared a National Day of Prayer, He says that he prays daily so that he might be salt and light as he serves.

Born in Shelby, Ohio, Timothy Ginter is Senior Pastor at Church of the Center in Salem, Ohio and has forty-one years as an ordained pastor. Ginter has served four terms as State Representative for the 5th House District encompassing Columbiana County and is Speaker Pro-Tempore. Last legislative session, Ginter sponsored the Student Religious Liberties Act, which became law and protects freedom of religious expression and the students’ right to pray in public schools. “If you had told me several years ago that I would be serving in government, I would have told you have lost your mind,” says Ginter.

Gary Click has been Senior Pastor of Fremont Baptist Temple for over fifteen years. In 2020 he was elected as State Representative for the 88th House District encompassing Seneca and Sandusky Counties. In his first time ever holding a public office, Click sponsored a bill this year that would allow hospital patients to see their families, caretakers, and clergy in a pandemic so long as they pass proper screenings.

J. Todd Smith has been Senior Pastor at The Church at Farmersville for twenty-one years and served as State Representative for the 43rd House District encompassing Preble County, as well as portions of Montgomery County. Smith served between 2018-2020. Last year he sponsored H.B. 473 which formally codified the state motto “With GOD all things are possible” to be used alongside the state seal.

The apostasy of a nation does not happen over night. A revival of the people demands risk in the pulpit.

In the eighteenth century a French political scientist once said that he sought for the greatness and genius of America but could not find it. ‘Not until I went into the churches of America,’ Alexis de Tocqueville said, ‘and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power.’ Maybe another Awakening is coming.

Article updated December 31, 2021

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The Bottom Line:

The Bible says in Isaiah Chapter Six, “Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I , send me!”