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by Tom Strode
February 28, 2018
NASHVILLE (BP) — In a time plagued by evil, Americans need the ministry and message provided by Christian communicators, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday (Feb. 27) at the National Religious Broadcasters’ annual convention.
Speaking at the afternoon session of Proclaim 18, NRB’s 75th gathering, Pence told the audience of communication professionals, “[Y]our ministry, your message, your values are needed now more than ever before…. Every day, every hour, you speak strength to the heart of the American people. You shape our country. You water the roots of this nation.”
The vice president said, “[Y]ou have the power to strengthen the character of this nation.”
In introducing Pence, NRB President & CEO Jerry A. Johnson described the vice president as a long-time “champion for life and liberty” who had his own radio program before being elected to Congress in 2000. Pence — who served as a congressman for 12 years and as Indiana’s governor for four — received NRB’s Faith and Freedom Award in 2009.
Pence surveyed for the crowd the advances by the Trump administration on a number of issues in its first year, including protecting the sanctity of human life and religious liberty. Near the end of his speech, he turned toward the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Fla., that resulted in the deaths of 17 students and adults.
“As a nation, we mourn with those who mourn and grieve with those who grieve,” he said before making a promise.
With President Trump’s leadership and the support of Congress and the states, “We will not rest until we make our schools safe,” Pence said before adding the government is unable to accomplish this by itself.
“[L]et’s recognize the evil that’s been afoot in our nation for too long cannot be fixed by legislation alone, although legislation we need,” he said. “Nor can it be fixed by law enforcement alone, though law enforcement we need to support.
“What we also need is greatness of heart, gentleness of spirit, the greatness that makes us respect [others despite differences],” Pence told listeners who gave him several standing ovations. “What we need is that shared sense of belonging again, one to another, each to all. That timeless value that made us great before will make us great again.”
In addition, Americans need “to encourage more personal responsibility and speak more not less about virtue,” he said. “What we need is to strengthen the bonds of community, family and faith. We must work to re-inspire society…. [W]e need to revive the rich heritage of faith that can help repair the torn fabric of society.”
The vice president pointed to the late evangelist Billy Graham as a model for the Christian communicators. Graham died Feb. 21 at the age of 99. His body will lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol today (Feb. 28) and Thursday.
Graham’s message “transcended politics,” Pence said. “So must yours.”
His message sprang from what has been for millions of Americans hope for the present and the future, the vice president said. “So let’s redeem the time by renewing the faith.”
The vice president recalled the impact Graham’s preaching had on his own family’s life. Pence and his wife Karen took their children to the 1999 evangelistic meeting at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. They were seated high in the stadium when “Just as I Am” was sung as the invitation hymn, he said. Their 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter stepped out to go forward, and their father accompanied them to the floor, where the children prayed with a volunteer.
“I’ll always believe in my heart of hearts that night, that walk, and that prayer — just like it did for millions of Americans — made a lasting difference,” Pence said.
Pence described the Trump administration’s first year as one of “promises made and promises kept.” Among those pledges fulfilled, Pence cited:
— The move this May to Jerusalem of the American embassy in Israel.
— The restoration of a pro-life, family planning policy internationally and the empowering of states to defund Planned Parenthood.
— The nomination, followed by the confirmation, of conservative Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and other conservative judicial nominations.
— The direct support of Christian and other religious minorities in need of humanitarian relief instead of United Nations programs it considers ineffective.
Regarding the administration’s record on religious liberty, Pence said, “This gathering knows all too well freedom of religion is under assault across the wide world. President Trump has made promoting religious freedom a foreign policy priority.”
Domestically, the Trump White House “will always defend the right of Americans to speak and live out their convictions,” the vice president told the audience. He thanked NRB for all it has done for faith and freedom.
Early in his speech, Pence introduced Ben Carson, a member of the Trump cabinet also known for his Christian faith. Speaking briefly, Carson told the audience, “We have to stop being silent. Our job as people of faith is to do what’s right.”
The NRB is a nonpartisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions of listeners, viewers, and readers. The organization’s mission is to advance biblical truth, promote media excellence, and defend free speech.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
The future of technology is the future of America. Rod Martin sees that future clearly, and also sees how to shape it for the betterment of all. He is firmly rooted in the traditions of faith and patriotism that have made America great. That’s why he has made, and will make, so many outstanding contributions in so many areas.
