Bell Shoals members visit Capitol's 'mission field'

Photo by James A. Smith Sr.

Members of the Community Issues Committee of Bell Shoals Baptist Church meets with their state senator, Ronda Storms, March 27 in Tallahassee.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—After being in existence for six years, the Community Issues Committee of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon took their first trip last week to Tallahassee to learn about the legislative process and meet with their legislators.

About 20 persons representing a cross-section of its membership attended the two-day visit to the Capitol. Participants included teachers, retired military, realtors, stay-at-home moms and their children. The committee's responsibility is to inform the congregation of moral and public policy issues happening and how concerned citizens can make a difference.

"I think it's important to bring people up here because, number one, they don't realize how easy it is to be involved and make a difference until they come up here. And, number two, they don't realize how desperate the battle is until they get up here. When you get a good mouthful of it, you realize we need to do something," Patricia McClure told Florida Baptist Witness March 27. McClure helped organize the trip for the group.

"You can talk about it and you see on TV and you can read it in the newspaper and it does not make the impact like walking these halls and sitting in the committee meetings ...," she added.

McClure, a stay-at-home mom who does consulting work for the Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute, said it's not enough for Christians to just vote. Christians also need to be engaged in the law-making process in order to influence it with biblical values.

"There's a difference when you're on the front line and see what you need to pray for versus when you're back at home in your comfortable bed. And this is the front line; this is a mission field all its own," McClure said.

J.W. Pope, a middle school teacher in Hillsborough County Schools, said the trip to Tallahassee was an opportunity for him to practice what he teaches his students.

"I've always encouraged my students to get involved in the process and I try to lead by example. I told them I'm coming up here to participate in the legislative process; it's an important civic duty. And if I encourage you to do it, I need to do it," Pope told the Witness.

Pope plans to show the students a video of the trip, including his own unplanned and unexpected testimony before a Senate committee concerning sex education. Admonished by state Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, for being too critical of advocates of the legislation, Pope said he would tell his students "their teacher got scolded for saying something he shouldn't have and that's part of the process" of learning how to be involved.

John Martin, pastor to senior adults and church staff liaison to the committee, told the Witness, "We feel like we can make a difference in our community. We're trying to educate our people to what the issues are and how they can respond to the issues. Not just ideas we have to do something about this, but rather create in them a burning desire to get involved and then let them know what the actions steps are, what they can do, what other people have done in other communities, and how we can make a difference in our community, not just talk about it."

In order to assist other churches that wish to start similar committees in their churches, Martin said Bell Shoals will be hosting a "Family Impact Summit" Sept. 20-23, featuring nationally known speakers, including Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council. The meeting will teach churches how they can make a difference in their communities.

"There is an opportunity for us to make an impact. We have God's blessings on this," Martin said. "We are God's army. We don't need to be sitting back in the barracks wishing things would be better."