PHILADELPHIA—More than a year after its formation, American Pastors Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net) is looking back at the issues that touched Americans and how APN has responded—in word and in deed—and looking ahead to increasing its impact on the culture, nationwide and beyond.
“As we reflect on nearly 14 months since our inception, American Pastors Network has taken the lead on many pressing cultural and societal issues from a Biblical and constitutional perspective,” said APN President Sam Rohrer. “From protecting the sanctity of marriage here in America to helping our brothers and sisters in Christ in Ukraine, APN is committed to fulfilling our mission of encouraging, equipping and educating pastors and church members, urging them to ‘Stand in the Gap for Truth.’ At the same time, APN will continually strive to provide Bible-based and constitutionally consistent insight on matters that affect all of us every day.
“Our ‘Ministers Together’ program bridges the gap between ‘Church and State’ and rebuilds the biblical worldview perspective as ordained by God. It is a prime example of how we are working to bring together pastors, who uniquely possess the command to ‘Preach the Word’ (II Tim. 4:2), and those in elected office, who are not just ‘politicians’ but who occupy an equally ordained position as ‘Ministers of God,’ with the clear job description of servants of God and God’s servants to the people (Rom 13:4).”
APN’s first official move as a new organization in September 2013 was hosting a press conference regarding the forum on “Politics, Religion, And LGBT Equality” in North Carolina, organized by gay activist and business/furniture mogul Mitchell Gold. The event, which included CNN news personality Wolf Blitzer as the moderator and two liberal North Carolina pastors, aimed to tell the public that attitudes in the Christian church are becoming more favorable toward the LGTB community. APN’s press conference countered this claim with biblical truths and explained what God’s word says about marriage and human sexuality.
Then in February, APN supported 100 pastors in Michigan who were standing for marriage protection in their state. And APN helped lead the effort in Pennsylvania to urge Gov. Tom Corbett to defend his state’s Defense of Marriage Act. Throughout the remainder of the year, APN commented extensively on issues such as the dangers of Islam and Sharia Law, abortion, religious liberties—including the Hobby Lobby ruling—and pastors’ freedom of speech rights. Issues in states from Indiana to Arizona and Idaho to Florida are the focus of the American Pastors Network as they continue to expand state networks across the U.S.
APN also supported or participated in several pastor-focused events in 2014, including the “Washington—Man of Prayer” webcast event and National Day of Prayer in May; the Washington, D.C., March for Marriage in June; as well as October’s nationwide Pulpit Freedom Sunday initiative and the recent “I Stand Sunday” event, which supported the subpoenaed pastors in Houston.
In 2014, APN also grew its radio program, “Stand in the Gap,” with both short daily features and a one-hour weekend program. By mid-summer, APN debuted its newest program, “Stand in the Gap—Freedom Focus,” a one-hour daily program consisting of national and international news analysis. APN radio programming now airs on more than 40 stations.
“These efforts represent just the beginning of APN’s work to encourage pastors to speak Biblical Truth with a united voice into the family, the church and civil government,” Rohrer continued. “We are looking forward to continuing to build state chapters across the nation, with the goal of establishing 50 state chapters representing 100,000 pastors and 10 million Americans by mid-July 2016.”
Taking the biblical principles of constitutional government beyond our nation’s borders, APN also has taken an active role in rebuilding the country of Ukraine—politically, culturally and spiritually. In June, APN was invited to host a leadership summit aimed at teaching pastors and elected officials about constitutional and biblical principles. Future summits focusing on education and the Constitution are in the works.
As a result of the summit, Rohrer reported that Ukrainian governmental and pastoral leaders composed a 14-point resolution for President Petro Poroshenko, urging the nation to move forward and incorporate the principles presented at the summit into government reform and a new Ukrainian Constitution. In response, Poroshenko formed a Spiritual Restoration Committee.
To communicate its commitment to Ukraine, APN unveiled its special “Ukraine Initiative: Out of the Ashes | Freedom Reborn” web site at www.ukraineinitiative.com. The web site is a centralized place for Ukraine updates and ongoing projects.
The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide).
Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a state chapter affiliate of the American Pastors Network.
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To interview Sam Rohrer, President of American Pastors Network and Pennsylvania Pastors Network, contact Deborah Hamilton at dhamilton@hamiltonstrategies.com, 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096.
