Watchmen: Standing on the Wall and in the Gap

If you want to win over a room full of pastors, tell them you’ll repeal the Johnson Amendment! That’s exactly what Vice President Mike Pence did this morning during a surprise visit at our Watchmen on the Wall conference. Like his boss, the vice president feels very strongly that America would have more watchmen if it had more freedom. And he and the president are more determined than ever to restore it to the nation’s pulpits.

For the 500-plus pastors, spouses, and church leaders in the room, seeing the vice president was thrilling for a lot of reasons — but mainly because it gave them a chance to applaud this White House for all its done on the issues their congregations care about: life, religious liberty, Israel, and so much more. As far as Mike Pence is concerned, though, America’s church leaders were the ones worthy of praise. “The ministries you lead, the prayers you pray,” he said, “are the greatest consequences of our nation.” He talked about the importance of faith – not just in America, but in this administration.

To the cheers of everyone in the room, Vice President Pence said sincerely, “I couldn’t be more proud to serve under the most #prolife president America has ever seen.” One standing ovation after another, he rattled off the impressive list of promises this administration kept, including the appointment of a man who spoke earlier in the day: Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. Watchmen had the chance to hear from the former Kansas governor, who’s right now standing on the front lines of the war on the persecuted. “This is an incredible time for religious freedom around the world,” he encouraged people. “This is the time to push and the gates will fly open.”

John Bevere, who spoke about the urgency of “standing firm and loving well,” explained the need for the church to look itself hard in the mirror. “There is no true faith in Jesus without repentance. The difference between the unrepented and the repented: saying I want what’s best for my life vs. I want what God says is best for my life.” Hopefully, more pastors than ever leave this city energized to pursue exactly that: the best God has for their lives — and our nation.

To watch Mike Pence, check out the video below. For more information about how to become a Watchmen pastor or get involved in FRC’s ministry to churches, visit the website.

Tony Perkins’ Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.

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