It's been a pleasure getting to interview different Canadians whose faith moves them to engage in moral and political issues throughout the nation. This week's interview is with the Executive director of ARPA Canada, a Christian organization that encourages Christians towards political action and bring a biblical worldview to civil authorities in Canada.
I was first introduced to ARPA through a pastor friend of mine in Annapolis Valley. We had lunch with a couple of the representatives, which later made a presentation in his church. Before we chat about the association, I’d like to know a little bit about yourself. Who are you, where are you from and what are your passions in life? I fit the description of what Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 1 when he talks about God choosing the weak things in this world. I'm also an overflowing recipient of His grace. My wife and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary yesterday by enjoying a hike up to a glacier on a local mountain. We live in northern British Columbia and have been blessed with six children. Our family loves to get outside and explore, though we also do quite a bit of reading, have a growing appreciation for art, and spend a lot of time with family and friends. The acronym ARPA stands for Association for Reformed Political Action. How did this association come to be and when was it founded? ARPA Canada was founded in 2007 when my wife and I lived in Lethbridge, Alberta as I was completing a masters in political science at the university there. Prior to that I had spent some time in Ottawa, at the Laurentian Leadership Centre, where I could see first hand the godly example of Christian political engagement through people like Member of Parliament Maurice Vellacott (my internship supervisor) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada's (now) president Bruce Clemenger. I also worked in Langley, BC for Focus on the Family Canada, educating and mobilizing the evangelical community on political issues pertaining to marriage and the family. While living in Lethbridge I started a small political action group called Southern Alberta ARPA (as I had started similar groups in BC prior) and came to know a board member of the Reformed Perspective Foundation who asked if I would consider doing this on a bigger scale. I wrote a vision letter for what a national non-profit advocacy group could look like and shared it with Reformed Perspective's board. They agreed to this vision and we formed a new organization called ARPA Canada as a result. We chose the name "ARPA" in part because there were small local political associations that went by the name of "ARPA" in some Reformed communities since the 1970's. Although they were independent, we wanted to build on that heritage. When we started ARPA Canada we had almost no finances and I was the only staff member. By God's grace, we now have 16 staff, a dozen of which are full-time. I would have never imagined that God would grow that tiny seed into this, nor would I have imagined the opportunities He would give us to witness before courts, legislatures, and the public. The mission of ARPA is to educate, equip and encourage Reformed Christians to political action and to bring a biblical perspective to our civil authorities in Canada. What are some ways you do this as an association? We understand our mission to have two main parts. The first is about helping "everyday" Christians, especially in the Reformed community, to be politically aware and active. There are about 175 churches that we primarily focus on with this part of our mission. Equipping them requires forming a relationship. Since the beginning of ARPA Canada we have tried to do this by getting on the road and making presentations in churches and schools. We have done hundreds of these (over a hundred last year alone). We also work closely with local ARPA chapters and school clubs, of which there are about thirty in existence now. Seeing the huge appetite from youth for these school clubs as well as our God & Government Youth conference in Ottawa and our provincial youth conventions, has been particularly encouraging. After forming a relationship, we try to equip young and old alike through our newsletters, website, weekly Quick Update videos, social media, webinars, and a host of other means. Our focus is on action. It isn't enough to know what is going on. We try to assist our grassroots with practical means that they can do something to "speak up" in respectful and helpful ways. The second part of our mission involves bringing a biblical perspective directly to our government leaders. Our staff build relationships of mutual trust and respect with our MLAs, MPPs, and MPs. We provide them with solid research, ideas for legislation or amendments to existing legislation, and encouragement. We are non-partisan, which means we don't promote or oppose any particular party or candidate. For about a decade now we have also been blessed with full-time lawyers on staff and devote a growing amount of our efforts to the courts. We intervene in a variety of court cases, particularly on matters pertaining to life, freedom, and family. Beyond these two missions we also operate the We Need a Law campaign (www.WeNeedaLAW.ca), devoted to promoting preborn human rights, and when time allows, write for or do interviews with the mainstream media on the issues we cover. There are many Christians who argue that we shouldn’t be political. Clearly your association takes a different stance. Why should we as Christians engage in political action? Jesus Christ told us that the greatest commandment is to love God and love our neighbour. Love is more than a feeling. It requires action. Like the parable of the Good Samaritan, if we see injustice and oppression, we can't ignore it, even if it makes us uncomfortable. Although few of us "enjoy" politics, the reality is that the decisions made in our legislatures, Parliament, and courts have a massive impact on real human lives. For example, over 100,000 children die in Canada every year through legal abortion, and over 21,000 vulnerable Canadians have already died from assisted suicide since it was legalized. The past year and a half have also demonstrated how our government's efforts (in response to Covid-19) can impact our day-to-day lives so profoundly. God's Word and law aren't just true in our churches and personal lives. They are authoritative over all of life, including in a secular and pluralist society. ARPA Canada strives to communicate this truth in a loving, respectful, and intelligible way, recognizing that most of our leaders don't acknowledge God as Lord. Although there are exceptions, this is often appreciated by our leaders. After all, they need help with their difficult job. I notice that ARPA specifically focuses on Reformed Christians. Is there a reason for this? Does a person’s theological perspective influence the way he views his involvement in the world? Although the first part of our mission is focussed on Reformed Christians, the rest of our mission extends to many others. I'll first explain our motivation for the focus on our first mission before explaining the broader reach. First, it may be helpful to understand that those who started ARPA Canada were Reformed ourselves and saw a pressing need for faithful and effective political engagement in the Reformed community. Although there has been substantial improvement, it is also evident that the work needs to be sustained to reach each new generation and respond to new developments, such as the restrictions on worship services that we saw this past year. Second, when I worked at Focus on the Family Canada I saw first hand that having a large target audience (hundreds of thousands of evangelical Christians) doesn't necessarily result in a large impact. It can be really difficult to mobilize people that you don't really know or understand. Even with 16 staff it takes a great deal of effort to maintain a meaningful relationship with 175 churches, even though it is a tiny fraction of the Christian population in Canada. Far too many Christians think that political effectiveness requires assembling as large a Christian group as possible. I believe we are long past the point where orthodox Christians make up enough of the population to be able to shape the direction of this nation based on numbers. Our goal is to be a blessing to our nation, not to seek or wield power. Further, the Christian community has many distinctions within. Generally it seems to work best for charismatic Pentecostals to mobilize other charismatic Christians, and for Reformed Christians to do the same. We work closely with other Christians in coordinating our efforts and presenting a united voice to courts and legislatures. Our relationship with other Christian political organizations is superb. The second part of our mission isn't directed to Reformed Christians. Rather it is for whomever is in authority, be they secular, Muslim, or Roman Catholic, etc. Our We Need a Law campaign is also directed to the entire country, including numerous presentations to Roman Catholic and other audiences. And when we have capacity, we are grateful to bless the broader Christian community with our work. For example, in one of our Supreme Court of Canada interventions we led a coalition of over 300 Christian schools, with a supporting community of over 75,000 people. A significant part of our supporters and readers don't go to a Reformed church but appreciate what we do. What would you say are the top three political issues in our nation that need to be addressed? How can we as Christians engage in these issues? I have a hard time singling out three issues as the most important. God gives each of us different hearts and interests, and it is wonderful to see that lead to faithful action in response to a host of issues. Although ARPA Canada has focused the majority of our time on issues like fundamental freedoms, sexuality, family law, and abortion, that is partly because we have had to work with limited resources. As time goes on we are able to address more issues including elder care, the environment, and economics. I recommend that Christians start with the issues that they have a particular heart for. If we spread ourselves too thin it can be overwhelming. It also helps to set realistic goals, such as one or two "action items" per month (be it a phone call to your MP or writing a letter to the editor or something else entirely). We put a strong emphasis on building relationships with our government officials. Too often Christians speak up just when they are upset with something. But governance is a day-to-day thing. If our officials know that we care for them and for this country generally, they are going to be far more likely to care about what we have to say. Joining a local ARPA chapter can go a long way to making political action a realistic and organic part of everyday life. Thanks for taking the time to respond to these questions. Is there anything you’d like to say as we come to the end of this interview? Thank you for the privilege of answering your questions and sharing a bit about ARPA's work. For anyone who is interested in seeing how all of this applies to specific issues, I heartily encourage them to go to our website (www.ARPACanada.ca) or social media pages (Youtube, Facebook, etc) or to sign up for our newsletters. They are also most welcome to pick up the phone and talk to one of our provincial managers (https://arpacanada.ca/about-arpa/arpa-staff/), who would be happy to offer practical ideas for how you can get involved. Did you enjoy this interview? 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Hey readers, today I want to introduce you to someone in the Annapolis Valley that desires to show Christlike love and support to women facing unplanned pregnancies.
There are many people in the Valley that know who you are, but some may not. So let me begin with a few get-to-know-you questions. Who are you, where are you from, and what are your passions in life? I’m Bill Davenport, born in Arizona, raised in Nova Scotia, gave my life to Jesus at the age of six, graduate of the Baptist Leadership Training School, the University of Saskatchewan & Acadia University, and an ordained Baptist minister. I’m the father of two grown daughters and married 36 years to my lovely wife, Joanne. Through my father, God gave me a strong work ethic and the fear of God. Through my mother, God blessed me with a deep faith and strong dependence upon Scripture and prayer; a yearning to be found in Christ, knowing God and making Him known. The combination of the simplicity of the servant heart of Christ (Philippians 2) and fulfilling God’s own definition of what it is to know Him as pleading and winning the cause of the afflicted and needy (Jeremiah 22.16) is what consumes my life as I struggle daily in my walk with Him. I got to know you a little while my wife was volunteering at the Valley Care Pregnancy Center. How long have you been involved there? What made you decide to serve God in this way? My family was involved with the Centre the year it opened in 1994. Joanne and I had just adopted our newborn daughter and the Centre asked us to speak at a local church about our experience with adoption (since my wife was also adopted). As a pastor at the time, our small congregation didn’t have extra funds, so I created an annual fundraiser, “Bowling for Babies” with logo, sponsor sheets and promotional material for the Centre to raise funds, which they used until the bowling alley in New Minas closed. In 1999 I was invited to be on the Centre’s board of directors and was active there for five years until I found myself between jobs in 2004. At that time, God gave me a vision for advancing the Centre’s mission and I asked if I could step off the board and create a new position of “Director of Development” where I would promote the Centre in the community, raising funds and awareness. After doing that for only a few months, the Executive Director at the time, Dana Webster, had to step down due to a serious illness and the board asked me to fill her position. I felt very unqualified and out of place, but with the heart God had given me for the afflicted and needy, I saw it as His leading and have been serving in that position since that time. Could you share from your experience how an unplanned pregnancy affects a person emotionally? Every woman is different and their response to an unplanned pregnancy will also be different. But for many, the best illustration I have heard of is if you were to think of the most embarrassing, shameful thing you have ever done in your life and were to write that on a piece of paper in bold writing and had to stick that paper on your forehead for nine months – that comes close to what I understand a woman feels when she faces an unplanned pregnancy. For many women, they feel that their life is being threatened – like their life is over if they have a baby. They feel that they must end the life of their little one to save their own life. They feel alone as they consider adding a baby to their world with a lack of loving, tangible, personal support. It seems an impossible, unsurmountable task that must be avoided at all costs. What type of support is needed during this sensitive time and how does the care center seek to offer this support? We asked this question to hundreds of Acadia students who had known a student facing an unplanned pregnancy. We asked what she needed most. We asked if they thought she needed access to abortion or good information about her options or loving support or help in relating to family and friends. The overwhelming response was that what she needed most was loving support above all things. The Valley Care Pregnancy Centre was founded by those who had received loving support in Jesus Christ – His sacrificial death for our sins, His burial and His bodily resurrection from the dead – and were motivated to offer His loving support to those facing an unplanned pregnancy here in the Valley. The Centre offers a safe place to consider their options and find loving, personal, practical, long-term support for them, their partner and their little one. The Centre has free pregnancy tests, option information, new and used baby clothes, diapers, formula and a great educational video library on pregnancy, birth, parenting and personal development which can be sent directly to their devices and viewed at home with supervision from the team at the Centre. Many times, these new moms just want to have a safe place to come and talk where they won’t feel judged or pressured. The center not only provides care for those considering an abortion but also for those who have had one. Can you share from your experience the mental and emotional impact having an abortion has on a woman? How does the center seek to support the woman during this sensitive time in her life? Yes, we offer prevention work in schools and youth groups in hopes to help young people to avoid needing our services; intervention work with those who find themselves pregnant and restoration work for those who experience deep, ongoing grief, guilt and relational struggles arising from memories of their abortion experience. As a matter of fact, all the women we have spoken with have said that they regret making the choice of abortion. A leading abortion provider in the Valley told us that there aren’t any women he knew about who were glad they had an abortion – he said that they are all crying before they even wake up from their anesthesia. Women who have had an abortion may experience sadness, guilt or shame, emotional numbing, depression, nightmares or flashbacks of the abortion, alcohol and drug abuse, thoughts of self-harm and difficulty with bonding in relationships. On top of emotional pain, as evidenced by women who have come into the Centre, they can also experience serious long term medical complications, repeated hospitalization and extra surgeries that last for years. The deep, long-term emotional struggles after abortion can affect both men and women. Trained team members facilitate biblically based studies that have brought much-needed healing and restoration to both women and men. I have been recently looking at the abortion rates in Canada, and they are quite alarming. How should Christians get involved in this moral issue in Canada? Yes, Canada as a nation cannot help but be under the judgment of God for electing governments who empower over 100,000 abortions annually and being the only democratic nation in the world with absolutely no legal protection for the innocent unborn human life from conception to the point of birth since 1988. Research indicates that “Many women with unplanned pregnancies go silently from the church pew to the abortion clinic, convinced the church would gossip rather than help. More than four in 10 women who have had an abortion were churchgoers when they ended a pregnancy and only 7 percent of women discussed their abortion decision with anyone at church.” The answer is for Christians and Christian congregations to become known as wells of compassionate support – starting with their own. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another (meaning Christians loving other Christians as a priority).” The church is often thought of as a group of “good people.” So people struggling with guilt and shame and sin do not think that church people would understand their situation. Christian congregations need to be known as a group of broken sinners who gather for support, help, encouragement and grace. Church gatherings should often have times of public confession where people share their struggles and how they are finding support from others within the congregation. It should be a place where the greatest sins are known to be gossip or selfishness or pride. This would foster an environment of humility, hope and redemption where the broken find healing and grow to be helpers of others. Christians need to follow Jesus’ commands learn to love as He has loved us by laying down their lives, surrendering their possessions, and practicing hospitality - inviting the needy into their homes. Lives are saved by the love of Christ. During your time at the Valley Care Pregnancy Center, how have you seen God change the lives of the mothers who have come into the center? Every year at our annual banquet we celebrate how God has worked through the team of this little home mission to bring hope and help and healing to women, men and little ones in our community. I remember one call I received on our 24-hour help line. A woman called to say, “Thank You.” She said that she had been driving from Nova Scotia on her way to Quebec to get a late-term abortion when she saw the Valley Care Pregnancy Centre. She stopped in to talk that day and was calling now to say thanks for the little baby boy she had. Another young lady called and said that she wanted an abortion, so we invited her to come in and talk about it. She was excited about having a baby at first, but her friends became upset because they had planned to travel that summer. So even though her boyfriend didn’t want her to, she decided she’d have an abortion. When she arrived at the Centre, she was surprised to find that it was a Christian ministry, but at the same time, she said she was so thankful that it was. She said that in just a few minutes she recalled her strong faith background and how supportive her boyfriend was, and she chose to continue her pregnancy. Now she is happily married with a large family. Both men and women who have come in to work through their struggle with a past abortion have shared how deeply helpful and restorative their experience has been. Thank you for taking the time to respond to these questions. Is there anything that you would like to add as we end the interview? We are always looking for faithful, available and teachable individuals who sense God may be leading them to join the team at the Centre or be part of our prayer support team. Interested people can find our application at the bottom of the home page of our website, www.asafeplaceforme.com. Hey faithful readers! From coast to coast there are people who are standing up and engaging publicly on moral and political issues in Canada. Today I want to introduce you to the hosts of God Keep Our Land, "A podcast about Canadian culture and issues from a Biblical Worldview".
I think its always great to know the people behind the podcasts that I listen to. So, tell those who may be reading this a little about yourselves. Who are you, where are you from and what are your passions in life? Both of us live in Creston, BC, but before this Forrest was living in the Crowsnest Pass, AB with his family, and I (Rhys) was living in Kaslo, BC with my family. We are brothers, Forrest is a Journeyman Electrician with his own company, Big Tree Electrical. I was a pastor in Kaslo and am currently working for Forrest. Both of us are passionate about Christ and want to see believers in Canada putting Him first in all areas of life. We are passionate about the church and are heavily involved in our local body in preaching and leadership. We are passionate about our families and are devoted to discipling our families to know and love Christ. When did you start your podcast and what made you decide to start it? We started our podcast in July of 2020. It had been an idea we talked about several times. We have a passion to help believers in Jesus know how to serve Him in every area of life, and our podcast seemed like a good way to discuss a variety of subjects. We started out calling ourselves The Demman Show, but we felt that we were too limited by that title. We have recently changed the name to God Keep Our Land, so it can better reflect our goals. What makes your podcast unique from all the others that people could listen to? We know of many podcasts in the United States in which Christians address cultural and political issues from a Biblical worldview. We have not seen too many Canadians who are doing the same thing. We have a lot of unique cultural and political matters which need the light of Scripture to be shone on them. We are working to bring these to light. We have covered a variety of topics from logging Old Growth Forests to the Conservative Party of Canada’s leadership race, all the while working to bring the Scriptures to bear on these issues. We have interviewed politicians, authors, and activists and have had a platform to discuss government policies on a range of issues. I have personally listened to a number of your episodes, and you always bring in a Christian worldview into all the topics of discussion, including politics. Why do you think this is important to do? Jesus is not merely a spiritual king who only rules over the hearts of Christians. Psalm 24:1 says, “The Earth is Yahweh’s and the fullness therein.” It all belongs to Him. We Christians often behave as though Jesus doesn’t have an opinion on the issues in our culture but He does, and He has insight into our culture and commands for all people. It’s our responsibility as His disciples to bring God’s Word to all people in all circumstances and to continually conform our lives to His will. We know that Jesus is the King of the whole Earth, and that every person is under His authority, even our political leaders. Our politics needs to be informed by and directed through the Scriptures. There is no neutrality, there is obedience to the Word or disobedience. Christians can no longer afford to stay out of it. If we are to disciple the Nations like Jesus commands, we will need to step up and speak the truth of God’s Word into our political circumstances. As you continue to record new episodes, what do you hope that your podcast will accomplish in the lives of your listeners? Our goal is that our listeners would grow closer to Jesus and would devote every part of their lives to His Word and His will. We hope that they will grow in knowledge and would develop a Biblical worldview. Ultimately we want to see Canada itself conformed to God’s Word. I look forward to your future episodes and I encourage those of you that may be reading this to check out God Keep Our Land. Is there anything you’d like to say as we come to an end? We are thankful to David for this interview and would be really happy to have you check out our show! You can follow God Keep Our Land on Facebook and their website. You can also catch their latest podcast by clicking here. Hey fellow readers! I want to introduce you to different individuals who are engaging with political or moral issues in Canada. The first group that I want to introduce you to is The Scribbler News - a married couple who is not afraid to report on what is happening in Nova Scotia.
I think its always great to know the people behind the news that I listen to. So, tell those who may be reading this a little about yourselves. Who are you, where are you from and what are your passions in life? We are Sam and Beth Medicraft. A couple of reformed Baptists currently living in Halifax, with way too many kids and pets. I (Beth) am fascinated with theology, politics, and psychology. I am interested in these subjects both collectively and individually. Sam has a passion for theology and politics as well but enjoys psychology from more of a business/ marketing framework. The Scribbler News began this year. What made you want to start writing and reporting? In relation to Nova Scotian news, we saw a serious lack of conservative Christian perspectives. We also felt compelled to point out the inconsistences, lies, and overall “wishy-washiness” that took place during the briefings. People would often tell us they couldn’t put their finger on exactly what it was about the briefings that bothered them, so we decided to help while giving a little bit of humour to illuminate the situation. From what I have read and heard your primary focus is on Nova Scotia politics. In the past Christians have shied away from politics. Why do you think that is? Talking about politics can become impolite and Christians often equate politeness with sanctity. But in our opinion politics is an unavoidable part of life, and like all parts of life the bible has things to say. And it is our duty as Christians to bring the light of scripture into the world, and this includes politics. Clearly you're taking a stand and not shying away from politics. Why is it important for you to engage and report about what has been happening in Nova Scotia? Because we are rapidly falling under an authoritarian government who is anti-Christian. It is our desire to see people learn the truth through the lens of the gospel. As you continue to write and report on what is happening what do you hope to accomplish in the lives of your listeners and readers? We are hoping to help people see that putting your trust in man/ government isn’t going to work. We do it by pointing out their (the government) inconsistences and instead pointing people to God. I look forward to your future reports and I encourage those of you that may be reading this to check out The Scribbler News. Is there anything you’d like to say as we come to an end of this interview? While we’re currently on a “summer break” because family comes first, we look forward to providing more content in the fall. We encourage other Christians to speak up and make their perspective heard. God has placed us where we are, as who we are, for His glory. You can follow The Scribbler News on Facebook, Instagram and their website. |