Oregon pastors to meet, pray at State Capitol

By JOHN FORTMEYER
CNNW publisher
   SALEM — Two years ago, hundreds of pastors and Christian leaders stormed the Oregon State Capitol — but in a polite and respectful way — to make their presence felt to the state’s leaders.
   On Tuesday, April 14, the event will be repeated as an expression of Christian concern both for state officials and for the many issues with which the Legislature is dealing.
   The Oregon Family Council, which for more than 25 years has encouraged the Christian community to extend its influence through the elections and legislative process, is again sponsoring the gathering.
  “In 2007 over 500 pastors came and met personally with their legislators, and ultimately a critical change was made to protect religious freedom in Oregon,” said Tim Nashif, a veteran political consultant who is council director. “We’re thrilled, once again, to provide a time when pastors from every corner of Oregon are able to come to Salem to meet and pray with their legislators.”
  The “critical change” to which Nashif referred was a religious exemption to a homosexual rights law passed in 2007. That law granted minority rights to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals and protected them from discrimination in housing, work and public places. When it was proposed, the law sparked great concern within the state’s Christian community and prompted the pastors to come to Salem two years ago to lobby for the exemption, which protected churches and parachurch organizations.
   The response to the pastors’ presence from both legislators and Christian leaders was overwhelmingly positive, according to the council. While spokesman Nick Graham identified no pieces of legislation this year that are raising a similar level of concern, the council still considers it valuable for pastors to make their presence known, he said.
  “Obviously the Legislature is primarily focused on economic concerns, which obviously are family concerns,” he said. “I think the main goal of the meeting is to remind legislators that they have churches in their district that care about them and that care about their community.”
   The gathering is for senior and staff pastors, elders, board members and leaders of private schools and relgious ministries. It begins at 11 a.m. at the Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. S.E. A catered lunch will be served and participants will be briefed on current legislative issues. Then everyone will take the short walk or ride a provided shuttle to the Capitol, where meetings with representatives and senators from each participants’ home area will be scheduled to take place between 1and 3 p.m.
   For reservations, phone the council at 503-257-0444 or go to www.oregonfamilycouncil.org.