Christian Right Leaders Respond to Dobson’s Concerns

WASHINGTON – Words of comfort and assurance flowed forth from two prominent conservative leaders this week when they heard that Dr. James Dobson, one of the founding fathers of the Christian right movement, was concerned about the future of the religious right and its leadership.

Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr. and Tony Perkins, both close friends of Dobson, reassured the founder of Focus on the Family that they would carry the Christian right torch into the next generation. But they were also quick to highlight that the movement will look different as it changes to adapt to the time.

“I believe that the next leaders of the movement need to be people of color, that would be very uniting, and would help the movement expand its agenda,” said Jackson, chairman of High Impact Leadership Coalition – a conservative black Christian group – to The Christian Post on Wednesday.

Jackson and Perkins were at an event to launch their new book, Personal Faith, Public Policy, in which they declare that the religious right is not dead but rather changing and maturing.

In their book, they tackle seven issues – some of which are relatively new to the movement – including immigration, poverty and justice, and the environment and global warming. The co-authors believe that the religious right must now expand its influence into these public policy areas.

“I believe this book is an attempt to give words to the change that Dr. Dobson feels that needs to happen,” Jackson said. “This is an intellectual, architectural game plan of a fresh move for the religious right.

“So I would say to Dr. Dobson, ‘Dr. Dobson, don’t be worried, we got it,” assured the up-and-rising black megachurch pastor.

Jackson added that he is not “vying to be coronated” the next Christian right leader, but wanted to help write the “blueprint” for the movement.

“I think Tony and I are simply saying that we want to be part of the scriptural, biblical leadership of the next movement,” he noted.

Dobson told a group of Christian broadcasters earlier this week that he was concerned about the Christian right’s future leadership with the passing of fellow conservative leaders, including Jerry Falwell, the Rev. D. James Kennedy and Ruth Bell Graham.

Others, such as Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, Pat Robertson and Chuck Swindoll, will also soon leave their leadership seats empty, he added.

"It causes me to wonder who will be left to carry the banner when this generation of leaders is gone," Dobson said at the National Religious Broadcasters conference, according to The Associated Press. "The question is, will the younger generation heed the call? Who will defend the unborn child in the years to come? Who will plead for the Terri Schiavos of the world? Who's going to fight for the institution of marriage, which is on the ropes today."

The 71-year-old Christian leader continued, “Who in the next generation will be willing to take the heat, when it's so much safer and more comfortable to avoid controversial subjects. What will be the impact on the conservative Christian church when the patriarchs have passed?"

When questioned about Dobson’s concerns, Perkins, president of Family Research Council, said his parents read Dobson’s books when raising him and that he had “deep appreciation” for both Dobson and Jerry Falwell’s leadership.

“But this is a different generation – not to depart from the foundation that they laid – but there are other issues and we live in a much more complex society,” Perkins said regarding differences between the first and second generation of the Christian right movement.

“The issue facing our nation has broadened and we have to grow with the issues,” Perkins asserted. “It is not that they (older Christian right generation) refused to do that but simply those issues such as terrorism – terrorism was not an issue 15 to 20 years ago.”

Climate change and immigration were other issues that were not topics of concerns for the older generation.

“So we are saying we have to be ready to answer and propose a solution for whatever the issue is,” said Perkins, the younger face of the Christian right.

Perkins also noted that he “clearly” foresees the Christian right moving away from the Republican Party in terms of “blind allegiance.” But he defended previous conservative leaders who were staunch supporters of the GOP, explaining that the party previously had shared the same values.

But at this point in time, “the party has left and moved away,” he said.

Last year, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, the Rev. D. James Kennedy, and Ruth Bell Graham passed away, leaving their legacies behind. Dobson, however, has not been reported to have any serious health problems and is still the Focus on the Family board chairman and voice of the ministry’s radio program.