Today, we are pleased to share with you not one but two encouraging developments from the past week.
First, some of you joined us last night for our first ever LIVE Q&A with CEO Craig DeRoche.
During this special time, Craig shared his background, his vision for Family Policy Alliance, and his encouragement for Christians as we head into 2021.
Thank you to the many of you who participated!
If you weren’t able to make it, we encourage you to check out the recording on YouTube.
Watch to find out:
- Who is Craig? What is his personal testimony of faith?
- Why should Christians who aren’t lawyers or policy professionals engage in public policy issues? What can you do now to make a difference?
- What are Family Policy Alliance’s top priorities in the coming year?
- What encouragement does Craig have for Christians in 2021?
Let us know if you watched the video, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more videos to come!
But that’s not all! Last week, a Congressional Democrat introduced pro-life, pro-woman legislation – and that means we’re making progress.
Throughout this year, we’ve shared with you how House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stonewalled various bills in Congress designed to protect life and protect children from the transgender agenda.
Those bills include the Born Alive Survivors Protection Act, which would require healthcare professionals to provide appropriate medical care for babies who survive botched abortions, and a bill that would reserve girls’ sports for biological girls.
Despite gaining significant numbers of cosponsors, both bills have languished — but that wasn’t the end of the story.
Last week, something remarkable happened.
In her final days before retiring from Congress, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) – who also ran for the Democratic presidential nomination earlier this year – introduced two bills nearly identical to the ones previously introduced by Reps. Ann Wager (R-Missouri) and Greg Steube (R-Florida).
At first glance, while it’s encouraging that a Democrat congresswoman would support these efforts, there’s more at play here.
Gabbard could easily have simply cosponsored the existing bills – yet she chose to make a much bigger statement. By introducing a similar set of bills, she demonstrated that protecting babies who survive abortions and ensuring that female athletes compete on a fair playing field have gained traction in our culture.
Family Policy Alliance has long believed that these two issues should be non-partisan, commonsense proposals that attract widespread support from both major political parties and both genders.
That’s why earlier this year, we and our allies at Family Policy Alliance of Idaho worked together to pass the Fairness in Women’s Sports bill into law. That first-of-its-kind law led to our Save Girls Sports campaign, which underscores our ongoing commitment to advance policy that will protect our children and grandchildren from the transgender agenda.
And as we look ahead to the coming year, protecting life remains at the top of our list of priorities – and it is gaining ground. With your ongoing biblical citizenship and prayers, we will see progress in 2021 to protect babies and female athletes in our nation.
Standing for the family,
Sonja Swiatkiewicz
Family Policy Alliance
Dear Friends,
Have you ever had a question you’d like to ask Family Policy Alliance? Perhaps you’re wondering what lies ahead in 2021, or how and why you can be more involved in shaping the issues that face families our nation as a whole. Maybe you’d like to hear more about our new CEO and his heart for the ministry.
This Thursday evening, we’re offering a great opportunity to answer those questions and more!
Join us for a LIVE Q&A session with our new CEO and President, Craig DeRoche!
Craig will share about his background, his heart for the ministry, what lies ahead in 2021, what you can do, and more! Plus, come with any questions you have for Craig, and your question may be answered during the event!
Don’t have Facebook? Not a problem! We’ll be LIVE at the same link when the event starts, no Facebook account required.
We hope you can join us for this exciting event!
Meridian Baldacci
Policy and Communications Strategist
P.S. Know someone who would enjoy this event? Forward this email or invite them on Facebook!
Craig DeRoche with his family
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him. Psalm 37:23
Dear Friends,
Today I have the privilege of sharing exciting news with you — Family Policy Alliance has a new President & CEO! Before I introduce you to our new leader, Craig DeRoche, I want to share with you how clearly God’s hand guided the process of finding His choice for this role.
After former President and CEO Paul Weber decided that his time with Family Policy Alliance® was coming to an end, a search committee was formed with representatives from the Board, from the FPA team, and from our friends in the state family policy councils. The Board and team began praying earnestly for God to lead the right man or woman to Family Policy Alliance.
The search committee began an intensive process, in collaboration with a search firm that specializes in working with ministries, to pray over and vet dozens of exemplary candidates. In the end, the search committee unanimously recommended Craig DeRoche to our Board.
Now today, I am so pleased to announce the Board’s unanimous decision to name Craig DeRoche as the next CEO for Family Policy Alliance. Recognizing the vital importance of events occurring in God’s kingdom, we sought and believe we received His guidance for the right person to lead FPA. Craig has deep experience in public policy and over a decade of experience bringing coalitions together to advocate for our justice system to reflect godly principles. Most importantly, he is a man whose life and family have been transformed by Jesus Christ.
We are deeply grateful for Paul Weber’s leadership and years of sacrificial service with this ministry, and we know he will continue to support us through this transition and to lift us all up in prayer.
Paul Weber shared his full confidence in Craig and the team:
I am so grateful for my time leading the amazing FPA team and engaging our faithful ministry partners—it’s been the honor of a lifetime. Meeting Craig and knowing of his past experience, along with the servant-hearted team built over these past 8 years, I have full confidence that FPA will only build and grow on the foundation we have established—by God’s grace.
Craig comes to Family Policy Alliance after serving as president of Justice Fellowship, a ministry founded by Chuck Colson. For almost a decade, he focused on advancing the value of life through second chances, and redemption for those in America’s justice system. Craig speaks to this personally in his book, Highly Functional, in which he shares his fall into and triumph over addiction through surrender to Jesus Christ. Craig served on the Charles Colson Task Force on federal prison reform that was created by Congress, and he worked personally on this issue with the three most recent U.S. Presidents.
Craig has nearly 30 years of experience advancing the dignity and worth of all human life, religious freedom, and family values in public policy—including having served as Speaker of the House in the Michigan legislature. Craig lives in Michigan with his wife, three daughters, and dog named Remington.
Welcome, Craig, to the Family Policy Alliance team!
After advocating for biblical principles in our nation’s justice system for many years, my heart is to advocate for strong families—because strong families are the best way to prevent lives from ending up in the justice system in the first place. God’s design for the family is the most loving, most prolife, safest, and best catalyst for success for children in the world. God led me to Family Policy Alliance where we are ready, by His grace, to make an even greater impact for families, life and religious freedom in our nation. —Craig DeRoche
Please take a moment to watch this 3-minute video to hear from Family Policy Alliance President & CEO Craig DeRoche as he shares a bit about himself and the vision the Lord has given him to lead Family Policy Alliance forward.
We know you have faithfully been part of the Family Policy Alliance team through your prayers, giving, and taking time to contact your elected leaders through our Action Center. So we hope you will continue your gracious participation and join us in welcoming Craig and praying for God’s hand to be upon him as he takes this new leadership role with FPA.
We are so thankful the Lord has brought Craig to Family Policy Alliance, and can’t wait to work with him on your behalf – and for a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished!
Standing for the family of believers,
General Patrick Caruana
Chairman, Board of Directors for Family Policy Alliance