Capitol Ministries

18 CM 2018 | State Ministries T HE STATE OF CONNECTICUT HAS VERY LITTLE EVAN- GELICAL PRESENCE, AND PASTOR JIM TOWNSLEY CAN COUNT ON ONE HAND THE NUMBER OF CHRISTIAN LEGIS- LATORS THAT HE IS AWARE OF WHO ARE SERVING IN THE STATE CAPITOL. Despite that fact, or perhaps because of it, in 2017 Pastor Townsley created a weekly Bible study ministry in the Con- necticut State Capitol for legislators, and this year, he joined with Capitol Ministries®. "I want to see people saved, that is my first objective," he said. "My goal is to get the Gospel out, to give a Christian, godly voice to these legislators, an under- standing of what is right and what is wrong, biblically." Pastor Townsley began the ministry to legislators with the support of Central Baptist Church in Southington which he and his wife, Janet, planted in 1975 shortly aer graduating from college. Pastor Townsley serves as senior pastor to the nearly 400-member congregation. e first year of the weekly legislative Bible study was tough going with two to three legis- lators attending. Aer some of them were voted out of office in November this year, Pastor Townsley started over. He began, once again, to visit legislators one by one in their offices talk about God and pray with them. He learned about Capitol Ministries® when he was a guest preacher at a church in Vermont and had a conversation with a member. Intrigued and encouraged, Pastor Townsley con- tacted Ralph Drollinger and found a kindred spirit. "What Capitol Ministries® is doing is amazing," Pastor Townsley said. "Ralph has planted Bible studies to the Cabinet, the Senate, and the House, and this alone has given Christians the courage to stand up. I've been here 43 years and have watched what has happened to our state. e decisions legislators make influence every part of life from bathroom bills and gambling to abor- tion and same-sex marriage, and more politically correct issues keep coming up. ese decisions affect people's lives in every way and unfortunately, we are losing many good people out of our state. Retirees and young people alike are leaving. ere is so little influence of God in our state. We have to have a light, a spiritual light, and that is what the Bible study will provide." Pastor Townsley is experienced in growing ministries. Un- der his leadership, the church began several including a k-12 school and a residential Bible college. An author and speaker on church planting, Pastor Townsley and his church congrega- tion began 17 churches and helped to start 100 more. Homes in Quinnipiac River Park in New Haven Connecticut CONNECTICUT capital: Har ord population: 3,572,665 governor: Dannel Malloy legislature: 187 Members Jim Townsley Ministry Leader Connecticut State Capitol

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