Capitol Ministries

12 ey immediately realized that idea—evangelizing and discipling public servants—was what was being overlooked by the Religious Right movement. At that moment, their prayerful vision was to establish ministries at all levels of government in the United States and in foreign nations and, through a steady diet of the Word of God, make disciples of Jesus Christ in the political arena throughout the world. at idea took root aer they were married. In the fall of 1996, Ralph and Danielle founded Capitol Ministries' first discipleship Bible study ministry to legislators in the Sacramento State House. e Sac- ramento ministry proved successful, and the couple began to recruit strong Bible-teaching evangelists to launch discipleship ministries in other states and in foreign nations. e commitment to expand the ministry be- came more urgent in the year 2000 when Ralph was studying the Word and discovered a recurring theme in the New Testament. Scriptures pertaining to the Great Commission were replete with illus- trations, examples, and commands that emphasized the importance of winning governmental leaders for Christ. Among them is Acts 9:15, in which God reveals Paul's mission: "bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel." God had chosen the Apostle Paul to take His Word to this set-apart affinity group of kings and leaders, who later in Scripture are also referred to as all who are in authority (1 Timothy 2:2). Even though Paul was well aware of the widespread political corruption and how the Romans had abused his Jewish con- temporaries and ancestors in Palestine, he was not focused on changing policy. His solitary objective was to see all who are in authority delivered from the deadly bondage of sin and made alive through new life in Christ (Ephesians 2:1–5). Upon further study, Ralph discovered that this biblical command was also prominent in Old Testament Scriptures as well! To explain this biblical blueprint, Ralph wrote the book, All In Authority: Reigniting the Bible's Top-Down Missions Strateg y. is biblical method is our manifesto, and it sets us apart from other reli- gious organizations that lobby lawmakers for better laws. As Ralph oen says, "How can we expect law- makers who are not mature in Christ to write laws according to His precepts?" From the moment we were founded, Capitol Ministries has been committed to securing souls in eternity through evangelizing the affinity sphere of political leaders. First Timothy 2:2 promises the added, ensuing benefit of good governance, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godli- ness and dignity. CapMin seeks to fulfill the Great Commission by reaching the hearts and minds of politicians and policy makers with the Gospel. We believe that anchoring a political leader's soul in Christ is the only real hope for our nation's future or for the future of any nation. As the late Dr. Earl Radmacher, former president of the Western Sem- inary, used to say, "Right actions begin with right thinking, and right thinking begins with thinking right about God." "e quality of the Capitol Ministries Bible studies is unmatched. As we say in there, we don't water ski—we scuba dive. We take a deep dive into issues and try to comprehend the Scripture. You've got some great intellectual minds in there who come prepared, and it's just one of the best parts of my week." CINDY HYDE-SMITH U.S. Senator, Mississippi OUR HISTORY / CONTINUED

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