Peggy, Jack and the CODE 3 missionaries gave out and continue giving out a total of 12,000 Bibles last week and this week. Here’s Peggy’s photo of Jack Crans and CODE 3 missionaries at Faith and Action headquarters.

In response to today’s revelation that President Obama favors legalizing same-sex “marriage,” Faith and Action’s president and lead missionary, Rev. Rob Schenck, said, “Frankly, I question whether he really does in his heart-of-hearts. Maybe I’m naive, but, if I’m right, it’s even worse because it means he has surrendered a moral conviction for political expediency. Very wrong and very sad.”

Mr. Obama made his statement to ABC News. See the video and transcript by clicking here.

Likewise, on April 29, Vice President Joe Biden appeared on on NBC’s Meet the Press and announced that he favors men ‘marrying’ men, and women ‘marrying’ women. Mr. Biden claims to be a Catholic, but same-sex unions and legal measures advancing them violate Catholic teaching.

Here’s a CBN report with Rev. Rob Schenck talking about marriage on March 4, 2010

Click here for Rev. Rob Schenck in the Legal Times.

This morning our own Peggy Nienaber was surprised and deeply honored to receive an award from the Capitol Hill Executive Service Club. In addition to her roles as executive assistant to Rev. Rob Schenck and Faith and Action’s chief of program, Peggy is president of the club.
For a little background, please see our previous article Peggy Nienaber Has Two Big Jobs.
“Today,” said Peggy, “the Capitol Hill Executive Service Club totally surprised me with an award thanking me for my service and dedication. It’s an admiral’s brass clock to represent making the meetings go full-strong. I was caught off-guard. My goodness, I love the members of the club and I’m happy to serve them.”
Rev. Rob Schenck and everyone at Faith and Action congratulate Peggy for this distinctive recognition by the Capitol Hill Executive Service Club.
In the photo below, Gen. Philip D. Shutler, former director for operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Don Baldwin, a former congressional staffer, delightfully present the award to Peggy.

The 2012 National Day of Prayer was quite busy for Faith and Action missionaries. In addition to our emergency efforts to free the blind Chinese hero Chen Guangcheng and his family, Faith and Action’s Peggy Nienaber and Greg Cox led a prayer vigil at the U.S. Supreme Court and were honored to serve at official congressional events that glorified God.

William J. (Bill) Murray, son of the infamous late atheist and communist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, prayed with us at the court for the salvation of our nation. Peggy has known Bill for many years since she worked for him 1991-96, and Bill writes about their National Day of Prayer events on his Religious Freedom Coalition website.

Bill Murray, center, praying for our nation at Faith and Action's National Day of Prayer observance at the Supreme Court.

Bill details his painful childhood in the book “My Life Without God: The Rest of the Story,” explaining how his mother used him to file her 1960 lawsuit against the Baltimore City School System alleging it was unconstitutional for his school to require Bible readings. In 1962, the Supreme Court wiped out prayer in public schools with its decision on Engle v. Vitale, but Madalyn took credit. Then, in 1963, Madalyn had added her complaint to Abington School District v. Schempp, and the Supreme Court banned Bible readings in public schools.

After much family strife, abuse, confusion and seeking happiness via drugs, in 1980 Bill cried out to the Lord for help and got it. Since then, he became a Christian and does everything in his power to glorify God. Sadly, Bill’s mother resented his conversion and further persuaded his brother, Jon, and his daughter, Robin, to disown him.

After her initial success in the courts, Madalyn made a career of filing complaints. In 1979, she filed a federal lawsuit in attempt to block Pope John Paul II from celebrating Mass on the National Mall but failed. Then, in 1995, Madalyn announced she’d go to New York to picket Pope John Paul II, who was again touring the United States and due to say Mass there.  Soon thereafter, she, Jon and Robin disappeared because they had been kidnapped and murdered by fellow atheists who worked for them. Bill discusses the tragedy on his website. Read his statement by clicking here.

All things considered, who would have ever guessed that the boy at the center of the Supreme Court case which effectively banned the right to pray in public schools would grow up to become a Christian and stand on the plaza of that same court to pray for our nation and her leaders during Faith and Action’s National Day of Prayer observance? In other words, when things seem bleak – as we continue fighting against many threats to life and religious liberty – remember the beauty of Bill Murray’s conversion and keep praying!

Sometimes we feel so small compared to the monumental threats against life and liberty. Here Greg Cox, Mike Murrell, Burt Kelly, Rev. Pat Mahoney, Bill Murray, Tal and Sherry Weberg, and Peggy Nienaber refuse to let the Supreme Court's edifice dwarf their faith in God Almighty.

We thank everyone who prayed with us at the Supreme Court, including Mike Murrell and Burt Kelly of Harvest Time, a Faith and Action Anchor Church in Arkansas, and longtime partner Rev. Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition.

For another glimpse of Faith and Action observing the 2012 National Day of Prayer, click here for Peggy’s videos in Choir Sings Praise to God at U.S. Capitol.
Click here for Rev. Rob Schenck’s May 3 note about the National Day of Prayer and his appeal to pray for Chen Guangcheng.

See more Faith and Action highlights by clicking on Glorious National Day of Prayer with William Murray

Yesterday, Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey came to a meeting we were holding and updated us on the circumstances surrounding Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng. Chris is a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and chairs the Congressional-Executive Committee on China. He is also one of the boldest Christians in Congress and a longtime friend of Faith and Action. Moments after meeting with us, he went into a special hearing where he received a personal phone call from Chen. You probably saw this in the national news. Chris expressed alarm to us about Chen’s safety. He also conveyed profound concern about how Chen was handled by the State Department. Even though the State Department has now “arranged for Chen to come to the U.S.,” we know they already abandoned Chen once. We will not allow them to abandon him again. We will not stand by as our government plays political tricks with people’s lives in what former Governor Mitt Romney called “a dark day for freedom.”

C-SPAN covered Chen’s daring but diplomatic phone call to Congressman Smith:

Today, Faith and Action’s partner Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition knelt and prayed in front of the White House in solidarity with Chen. Among others, Pat was accompanied by his wife, Katie, Father Victor Salomon of Priests for Life, and Tina Whittington of Students for Life of America. We were there as a prophetic witness to remind President Obama it is unacceptable to sacrifice a hero of liberty and freedom on the altar of economic and political interests.

Some participants at our May 4 White House vigil for Chen (left to right) included: Charmaine Yoest, Tina Whittington, Rev. Pat Mahoney, Rev. Wiley Drake, Katie Mahoney, Fr. Victor Salomon (back turned in black cap).

As I write this, Pat, Katie, and Tina are in jail. Fr. Salomon, working in the United States on a visa from South America, had to step away because it wouldn’t be prudent to endanger his status. Likewise, Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life stood with Pat, but had children with her and couldn’t risk being arrested.

So we do face challenges: After all our programs on Capitol Hill this week, our efforts on behalf of Chen are straining us financially to the breaking point. Crises, like what’s happening with Chen, are things we can never plan for—they just happen. But we can never turn our backs on courageous heroes, like Chen, saying, “Sorry, we can’t afford to help you.”

WE MUST HELP THEM!

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it. Proverbs 3:27 (NKJV)

We will do everything in our power to assist Chen. Of course, everything we do is the result of the prayers and financial support of our friends like you.

 Your gift will help make certain we have the resources to stand as prophetic witnesses on behalf of Chen and his family to the President and to Congress. We will get the message through—but we need your help to do it!

Together we will make our stand in support of Chen and the principles of freedom and human dignity. To support Faith and Action’s work, please click here and make a tax-deductible donation.

Your missionary to our nation’s capital,

Rev. Rob Schenck

See more about our White House vigil for Chen Guangcheng below

Rev. Pat Mahoney on AFA’s Focal Point on May 3



Los Angeles Times: Second-guessing the administration’s Chen Guangcheng policy

Reuters Pictures at Daylife.com

LifeNews.com: Pro-Life Advocates Arrested at White House Backing Chen Guangcheng

WND: Police handcuff Christians at White House

Early today, the missionary team at Faith and Action gathered in the brisk morning air of our nation’s capital for the ONLY National Day of Prayer observance held at the steps of the United States Supreme Court. There, we fervently prayed on behalf of our nation and its leaders for the winds of revival to once again blow across America.

After our prayer at the court, our team attended the “by invitation only” National Day of Prayer meeting in the Canon Building of the U.S .House of Representatives.

We rejoice that pastors and leaders from diverse places like Arkansas, Illinois, and the State of Washington joined us in our efforts today to be a prophetic witness to our national leaders. We rejoice that God has uniquely positioned us right across the street from the United States Supreme Court, one block from the U.S. Capitol Building, and ten minutes from the White House. We take seriously our divine calling to challenge the hearts and minds of our national elected and appointed officials with biblical truth.

That’s why, in spite of my joy in our efforts in Washington today, I’m gravely concerned and deeply saddened.

What so distresses and alarms me is the cowardly way the administration sold out a hero of the faith. I’m speaking about Chen Guangcheng, the blind dissident in China who first revealed to the public the abhorrent practice of forced abortions and sterilization to sustain China’s “one child” policy.

Undated photo provided by the China Aid Association shows blind Chinese attorney Chen Guangcheng with his son, Chen Kerui, and his wife, Yuan Weijing, in Shandong province, China. (Photo from www.ChinaAid.org)

It appears the Obama administration has betrayed Mr. Chen by allowing him to be placed into the hands of the Chinese government without assuring that his rights and his safety would be protected. Tweets coming out of China from Mr. Chen and his wife make clear that the only reason Mr. Chen left the U.S. Embassy was because he was told that his wife would be beaten if he did not leave immediately. Our officials assured him that if he went to the hospital they would make certain he was safe. Once in the hospital, it seems our “officials” abandoned him.

Mr. Chen now wants to leave China and fears for his safety and the safety of his family. He expressed dismay that the American government failed him—even misled him. If that is true, and we have no reason not to believe that Mr. Chen is telling the truth, the actions of our “officials” are a national embarrassment, a national disgrace. WE CANNOT LET THAT STAND!

Blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng is handled by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, right, and U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke as they leave the U.S. Embassy for a hospital in Beijing on Wednesday, May 2, 2012. (Photo by U.S. Embassy Beijing Press Office)

That’s why one of our Faith and Action missionaries, Rev. Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, will lead a prayer vigil and demonstration in support of Chen Guangcheng in front of the White House on Friday, May 4 at Noon.

The vigil will be at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW on the Lafayette Park side. We will be praying for Chen Guangcheng and his family and calling upon President Obama and the United States to ensure his safety and protection—just as we promised we would.

As Pat Mahoney said, “It is ironic that as President Obama has been touting his leadership in ‘getting’ Osama Bin Laden that he would now show no moral courage or leadership in standing up to the Chinese government and demanding the release and safety of Chen Guangcheng. It is critical that President Obama not betray Chen Guangcheng and the principles of justice for which he has been imprisoned, beaten and tortured.”

Now here’s what you can do:

1) PRAY! Wherever you are, take a moment on Friday at noon (Eastern Time) to pray for Chen, for his family and for our nation. These are critical moments in our nation’s history and they call for serious, united prayers. There is power in unified prayer! I still believe prayer makes a difference.

2) GIVE! Everything we do is the result of the financial support of our friends—friends like you. We have no other means of support. These events are critical and demand a response. But with the economy continuing to falter, we are financially strained. We simply do not have the funds to cover our costs. Right now we need your help to make certain we can remain your prophetic voice to our elected and appointed officials. Can we count on you?

Your gift of will enable us to effectively challenge the administration to stand up for Chen Guangcheng and stop betraying the principles of justice upon which our nation was founded.

To make your gift to Faith and Action in support of Chen Guangcheng, click here.

Thank you. We’ll keep you informed.

Your missionary to our nation’s capital,

Rev. Rob Schenck

Closing Ceremony of the 23rd National Bible Reading Marathon on Capitol Hill.

Most of the readings were in English, but this year we were also blessed to hear sacred scripture read in Chinese and Russian, a stark reminder that generations of Chinese and Russian Christians suffered torture and death at the hands of communist regimes if they dared to read the Bible and worship God.

Hearing Bible passages in Chinese was also fittingly poetic as the brave blind Chinese attorney, human rights activist, husband and father, Chen Guangcheng, had reportedly escaped house arrest in China. Among other atrocities, Mr. Chen protested his government’s one-child policy and the government brutally forcing pregnant mothers to abort their unborn children.

This year, Reverend Rob Schenck was on sabbatical to finish his doctoral dissertation. Therefore, the 23rd National Bible Reading Marathon was led by Faith and Action’s chief of program, Peggy Nienaber, and our friend, Pastor Michael Hall. Patty Bills from Faith and Action also welcomed hundreds of individuals and bus loads of church groups. For the first time during this longstanding tradition,  no members of Congress attended because they were on district recess.

On Friday, the Christian Post interviewed Terry Shaffer Hall. Read the report by clicking here.

On Sunday, the Associated Press wrote: “Readers on Saturday persevered through a cold rain that forced cancellation of other outdoor events. Mitchell says a waterproof Bible was used during those hours.

“After reading a portion of the Psalms Sunday under sunny skies, Sarah Miller said she considered it a privilege to read the Scriptures from the Capitol steps, looking west toward the Washington Monument.”

At the closing ceremony, Shelly Walsh sang “Temporary Home,”  “Jesus Takes the Wheel,” and she led everyone in singing “God Bless America.”

Shelly Walsh singing at the Closing Ceremony of the 23rd National Bible Reading Marathon on Capitol Hill.

We all recited “The Lord’s Prayer,” otherwise known as the “Our Father.”

CNN joined us today and interviewed Pastor Hall.

On Faith and Action’s Facebook, Lisa Hnath wrote: “So glad you are reading God’s word! He promises to watch over His word, to perform it and that it won’t return fruitless but will accomplish His divine purpose. Blessings on you and our great land, the United States of America.”

Thank you, Lisa. Faith and Action thanks everyone who read scripture with us and stopped to listen to God’s saving words of truth, love, justice and mercy.

Father Frank Pavone

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  April 25, 2012 – Priests for Life, led by the National Pro-Life Center’s Pastoral Director Father Frank Pavone, a Faith and Action partner, today announced that Obama administration lawyers are trying to “shut down” the lawsuit that’s been filed to stop President Obama’s healthcare law and mandates from violating the conscience and morals of America’s Catholics and other conscientious objectors.

Priests for Life v. Sebelius seeks to permanently block the implementation of the HHS mandate that imposes clear violations of conscience upon any and all citizens who morally object to abortion and contraception.

“Since the HHS mandate directly affects Priests for Life—and every U.S. citizen—through compulsory funding of contraception and abortion-inducing drugs and devices, our lawsuit is 100% legitimate,” said Priests for Life’s lead attorney Charles LiMandri.

“And yet,” LiMandri added, “the Obama lawyers are trying to say that we don’t have ‘standing’ because the abortion mandate ‘doesn’t go into effect’ for PFL for several months.”

LiMandri points out that the HHS mandate forces Priests for Life to either pay for abortion-causing pills, promote them, or be heavily fined if their employee healthcare plan doesn’t comply with the Obama law and corresponding mandates.

He said, “Priests for Life would be fined as much as $100 per day, per employee. This could cost Priests for Life over $1 million a year in fines. And we’re not going to accept this at all.”

Of course the law and mandates affect Faith and Action the same way.

Priests for Life is preparing its response with the assistance of the American Freedom Law Center, which must be filed with the court by April 30, 2012.

Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said, “As our attorneys do their work, I ask our supporters to join in our prayer campaign and our Citizens’ Amicus brief. Of this I am confident: We will prevail, life will prevail!”

See more by clicking on Faith and Action Partner Sues Obama Administration.