More than 50 congregations were represented at a luncheon Tuesday to learn more about how they can spread the gospel

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

As the master of ceremonies at a luncheon for the Concerned Christian Citizens of Clark County, Dennis Fuqua had a question for the nearly 100 people in attendance.

How many churches were represented in the room?

There were several guesses.

Then Fuqua hit them with the answer: One. With one leader.

Those in attendance Tuesday at the Water Resources Education Center in Vancouver cheered.

He acknowledged, of course, that more than 50 congregations from Clark County had representatives in the room. But they all fell under the leadership of Jesus.

They gathered to hear from guest speaker Joseph Backholm, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council. Backholm challenged pastors and church leaders to tackle the tough questions, to boldly proclaim the gospel during trying times in our culture, especially as Americans inch closer to the November election. 

Backholm’s talk was called: Confronting Culture for the Sake of the Gospel.

Backholm noted that it can be difficult work for pastors, challenging their congregations to take a stand. But it is worth the work.

He compared it to maintenance on your home.

“Mow your lawn. Repair the plumbing leak. Fix the roof,” Backholm said, pointing out that that those things can be difficult, but they are necessary.

“We live in a culture and an environment that was built for us. It was very, very good. We have enjoyed it. It has produced a lot of really good things. But it requires maintenance,” Backholm said. 

Looking at the pastors, he pushed: “If we decide we don’t want to do that work anymore, eventually the power goes out, you run out of food, it gets cold and dark, and you need to find a new place.”

The messages: 

Do. The. Work.

And engage the culture with love and truth.

The Concerned Christian Citizens of Clark County is an informal group of people who are deeply concerned about the direction of our society, according to the group’s website. 

“We believe Christian citizens need to be well-informed on the many cultural issues we face today, and encouraged to pray, speak out, and vote,” the site says in its “About us” section.

Fuqua put it another way as he opened the luncheon on Tuesday.

The Concerned Christian Citizens of Clark County are people who are primarily citizens of heaven, but also American citizens and citizens of Clark County, he said. 

“We are concerned because there are things happening in Clark County that do not reflect the kingdom of God,” Fuqua said. “We want to be engaged.”

For more information on the Concerned Christian Citizens of Clark County, go to its webpage at: https://www.c3clarkwa.org/