Evangelical and Clergy Outreach in Ohio

Why has the Ohio Republican Party not reached out to one of their largest voting bases? This is a vast untouched network that has the potential to turn Ohio's bluest areas red.

In the Republican party, there are different thoughts on the role the SCC (State Central Committee) should play.

One is a hands-off approach, and the party is only there to raise money to get candidates elected. The candidates drive policy decisions and set the agenda for the party.

The other is the SCC takes a hands-on approach by drafting a platform, and they help prioritize legislation and bring candidates together to move conservative policies down the political football field. The SCC incentivizes candidates to do the right thing, granting them access to their services and network when they do the right thing. The services of the SCC/Ohio Republican Party can be hugely influential in winning races.

The SCC has traditionally taken a hands-off approach to their stewardship of the candidates and officeholders of the party - other than to get their favored candidates elected. Unfortunately, this shows and is revealed in how long it takes to pass conservative legislation. Look at the voter photo identification law that has taken more than 30 years to pass. Why do Ohioans not have passion for the Ohio Republican Party? Because there is no boss at the helm telling our officeholders in the GA (General Assembly) that they need to get these things done. There is not a whole lot of cooperation between GA members as they all have their pet projects and what they believe is important.

It has been my experience when the party has a captain to helm the ship - things get accomplished much more quickly, and much more passion is built for the party, not just the candidates. Just as having a manager give direction to their employees helps to get things done in almost any business.

There is a movement afoot within the SCC to finally draft a platform, take the bull by the horns, and helm the ship. All Ohioans should be jumping for joy at the possibility of getting a lot of things done very quickly to make Ohio a much better place to live, work, start a business, and raise a family. Unfortunately, conservatives have seen this too many times - only to have their hopes dashed by an SCC that can’t get it together. Ohio Republicans have been lied to too many times and have little respect for the party. The SCC has to earn the respect of Republicans and grow the party, and there is no better way to do that than by reaching out to the clergy and evangelicals.

The Ohio Republican Party’s outreach to the clergy and evangelicals has been non-existent.

Evangelicals and the clergy help to energize the base, and when the party has a backbone - nearly 80% of evangelicals will vote with the party. When the party has no backbone - evangelicals stay home - and Republicans lose.

Now, there are many members of the SCC that believe that we cannot take policy positions that are too far to the right-side of the spectrum. If extreme positions are taken, they surmise, we’ll alienate the more moderate Republicans amongst us.

But will we?

By taking moderate positions, the party cannot drive passion for itself.

Let’s face it, no one really tends to get excited about moderate policy. And, because the left is so far left - will moderate Republicans really abandon the party? So we give up a few toxic moderates for an energized and donating base. What’s the problem here?

While I will agree we should not take hard-line stances on every policy - we have been on the moderate side of the spectrum since the 1980s - the party SCC can afford to take risks.

Getting back to Biblical principles - always benefits Republicans - when they work with the clergy and evangelicals to educate the public.

When was the last time that the State Party sponsored a Republican Pastoral Breakfast or had a Pastoral Briefing Conference?

From what I can find, it was 1983, and those things were quite popular also in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s - but after 1983 - nothing. Many Churches even had Republicans in to speak on what was occurring at the State-level and what the SCC was pushing with monthly briefings.

Taking a Stand

For example, let’s discuss gender-affirming surgery in Ohio (sex-change disfigurement.)

Almost all studies on the issue - shows that Ohio leads the nation in gender-affirming surgeries - having many more surgeries than California and Texas. When it comes to gender-affirming surgeries for children - Ohio leads the nation by far - with over 430 transition surgeries for children - a majority of which 80% are from other states.

But - that is not the kicker…..while Ohio has rules about its Medicaid not covering gender-affirming surgeries - the Ohio Governor in 2019 issued a circular effectively not enforcing the law and preventing the Ohio Department of Health from tracking such surgeries.

Every year, Ohio schools become more “woke” teaching liberal ideologies that mentally manipulate children wanting to change their identities. The number of gender-affirming surgeries are growing every year with the advent of Medicaid in other states paying for gender-affirming surgeries in Ohio.

It is not an extremist position to say that we should not be disfiguring mentally disturbed people. We should be helping them!

The American people were horrified when it was revealed that in some Muslim countries that it was a practice to mutilate a woman’s genital to keep them clean from men. How is it any less horrifying that we are mutilating our fellow man and requiring acceptance of this behavior as normal?

State Representatives Gary Click and Diane Grendell introduced HB454 to stop Ohio physicians and surgeons from mutilating children. Yet HB454 spent over a year in committee and died there. Why? There is absolutely nothing controversial about the bill if you have a shred of morality in your body.

Churches are already educating on this topic all across Ohio!

This is the time where Biblical principles matter, and if the SCC grows a backbone on issues like this - they will start to build a passion for the party. The SCC should impress upon legislators in 2023 that they need to move this legislation through the committee as fast as possible and pass it into law.

Why didn’t this move quickly through the legislature - well - it is big money for Ohio hospitals, and they are big donors to the Ohio Republican party. Nationwide Children’s Hospital opposed the passage of HB454, and the SCC has its meetings at the Nationwide Resort and Conference Center in Lewis Center, OH. It is pretty blatant why popular legislation like this does not get through - it’s the special interests.

The SCC members are the people’s lobbyists, and they could stop sex changes for children as well as for adults. Why should Ohioans pay for elective surgery through an ever-burdening Medicaid expense? Why should we allow doctors to profit from mental health conditions? Wouldn’t this be just as bad as letting a doctor act as a pimp in prostituting a person with a hypersexual disorder? What happened to do no harm?

Pushing past the special interests will allow the party to become popular again.

• Taking back Ohio Schools from the woke ideologues.

• Protecting Ohio Children - even from their woke parents.

• Charging woke parents with child abuse.

• Not allowing sex-change operations to happen in Ohio for any age.

• Protecting women’s sports

• Lowering spending and lowering taxes

Just meaningfully supporting these topics will help to expand the party and increase donations to the party. This also gives the Republican party a ready-made mechanism to engage the clergy and evangelicals.

We should always look at those that play down those that regret being transitioned.

We can and should do more to stop this - we should have better morals than to allow this behavior to continue one more day.

The Ohio Republican party has lost its way and needs edification. It needs a revival of ethics and morality - and the party will get that with a spiritual relationship with the church.

“With God, all things are possible” we just have to remember not to reject him.

Please visit Ohio Promise Keepers to contact your Ohio Republican State Central Committee Members.