By L.A. Williams, Correspondent
Christian Action League
February 21, 2013
RALEIGH — The Rev. Jack Marshburn, longtime pastor of Tar Landing Baptist Church in Jacksonville, N.C., has been elected president of the Board of Directors of the Christian Action League. Former Legislator Russell Capps of Raleigh is vice president.
The Rev. Mark Creech, the League’s executive director, announced the changes in leadership Monday following the Board’s quarterly meeting at the CAL office in Raleigh. The Rev. Marshburn replaces Dr. David C. Hansley, who had stepped down from the presidency Jan. 9, citing growing demands on his time. Dr. Hansley is director of Home Missions and Evangelism for the Original Free Will Baptist and had served as president of the CAL board since 2007.
“God blessed us with the leadership of Dr. Hansley, and we wish him the best as he devotes more of his time to other areas of ministry,” said Dr. Creech. “We are further blessed to have Rev. Marshburn taking the helm and bringing years of ministry experience with him. And then to have Russell Capps with his Legislative background is an added bonus.”
The Rev. Marshburn recently marked 29 years as pastor at Tar Landing Baptist. A native of Onslow County, he has served on the board of directors for the Onslow Pregnancy Resource Center and is on the executive committee of the New River Baptist Association.
“My desire as president is to encourage the continuation of the good fellowship among the board members. I believe healthy, positive meetings are important for the support of our executive director and his administrative assistant,” said Rev. Marshburn, 56. “Mark (Creech) and John (de Rosset) are at the forefront of CAL’s ministry. They are the ones who deal daily with the financial challenges and the legislative issues. I hope that our quarterly meetings will be a source of encouragement to them.”
He said the present conservative tone in the General Assembly seems to be much more favorable to many of the positions taken by CAL and therefore, “it is crucial that we, the board of directors, seize this ‘open door’ opportunity with wisdom and boldness.”
Vice President Capps grew up in Raleigh’s Oakwood neighborhood, just blocks from the Governor’s Mansion and the State Legislative Buildings where he would later spend six terms in the House, representing Districts 50 and 41. A member of Christ Baptist Church and president of the Wake County Taxpayers Association, Capps has served on the Board of the Christian Action League for some four decades.
“The CAL is an absolutely vital influence on the Legislature for protecting Christian and moral interests and values,” Capps said. He has often called the League’s impact on the legislative process “the best kept secret of our day.”
The Christian Action League, which traces its history to 1943 when it began as the Allied Church League, has expanded to represent churches from more than 15 denominations across the state’s 100 counties.
To find out more about the work of the Christian Action League and how you can get involved, log on to www.christianactionleague.org or phone the League office at 919-787-0606.