Christian Action League of North Carolina
GREENVILLE – Eastern North Carolina Christians looking for a voice in Raleigh, eager for an update on critical legislative issues or simply in need of a word of encouragement can find it all at the Christian Action League’s annual meeting on Monday, Nov. 17, at Grace Church in Greenville.
“This is our chance to showcase the work of the CAL and to give supporters a preview of a few of the issues that we expect to face when the General Assembly comes back into session in January,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the non-profit organization that represents believers and promotes a Biblical worldview in the State Capitol.
“While we expect to see our Advisory Board members there and will have a brief business meeting at the end, this service is open to anyone who is interested,” said the Rev. Creech. “It’s a chance for us to connect with supporters and help them get plugged in so they can make a difference in our state government.”
The Rev. Mike Meshaw, pastor of Grace Church, said his congregation wants to make an impact on the community and on Eastern North Carolina and hosting the meeting is one way they can do so.
“I know Mark Creech. I know his heart for God and for the Word of God. He is in tune with all of the issues and things going on culturally and societally. And I know his application of the Scriptures on these issues,” Meshaw said. “Like him, we believe we have the answers to the needs of our people and our nation and that those answers are found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
In addition to the Rev. Creech, speakers for the evening will include John Rustin, vice president and head of government relations for the North Carolina Family Policy Council; Barbara Holt, president of North Carolina Right to Life; and Luanne Williams, the CAL’s director of research and communications.
“The strength of groups like the CAL is the grassroots support that they have with pastors, churches and general supporters, so it is critically important that they understand the issues and understand that the time to engage in the battle is now,” said Rustin, who will address North Carolina’s need for for a Constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of “one man and one woman,” among other family related topics.
Holt will bring attendees up to speed on the Woman’s Right to Know bill and other pending pro-life legislation, while Williams will address the possibility of privatized liquor sales and the push to legalize medicinal marijuana.
Set to begin at 6:30 p.m., the service will also include special music and an offering and will be followed by refreshments. It will be the first ever CAL Eastern North Carolina Convention as the organization this year is hosting three regional events rather than one central annual meeting, to make it more convenient for attendees.
CAL supporters in Western North Carolina gathered for their meeting Oct. 28 in Taylorsville. The final meeting, for Central North Carolina, is set for Nov. 20 in Coats.
“I think these meetings are something that every pastor in North Carolina, if they have the opportunity, they ought to be there to learn and to take this information back to their church and their community,” said the Rev. Tony Dyson, pastor of Concord Baptist in Stony Point, who attended the Western Convention. “This type of informational meeting is so needed.”
Meshaw agreed.
“We want our people to know there is a biblical world view that you apply to the issues of the day,” he said. “We aren’t living in the Dark Ages; we believe we are living on the front edge of what God is doing right now. And we need to be involved.”
The CAL’s Eastern Convention includes the following counties: Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hyde, Hertford, Jones, Martin, Lenoir, Nash, Onslow, New Hanover, North Hampton, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Wayne, Washington, Wilson and of course, Pitt, where Grace Church is located at 3551 S. Charles Blvd. in Greenville.
There is no need for pre-registration for the meeting, but CAL Advisory Board members will want to pick up informational packets at the welcome table.
To find out more about the Christian Action League, call (919) 787-0606 or log on to the Web site at www.christianactionleague.org.