The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr" or often "Ps."

History

In some countries the term is used in relation to Protestant churches. It can also be used in reference to priests and bishops within the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The word itself is derived from the Latin word which means "shepherd". The term "pastor" is also related to the role of elder within the New Testament, but is not synonymous with the biblical understanding of minister.

Present-day usage of the word is rooted in the Bible. The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) uses the Hebrew word . It is mentioned 173 times and describes the feeding of sheep, as in Genesis 29:7, or the spiritual feeding of human beings, as in Jeremiah 3:15, "Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding" (NASB). In the New Testament, the Greek noun (''poimēn'') and verb (''poimaino'') are usually translated ''shepherd'' or ''to shepherd''. The two words are used a total of 29 times in the New Testament, most frequently referring to Jesus. For example, Jesus called himself the "Good Shepherd" in John 10:11. The same words are used in familiar Christmas story (Luke 2) referring to literal shepherds.

In five New Testament passages though, the words are referring to church workers.

John 21:16 - Jesus told Peter: "Shepherd My sheep" (NASB)

Acts 20:17 - the Apostle Paul summons the ''elders'' or presbyters of the church in Ephesus to give a last discourse to them; in the process, in Acts 20:28, he tells them that the Holy Spirit has made them ''bishops'', and that their job is to ''shepherd'' the flock of God among them.

1 Corinthians 9:7 - Paul says, of himself and the apostles: "who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?" (NASB)

Ephesians 4:11 - Paul wrote "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers" (NASB)

1 Peter 5:1-2 - Peter tells the ''elders'' among his readers that they are to, "shepherd the flock of God among you" (NASB)

Arguably from the earliest centuries of Christian history, the church had three orders which were considered divinely ordained: bishops, priests and deacons. Each was only considered authoritative and able to administer the sacraments if one had valid apostolic succession (''i.e.'', traceable lineage of ordinations back to the original bishops, the Apostles themselves). However, Protestant communities since the Reformation generally understood the "apostolic" nature of ordained ministry as meaning subscription to the apostolic teaching, that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, proclaimed in the New Testament Bible and hold the notion of a literal "apostolic succession" as extrabiblical if not spurious.

Historical usage

Around 400 AD, Saint Augustine, a prominent Roman bishop, described a pastor's job:

Disturbers are to be rebuked, the low-spirited to be encouraged, the infirm to be supported, objectors confuted, the treacherous guarded against, the unskilled taught, the lazy aroused, the contentious restrained, the haughty repressed, litigants pacified, the poor relieved, the oppressed liberated, the good approved, the evil borne with, and all are to be loved.

Current usage

Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican

Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches typically refer to their local church leaders as "parish priests". The term ''pastor'' may be used, in a more casual way, particularly in North America. However, Anglican churches do not formally use the term "pastor"; rather, they frequently use the terms "rector" or "vicar" as alternatives to "parish priest".

Each Catholic parish is normally entrusted to the care of a single pastor, who must be a priest according to the 1983 Code of Canon Law. The associate pastor is called a parochial vicar and also must be a priest. In U.S. Catholic parishes, a lay ecclesial minister who fulfills many of the non-sacramental functions of an associate pastor is often called a "pastoral associate", "parish minister", or "pastoral assistant".

A bishop is canonically given full-fledged pastoral responsibilities within his diocese, and a priest is held to pastoral obedience with regards to his bishop. The term ''universal pastor'' refers to the pope, per the declaration ''Pastor aeternus'' of the First Vatican Council.

Jesus Christ is commonly referred to as the "Good Shepherd" or "Good Pastor", the former a phrase found in the Gospels.

Protestantism

Many Protestants use the term ''pastor'' as a title (e.g., Pastor Smith) or as a job title (like Senior Pastor or Worship Pastor). Some Protestants contend that utilizing the appellation of ''pastor'' to refer to an ordained minister contradicts the Protestant doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. United Methodist, for example, ordain to the office of deacon and elder; each of whom can use the title of pastor depending upon their job description. The use of the term "pastor" can also be regional in some denominations, including some parts of the Methodist, Presbyterian, Seventh-day Adventist, American Churches of Christ, and Baptist traditions.

The use of the term ''pastor'' to refer to the common Protestant title of modern times dates to the days of John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli. Both men, and other Reformers, seem to have revived the term to replace the Catholic priest in the minds of their followers. The pastor was considered to have a role separate from the board of presbyters. Few Protestant groups today still view the ''pastor'', ''bishop'', and ''elder'' as synonymous terms or offices; many who do are descended from the Restoration Movement in America during the 19th century, such as the Disciples of Christ and the Churches of Christ.

The term pastor is sometimes used for missionaries in developed countries to avoid offending those people in industrialized countries who may think that missionaries go only to less developed countries. In some Lutheran churches, ordained clergy are called priests, while in others the term pastor is preferred.

Baptist faith

In most Baptist churches the term for clergy is pastor based on the literal application of Ephesians 4.11-13: 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The Greek word here for pastor is poimen - shepherd - which bears the meaning of one who leads the congregation.

Leaving the ordained ministry

Observers such as clergy counselor Rowland Croucher suggest that the numbers of "ex-pastors" roughly equals that of serving clergy throughout the Western world. This would mean people who have left the ministry number in the six-figures. More pastors and priests may be leaving parish ministry than are lost to most other professions. Until the early 1990s, there were few cross-denominational ministries serving this group. Croucher collected data-based questionnaires of ministers of Protestant denominations.

The first writers to explore this research area used questionnaire surveys to look at factors such as age, education and family relationships as contributing factors to decisions to leave the ministry. Other writers have explored ex-pastors within particular denominations and/or focused on particular related issues such as burnout, stress, marital stress, sexual abuse, celibacy, loneliness, organisational factors, and conflict. One common cause of conflict occurs when differing approaches to ministry compete in the minds of clergy, congregation and community, as Norman Blaikie found in Australian clergy from six Protestant denominations.

For some of the estimated 10,000 ex-pastors from Australian Protestant churches, their transition was a normal mid-career move, voluntarily entered into like many of the role exits described in the classic study by sociologist (and ex-nun) Helen Ebaugh. Yet for many the transition out of parish ministry was premature. Clergy, churches and training bodies need a solid basis for understanding and action in order to reduce the attrition rate and enhance clergy, congregational and community health. Some denominations experience particularly high rates of attrition.

Key recommendations to help alleviate stress in clergy exit situations may revolve around the development of professional supervision and continuing education. Professional supervision for ministry is a method of reflecting critically on ministry as a way of growing in self-awareness, cultural and social awareness, ministry competence and theological reflection skills. Supervision that includes an element of peer group work has the potential to facilitate collaborative learning, enhanced group dynamic skills and ongoing supportive networks. Some denominations are encouraging their clergy to engage in professional supervision, as part of their mandatory requirement of professional standards, but the requirements and standards of clergy supervision are often haphazard or absent.

See also

Elder

Preacher

Clergy

Minister of religion

Pastoral care

Pastoral counseling

Rabbi

Imam

Murshid

Herr Pastor

Dominie

References

Footnotes

External links

NewAdvent.org, The Catholic Encyclopedia's entry on the term ''pastor''.

Gumpoint.com, A Pentecostal view on the term ''pastor''.

ChristianityToday.com, "Personal Life of a Pastor". The personal life of pastors is often overlooked by their church. This link directs you to a collection of resources about keeping a pastor's personal life vibrant.

ChristianityToday.com, Pastoral Administration. Articles about a pastor's role as administrator of a church.

LifeWay.com, Articles to help the pastor in the roles of preacher, missionary, leader, shepherd, and person.

PaganChristianity.net, George Barna explores the roots of the modern pastorate and some of its effects.

Category:Christian group structuring Category:Local Christian church officials Category:Ecclesiastical titles Category:Christian clergy by type Category:Christian religious occupations

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Sean Harris (born 1968, Bethnal Green, London, England) is an English actor, who is best known for his performance as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis in the film ''24 Hour Party People''. He grew up in Norwich, Norfolk, where he lived until he was 23.

Career

Trained at the Drama Centre London. He also appeared in the cult horror ''Creep'', in which he played a psychopathic killer stalking the London Underground. Harris appeared in his first British feature film lead in the independent film ''Saxon'', released in 2008.

Other notable roles include serial killer Ian Brady, one of the notorious culprits of the Moors Murders, on ITV1's ''See No Evil: The Moors Murders'', and Nick Sidney in the cult mockumentary ''Brothers of the Head''. Harris played Joy Division singer Ian Curtis in Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People. He has also appeared in the 2007 film ''Outlaw'' and in the television film ''Wedding Belles'' by Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh. Harris played the drugs dealer Stretch in ''Harry Brown''. Harris played reporter Fred Hale in a new film adaptation of ''Brighton Rock'', released in February 2011. Harris appeared in the British thriller film ''A Lonely Place to Die'' previously known as ''The Grave at Angel's Peak'' directed by Julian Gilbey.

Harris appeared in a short film, ''Native Son'', playing a troubled young soldier who returns home to the Highlands from a war overseas but finds difficulty settling back into rural life. The film was written and directed by Scottish director Scott Graham and premiered the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. He will play Fifield in the upcoming Ridley Scott 2012 sci-fi film, ''Prometheus''.

Television

Harris's television credits include Channel 4's drama series ''Cape Wrath'' as Gordon Ormond, the BBC series ''Ashes to Ashes'' as Arthur Layton, the ''Waking the Dead'' episode Pietà as former Serb war criminal Radovan Sredinić and as the corrupt Inspector Bob Craven in Channel 4's critically acclaimed ''Red Riding'' series. In the recent BBC TV drama ''Five Daughters'', he played Brian Tobin, co-founder of The Iceni Project, a drugs treatment facility based in Suffolk, England. He currently appears as the assassin Don Miguel "Michelotto" de Corella in ''The Borgias'', a historical television series created by Neil Jordan.

Notable appearances

Music video for Mark Ronson's 2007 single "Stop Me".

''Svengali'', an Internet comedy series written by Dean Cavanagh. Harris played photographer Anton Blair.

Once in the ''Weebl and Bob'' episode, "Email", in which he is told that he smells of wee.

References

External links

Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from London Category:British film actors Category:British television actors Category:Date of birth missing (living people)

de:Sean Harris es:Sean Harris

name	Marvin Winans
background	solo_singer
birth name	Marvin Lawrence Winans
birth date	March 05, 1958
origin	Detroit, MichiganUnited States
genre	Gospel
occupation	pastor,actor
years active
label	''with The Winans''LightQwest/Warner Bros.''with the Perfected Praise Choir''Sparrow RecordsDiamante Music GroupArtemis GospelPure Springs Gospel
associated acts	The Winans, Fred Hammond.
notable instruments	piano }}

Marvin Lawrence Winans (born March 5, 1958) is an American gospel singer and member of the musical Winans family. He is also known for his recurring role in the hit show ''Tyler Perry's House of Payne''.

Life and career

Personal life

Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan, the fourth of 10 children of Delores (née Ransom) and David Glenn Winans, Sr., who recorded together as "Mom and Pop Winans". His siblings David II, Carvin (his fraternal twin), Benjamin (BeBe), Daniel, Michael, Ronald, Priscilla (CeCe), Deborah (Debbie), Angelique (Angie) are also musically gifted and have careers in the music industry singing, writing and producing. Marvin met and married Vickie Bowman, to whom he was married for 16 years until their divorce in 1995. His sons, Marvin Jr. (Coconut), Josiah Winans, and stepson Mario (Skeeter) are also in the music business. Mario is a producer and R&B; singer. Marvin Jr., once a member of Winans Phase 2, is now a solo artist and is also a producer, and Josiah Winans is Also a Producer featured on Marvin jr's first solo project.

Musical career

Winans sang in the 1970s with his brothers Ronald, Carvin (his twin) and Michael (the group also included others) as The Testimonial Singers. Their first performance was at a high school talent show. In 1975 the group's name was changed to The Winans. Their musical careers spanned both the 1980s and 1990s. The Winans, who were discovered by Andrae Crouch, released their first album under the new group's name, entitled ''Introducing The Winans'', in 1981. The Winans were greatly influenced by the Queen of Gospel Albertina Walker and her group The Caravans. An organist and pianist, Marvin also wrote songs, and produced for The Winans records, for solo projects from family members, and on other gospel releases. For his vocals on the 1985 song "Bring Back the Days of Yea and Nay", Winans was awarded a Grammy for Best Male Soul Gospel Performance. He and several of his siblings and family members sang the Winans hit "Tomorrow" at Whitney Houston's funeral.

In 2007, Winans released his first solo recording, ''Alone, But Not Alone''.

Pastor, Perfecting Church (Detroit)

Winans, a pastor, founded The Perfecting Church in Detroit, Michigan in the early 1990s, and released an album with the church's choir in 1992 entitled ''Introducing Perfected Praise''. A second album, ''Friends'', appeared in 2001. His 2007 release, ''Alone but Not Alone'', was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary R&B; Gospel Album. On Saturday, February 18, 2012, at noon (EST), Winans preached the eulogy at Whitney Houston's funeral, at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

Discography

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Introducing The Winans'' | Released | Format LP | Label Light Records | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Long Time Comin' '' | Released | Format LP | Label Light Records | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Tomorrow'' | Released | Format LP | Label Light Records | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Let My People Go'' | Released | Format LP | Label Qwest/Warner Bros. | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Decisions'' | Released | Format LP | Label Qwest/Warner Bros. | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	live | Name ''The Winans Live At Carnegie Hall'' | Released | Format LP | Label Qwest/Warner Bros. | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Return'' | Released | Format CD | Label Qwest/Warner Bros. | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''All Out'' | Released | Format CD | Label Qwest/Warner Bros. | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Heart & Soul'' | Released | Format CD | Label Qwest/Warner Bros. | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Christmas: Our Gifts To You'' | Released | Format CD | Label Diamante Music Group | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Introducing Perfected Praise'' | Released | Format CD | Label Sparrow Records | Writer | Producer | Chart position #14 US Gospel | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Friends'' | Released | Format CD | Label Diamante Music Group | Writer | Producer | Chart position #7 US Gospel, #18 US Independent | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''The Songs of Marvin Winans'' | Released | Format CD | Label Artemis Gospel | Writer | Producer | Chart position | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

{{infobox discography | type	studio | Name ''Alone but Not Alone'' | Released | Format CD | Label Pure Springs Gospel | Writer | Producer | Chart position #85 US | Sales | Certification | Tracks | Bonus tracks | Singles | Other info }}

References

External links

Category:1958 births Category:American gospel singers Category:Musicians from Detroit, Michigan Category:Living people Category:Church of God in Christ clergy Category:Members of the Church of God in Christ Category:American Pentecostals

name	James David Manning
birth date	February 20, 1947
birth place	Red Springs, North Carolina, United States
occupation	Protestant Christian Pastor
website	}}

James David Manning (born February 20, 1947) is chief pastor at the ATLAH World Missionary Church on 123rd Street in New York City. Manning grew up in Red Springs, North Carolina, born to an African American family, and has been at ATLAH since 1981. ATLAH stands for All The Land Anointed Holy, which is Manning's name for Harlem. His congregation, "ATLAH Worldwide Missionary Church" is the former Bethelite Missionary Baptist Church. The church is also the site of the ATLAH Theological Seminary, which offers classes on preaching and prophecy.

Manning is fiercely opposed to the gentrification of Harlem and calls for its residents to boycott its shops, restaurants, doctors, banks and churches. That action, combined with a general rent strike, would force all property owners out of Harlem, he said, leaving the neighborhood to its rightful inheritors: black people. Manning calls his plan "No Dew, Nor Rain," after Elijah's warning to Ahab, king of Israel, of a coming drought. "When there's no dew, no rain, there's a drought – there's all kinds of suffering," said Manning. The whole of Harlem, he said, is to be a "drought zone."

Biography

Manning graduated from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York where he was awarded a Master of Divinity. Manning also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from his own ATLAH Theological Seminary, an unaccredited educational institution.

As a younger man, Manning burgled homes, mostly on Long Island. He spent about three and a half years in prison in New York and Florida for burglary, robbery, larceny, criminal possession of a weapon, and other charges before his release in 1978. While in prison, he became a devout Christian.

According to Manning, he attended the Oxford Round Table in 2004.

2008 presidential election

Manning came to public attention in the 2008 presidential election after ATLAH posted several sermons of his that were harshly critical of Democratic candidate Barack Obama on the website YouTube. Among other accusations, he called Obama's mother "white trash" for becoming pregnant by a black man out of wedlock, an issue he discussed during a press conference at the National Press Club on December 8, 2008.

"It is common knowledge that African men, coming from the continent of Africa—especially for the first time—do diligently seek out white women to have sexual intercourse with. Generally the most noble of white society choose not to intercourse sexually with these men. So it's usually the trashier ones who make their determinations that they're going to have sex."

Manning defended his sermons in an interview on Fox News, saying that "we also have to talk about his character."

The sermons drew the attention of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service objecting to alleged violations of laws granting tax-free status to churches on condition that they refrain from certain forms of political activity.

Views on Barack Obama as President

Manning has continued his criticisms of Obama after the election, comparing him to Hitler and frequently calling him a criminal and "long-legged mack daddy." He produced a video in summer 2009 in which he predicts that there will be a white backlash against Obama, complete with riots, and attending one of the first "birther" events. In an interview with Israeli radio station Arutz Sheva, Manning asserted that Obama had chosen to befriend Muslims instead of Jews; he also offered praise of Meir Kahane.

In responding to a comment by Bill O'Reilly, a commentator on Fox News Channel, calling birther lawyer Orly Taitz a "nut", he and Taitz organized a protest outside Fox News headquarters in New York City in November 2009, which drew an estimated 15 to 20 attendees.

References

External links

Website of ATLAH World Missionary Church

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:People from Red Springs, North Carolina Category:Baptist ministers from the United States Category:African American religious leaders Category:Christianity conspiracy theorists Category:American evangelists Category:American Internet personalities Category:Kahanists Category:American burglars Category:Politics and race in the United States

Name	Chuck Baldwin
Birth name	Charles Obadiah Baldwin
Birth date	May 03, 1952
Birth place	La Porte, Indiana, U.S.
Residence	Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	Baptist pastor, radio host
Party	ConstitutionRepublican
Spouse	Connie Kay Cole (1973–present)
Children	Sarah, Christopher, Timothy
Religion	Baptists (Christianity)
Website	Chuck Baldwin Live }}

Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin (born May 3, 1952) is an American politician and founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. He was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. presidential election and had previously been its nominee for U.S. vice president in 2004. He hosts a daily one-hour radio program, ''Chuck Baldwin Live'', and writes a daily editorial column carried on its website, on News with Views, on VDare, and in several newspapers.

As a Republican Party member, Baldwin was state chairman of the Florida Moral Majority in the 1980s. However, during the 2000 campaign of Republican George W. Bush for U.S. President, Baldwin left the party and began a long period of criticism of Bush. Baldwin endorsed U.S. Representative Ron Paul for the 2008 Republican nomination for president, and Paul in turn endorsed Baldwin for the presidency in the 2008 general election.

Baldwin supports ending U.S. involvement in the United Nations, reducing U.S. income taxes, and repeal of the Patriot Act. He would withdraw troops from Iraq and seek to end illegal immigration by enforcing immigration laws. He supports the gold standard, the right to keep and bear arms, homeschooling, and the proposed Sanctity of Life Act, which would define "human life" and legal personhood as beginning at conception, and prevent federal courts from hearing cases on abortion-related legislation.

Family and education

Baldwin's father, Edwin J. "Ed" Baldwin, was born on March 1, 1907, in Lake, Michigan, to Zora Mary Baldwin (1889–1973) and Arthur Baldwin (1881–1962), a farmer, carpenter, and construction foreman. The family moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, before 1910, after which Ed's four siblings Ruth, Nina, Arthur (Bud), and Eugene (Gene) were born. Ed grew up to marry Sarah L. Baldwin, became a master welder, and was loyal to the Teamsters union and the Democratic Party.

In response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the three brothers volunteered for the Second World War on December 8, 1941. At this time Sarah left Ed because of his years of alcoholism. After the war, Ed left Arkansas and found work in La Porte, Indiana (where he lived until his death in early 1993); he was the only one of the Baldwin clan (also including his in-laws) not to remain a lifelong Arkansan. In 1947, while in poor health, Ed "gave his heart to the Lord" in a salvation experience, and reportedly never drank again. Ed had remarried, and conducted a successful volunteer chaplaincy in La Porte County Jail, Indiana State Prison, and other northern Indiana prisons for 35 years; he was regarded as an effective soulwinner and as having a special ministry to black inmates. Ed's life story was dramatized for radio by Pacific Garden Mission for its "Unshackled!" series.

Ed's son, Charles "Chuck" Baldwin, was born in La Porte, Indiana, in La Porte County, on May 3, 1952. Baldwin graduated from La Porte High School in 1971 and attended Midwestern Baptist College in Pontiac, Michigan, for two years. He met Connie Kay Cole there and married her on June 2, 1973. Though he originally had planned on a career in law enforcement, Baldwin felt called to evangelistic ministry; he moved to the south, and enrolled in, and graduated with a Bible diploma from, the Thomas Road Bible Institute (now the Liberty Bible Institute at Liberty University). He then received his bachelor's and master's in theology through external programs from Christian Bible College, located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina which is accredited by the American Accrediting Association of Theological Institutions run by the President of the college and has been referred to as a diploma mill in Name It and Frame It?. Baldwin has received two honorary doctor of divinity degrees, from Christian Bible College and from Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, Florida.

On June 22, 1975, Chuck and Connie Baldwin and four other individuals held the first meeting of what would become the Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida; Baldwin was the founding pastor. By 1985 the church had gone through repeated building programs and been recognized by President Ronald Reagan for its unusual growth and influence.

The Baldwins have three children. Sarah is the oldest; she and her husband, structural engineer Allan Baker, are church youth leaders and have three children. Second is Christopher (Chris), who owns a plumbing business; he and his wife, Jana Baldwin née McCoy, also have three children. Third is Timothy, a lawyer and a music minster at Liberty Fellowship in Kalispell, Montana.

Political activity

Until he became a Republican in 1980, Baldwin had been a registered Democrat, like his father. From 1980 to 1984, Baldwin served as Pensacola chairman and then state executive director of the Florida Moral Majority, organized by the Rev. Jerry Falwell of Lynchburg, Virginia. Baldwin helped carry the state twice for Reagan electors; he says he helped Falwell register some 50,000 Christian conservative voters. Baldwin's father, Ed, a lifelong Democrat, expressed grudging admiration for what he saw as Reagan's honesty and courage. In August 1994, Baldwin had a call-in radio show on the Christian Patriot Network.

In 2000, however, Baldwin left the Republican Party on grounds that the Bush–Cheney ticket was too liberal. Baldwin has said that many evangelical minds, similarly to ministers in Nazi Germany, have seemingly given Bush "the aura of an American Fuhrer." He considered himself an independent affiliated with the Constitution Party.

At about this time, Baldwin began hosting a local daily one-hour current-events radio program, "Chuck Baldwin Live," which continues today nationwide on the Genesis Communications Network. He writes a semiweekly editorial column carried on its website, on VDare, Chuckbalwinlive.com, and in several newspapers. He has also appeared on numerous television shows and radio shows, in churches across the country, and as the keynote speaker for the 50th anniversary of D-Day at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

2004 vice presidential campaign

In the 2004 presidential election, Baldwin was the running mate of Michael Peroutka of Maryland and was the candidate for U.S. vice president on the Constitution Party ticket, the Alaskan Independence Party ticket, and other tickets and qualified write-in slots in 42 states. The two ran on a platform of "For God, Family, and the Republic." The Peroutka–Baldwin campaign publicly spoke out against abortion, women in the military, and the Iraq War, and emphasized the Bible, traditional family values, and the need for Constitutionally limited government.

On August 14, 2004, the Clarion Call to Converge Committee hosted discussions of potential strategic merger among the America First Party, the American Independent Party, and the Independent American Party; invited Constitution Party chair Jim Clymer was unable to attend due to Hurricane Charley. While the committee found the meeting favorable toward some party merger, AFP national chairman Dan Charles saw other forms of party cooperation to be more likely. In the end, the four parties succeeded in uniting to endorse Peroutka–Baldwin as their 2004 presidential ticket.

Peroutka was also endorsed by many paleoconservatives, the Alaskan Independence Party, the League of the South (accepted by Peroutka at its 2004 national convention), the Southern Party of Georgia, Samuel T. Francis, Alex Jones, Howard Phillips, and Taki Theodoracopulos. Pat Buchanan also stated there was a chance he would vote for Peroutka, counting them as "a Buchananite party", but eventually endorsed Bush. The ticket came in fifth with 143,630 votes (0.12%) and spent $728,221, somewhat less per vote than either George W. Bush or John Kerry. It was the only third party to increase its share of the vote in 2004.

Interim activity

In the Constitution Party's April 2006 national convention in Tampa, Florida, a heated disaffiliation vote forced members to choose between one of two pro-life positions. The assembly voted not to disaffiliate the Independent American Party of Nevada over the more exceptive position of its gubernatorial candidate, Christopher H. Hansen. Baldwin voted in favor of disaffiliation, favoring the more conservative position. Baldwin remained with the party, but several conservative state parties subsequently voted to leave the national party, believing it to have unacceptably compromised its pro-life platform; rump factions have been orchestrated by the national Constitution Party in some of these states.

On August 30, 2007, Baldwin wrote an informal endorsement for Ron Paul for the GOP nomination: "Conservative Republicans have only one choice for president in 2008: Congressman Ron Paul of Texas"; more formal endorsement of Paul came in a December video. That same month, Baldwin said:

}}

2008 presidential campaign

Baldwin's vice presidential run, and Peroutka's withdrawal from the national Constitution Party, led to active 2006 speculation that Baldwin would seek the presidential nomination in 2008. Baldwin responded in October that "I have learned to never say never, but I have no desire to run. [It] would require several 'miraculous' signs of reassurance that, frankly, I cannot see happening. However, I am always open to God's will." He repeated this stance through March 2008.

Baldwin announced on April 10, two weeks before the national convention was held in Kansas City, Missouri, that he would make himself available for the party's nomination at the convention, while "not 'running,'" but continuing to seek God's will. A Nolan Chart writer conveyed speculation that Baldwin's availability may have been responsive to the sudden candidacy of former ambassador Alan Keyes, who strongly favored the Iraq war; Baldwin, a noninterventionist, admitted others "have urged me to place my name in nomination." In a convention speech, party founder Howard Phillips endorsed Baldwin and controversially referred to Keyes as a neocon and a too-recent Republican.

Baldwin was nominated on April 26, 2008, after what was described as the most contentious battle in the party's 16-year history. He received 383.8 votes, ahead of Keyes, who drew 125.7 votes from delegates; Keyes had abandoned the Republicans for the Constitution Party (one month before the Constitution Party convention), much as Baldwin had done in 2000. Party members such as national chairman Jim Clymer said Baldwin's stands were more in line with party thinking. Baldwin asked the convention to nominate bankruptcy attorney Darrell Castle of Tennessee as his running mate, and this request was honored.

After Ron Paul withdrew from the Republican campaign in June, he remained neutral about making a presidential endorsement. On September 10, Paul held a National Press Club conference at which Baldwin, Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney, and independent candidate Ralph Nader all agreed on four principles—quickly ending the Iraq war, protecting privacy and civil liberties, stopping increases in the national debt, and investigating the Federal Reserve—and on their opposition to the Democratic and Republican parties ignoring these issues.

Paul's advice at the conference was to vote for whichever third-party candidate one has the most affinity to, because "we must maximize the total votes of those rejecting the two major candidates." However, on September 22, 2008, Paul stated his neutrality was "due to my respect and friendship and support from both the Constitution and Libertarian Party members . . . and I'm a ten-term Republican congressman. It is not against the law to participate in more than one political party." Paul then gave his endorsement to Baldwin: "Unsolicited advice from the Libertarian Party candidate . . . has [persuaded] me to reject my neutral stance in the November election. I'm supporting Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party candidate." Paul later clarified that though he would vote for Baldwin, he recognized the diversity of his support base and could not bind anyone's conscience. A former Paul primary backer, Houston term limits pioneer Clymer Wright, also contributed to the Baldwin campaign.

Baldwin has written specifically against the candidacies of Barack Obama and John McCain, and those of vice-presidential nominees Sarah Palin and Joe Biden.

2012 campaign for lieutenant governor

In November, 2011, Republican Montana gubernatorial candidate Bob Fanning selected Chuck Baldwin as his running mate.

Move to Montana

In 2010, Baldwin retired from his position as pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church and announced his intention to move to Montana, because he believed God had told him that the Mountain states were the "tip of the spear in the freedom fight." In March 2011, he wrote an article in support of the American Redoubt concept originated by novelist and blogger James Wesley Rawles. This plan designates five western states (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, eastern Oregon, and eastern Washington) as a safe haven for conservative Christians. In a June 9, 2011 article, Baldwin outlined his reasons for choosing the Flathead Valley of Western Montana for his family's home. He cited Montana's freedom-loving people, its recognition of the right to keep and bear arms, and a feeling of strong conviction, following prayer.

Political positions

Foreign policy

Baldwin supports American sovereignty and is a staunch opponent of what he sees as the New World Order. He has stated that fighting against one-world government is his top priority. He believes globalism in government has led to many connected threats and issues, among which he lists illegal immigration, the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the North American Free Trade Agreement, CAFTA, the North American Union, the Trans-Texas Corridor, the Iraq war, China, the Security and Prosperity Partnership, and the Free Trade Area of the Americas. He would also effect United States withdrawal from the United Nations and has pledged to push the UN out of its New York City offices.

Baldwin believes that "the invasion and occupation of Iraq was absolutely unnecessary" and has said his presidency would result in troop withdrawal from Iraq.

He has written that "the Mexican government is deliberately and systematically working to destabilize and undermine the very fabric and framework of American society." He strongly opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants and would try to end illegal immigration.

Baldwin has suggested reopening the investigation into the September 11 attacks, believing that the 9/11 truth movement has a right to have alternative 9/11 theories investigated, including those that raise the possibility of U.S. government involvement in the attacks.

Economy

Baldwin says he would end all federal income taxes and phase out the Internal Revenue Service. In an interview, he said, "What I would propose is an across-the-board, general 10 percent tariff on all imports and that would meet the Constitution's prescription for financing the federal government—duties, imposts, tariffs", which, he claims, would also help keep jobs in the United States. His website also says that "a tariff on foreign imports, based on the difference between the foreign item's cost of production abroad and the cost of production of a similar item produced in the United States, would be a Constitutional step toward a fair trade policy that would protect American jobs and, at the same time, raise revenue for our national government."

He has said that as president he would streamline the federal government and tap oil reserves in Alaska, the Dakotas, and the Gulf of Mexico. He believes the United States should return to the gold standard.

States' rights

Baldwin believes that "the South was right in the War Between the States," and that the leaders of the Confederacy were not racists. He uses the term "War for Southern Independence". He bemoans George W. Bush's failure to rescind executive orders by Bill Clinton that appear to undermine states' rights and private property rights.

Individual liberties

Baldwin "believe[s] the federal 'war on terror' and 'war on drugs' are mostly a cover for power-hungry, Big Government zealots to trample constitutional government and squash freedoms and liberties, which are supposed to be protected by the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence." He opposes the Patriot Act and related legislation and orders, saying that it "deprives the people of their rights secured under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments under the guise of 'combating terrorism' or 'protecting national security'". In relation to airplane captain Don Carty profiling a customer's credentials and behavior, Baldwin stated that "profiling of all sorts is a very necessary tool for effective law enforcement. Only morons would try to hamper a lawman's ability to bring criminals to justice by removing this tool from them."

Regarding the separation of church and state, Baldwin believes that "America was deliberately and distinctively founded as a haven for Christians" and he supports the public display of the Ten Commandments in government buildings.

He says that freedom of association in health care is important: "I strongly support the freedom of choice of practitioner and treatment for all citizens for their health care. . . . The government should not have the power to force people to receive immunizations or vaccinations." He also would eliminate the Food and Drug Administration as unconstitutional.

Baldwin supports freedom for homeschooling and private schooling and wants to disband the U.S. Department of Education; he says that he would be the best friend homeschoolers have ever had in the White House.

Baldwin is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and he believes that the right to keep and bear arms should not be infringed by the government:

A Baldwin Administration will uphold the right of the citizens to keep and bear arms and will oppose attempts to prohibit ownership of guns by law-abiding citizens, and, further, will stand against all laws which would require the registration of guns or ammunition. . . . Richard Henry Lee, a signer of the Declaration, once said, "To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." Just as the right to bear arms is necessary in the defense against tyranny, so [too] is that same right vital for the purpose of self-defense. . . . Firearms are used 60 times more often to protect the lives of honest citizens than to take lives. . . . The vast majority of the time (92%), the mere presence of a firearm helps to avert a major crime from occurring. That is what Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) concluded after extensive research. According to Rep. Bartlett, the number of defensive uses is four times the number of crimes reported committed with guns.

Baldwin had already begun promoting militia movements on his radio show as early as 1995. He says that in his opinion, people like Morris Dees, head of the Southern Poverty Law Center, try to "pander the market of fear, trying to convince everybody that anyone with a gun, any person who wants to own a gun, and anyone who would consider themselves part of a citizen militia is a threat to our government and to our society."

Baldwin firmly opposes abortion and ''Roe v. Wade''. He favors Ron Paul's Sanctity of Life Act and says his presidency would end abortion.

He takes a critical view of the federal government's handling of Randy Weaver, the Branch Davidians, and Hutaree.

Personal views

Baldwin has several beliefs typically distinctive of Independent Baptists, such as the primacy of the local New Testament church, premillennial dispensationalism, counting homosexuality as a moral perversion, avoidance of drinking and smoking, and strict diet and exercise. He believes that America has evolved to "a matriarchal society" and that it is losing the "inner toughness" of masculinity. Baldwin says his only organizational memberships are to his church, the Constitution Party, Gun Owners of America, and the National Rifle Association.

In 2002 he wrote a booklet, "What Every Christian Should Know About Islam." Baldwin summarizes Muslim persecution of Christians by saying, "Only communism rivals Islam in sheer numbers of people persecuted and killed."

In his spare time, Baldwin enjoys hunting, recreational fishing, and watching the Green Bay Packers. Among his favorite movies are ''The Passion of the Christ'' and ''Gods and Generals'', stating that the latter "has the power to change the hearts of millions of people who disdain the Old Confederacy, who misunderstand Southern slavery, and who hold Christianity in contempt."

Bibliography

''Let's Look at Legalism''.

''Subjects Seldom Spoken On: 11 Messages That Will Stimulate Your Mind and Stir Your Heart'', 1990.

''This Is the Life'' (a verse-by-verse exposition of the Epistles of John).

Chuck Baldwin at Chuck Baldwin Live.

Chuck Baldwin at NewsWithViews.com.

Chuck Baldwin at Renew America.

References

External links

link to Baldwin-Castle 2008

Chuck Baldwin Live

Crossroad Baptist Church of Pensacola

Conservative President 2008 Interview with Chuck Baldwin

New American Interview with Chuck Baldwin

Chuck Baldwin On the Issues

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