Greetings and welcome to the Church Ambassador Network (CAN) of Florida blog site. My name is Kevin Baird, and I have the honor of leading one of the most exciting Church engagement initiatives happening around the nation. I used to say that it was one of Florida’s best-kept secrets, but it is quickly becoming open knowledge that the Church of Florida is awakening and arising in its Gospel mandate. CAN is doing its part to help amplify and highlight the Church’s mission in reaching Floridians with the Gospel and discipling them in the Scriptures. Our focus as a ministerial network is primarily assisting the Church of Florida and its pastors in connecting with and facilitating the important relationship that should exist between church leaders and their elected representatives. We like to think of ourselves as “civic missionaries.” Just as laborers are sent into every fabric of culture and society, we are responding to God’s call to engage in civic government. To get us started, please allow me to share a brief history of how the Church Ambassador Network was started and how we approach this mission field of civic government.
In the 1980’s, Dr. James Dobson was a familiar voice in our culture. His heart for families and the future of what may await them captured his heart, and he became a trusted figure as the founder of Focus on the Family. He understood that government and public policy in no small part impacted the health of the family. He also understood that biblical values played an important role in forging public policy. In response to that calling, Dr. Dobson helped create state-based policy councils across the nation to be watchful and engaged in the many policy debates that might impact the family. Florida’s policy council is called, Florida Family Voice (formerly Florida Family Policy Council) and has a 20+ year history in advocating for Christian values in state government.
It is never long before any activist organization realizes that the key to effective, long-term civic engagement is the activation of Christ’s Church. The Church always has been and shall always be God’s plan A in transforming individuals’ hearts, reaching cities and nations, and reforming the cultural landscape for people to flourish and be blessed. There is no plan B. The Church, led by its shepherds, is the linchpin as to whether our culture deteriorates or renews itself unto God. There is no earthly institution that can rival the church concerning infrastructure and influence. There are 17,000 self-identified, Bible-believing, evangelical churches in Florida operating in all 67 counties. If the Church is active, there is nothing that can stop it. The question invariably arises, “How then shall the Church engage civic government?”
There have been, and still are, numerous ideas as to what should take place. Our answer has taken the form of The Church Ambassador Network of Florida. On this website, you can see the vision and mission for what we have been doing over the past 7 years. It is important to understand our motivation as we approach the Church of Florida. We do not see the Church as
the problem with regard to civic engagement, but rather we see the Church as the answer. We do not seek to shame the Church into civic participation but rather honor its place in our culture and esteem its pastors. We are not hijacking the Church’s influence for partisan or political power but rather partnering with the Church to assist in its mission to “go into all the world” and provide opportunities to “disciple nations and teach them to observe all things” which Jesus commanded. In other words, the Church engages best when it’s a Gospel mandate and not a political one. The Church Ambassador Network is partisan in only one direction, the Kingdom of God.
There is so much that can be said with regard to this fresh template of church engagement, which is one of the reasons why this blog site was created. It is our genuine hope that pastors, churches, and Christian ministries will begin to sense God’s call to join a growing group of colleagues and sister churches in reaching the civic mission field with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of His Word. In this relatively short time, hundreds of Florida pastors have connected with us to participate in this biblical outreach. And, as I type this blog, this template of engagement is taking place in 20 states with amazing results. (I believe the Bible calls that “fruit”.)
In the weeks leading to the 2025 Florida Legislative Session, I am going to expand on these introductory remarks. Hopefully, you will return to read and consider if the CAN Network and program is something you might be interested in. I am especially excited to connect with Florida pastors, so please take the time and consider our programs for your participation, or simply reach out with questions or comments regarding the civic mission field. Honestly, you would be amazed at how neglected this arena has become, but with your help, you will be equally amazed at how a little “salt and light” can change everything.
I am praying that every pastor who stumbles across this blog will be blessed and enlarged by the Lord Himself in 2025. Thanks for stopping by…
Kevin Baird, D. Min.
Executive Director