Dr. DeShong on Radio: Come Build Ministries for Local City and County Public Servants with CapMin!

Many of the Bible studies in Ralph Drollinger’s book, Oaks in Office: Biblical Essays for Political Leaders address today’s thorny social problems through the Bible’s timeless lens, and city and county officials find that astonishing, said CapMin’s Dr. Dan DeShong.

Few public servants expected to learn that God’s Word addresses all of our contemporary problems and provides solutions, said Dr. DeShong, a retired businessman who serves as CapMin’s Local Government Ministries (LGM) global director.

“The curriculum that we have in Oaks in Office is absolutely mind-blowing. The Bible covers all of our social ills, immigration, racism, debt, government limits, church and state, and more,” he said. Dr. DeShong made his remarks on a recent Sacramento CA-based “Pastor to Pastor” radio show hosted by Pastor Lance Hahn.

Dr. DeShong, who is charged with growing LGM ministries across the globe, is also known for leading the very first LGM ministry in 2019 for Sacramento city and county public servants. He still leads that ministry. After finishing OIO, the public servants asked to begin studying the book from the beginning.

“Every week the public servants sit down in a quiet, safe atmosphere and let the Lord speak through His written Word.

“It is an amazing thing for Christians and non-Christian elected officials alike when they find somebody who cares about them, cares about their heart, and wants them to reach salvation.” Dr. DeShong said.

He explained Capitol Ministries is different in that our ministry leaders pray for and minister to public servants. We do not lobby nor tell public servants how to vote. Ministry leaders establish discipleship Bible-study based ministries and teach weekly in-depth Bible studies to political leaders at all levels of government – from city hall to state legislators to national lawmakers and policy makers and most recently, governors.

“When people approach elected leaders, they’re either begging, demanding, or threatening,” Dr. DeShong said. “But we come alongside of them and ask them, how can we pray for you? How can we get to know you? How can we build a relationship? How can we gain your trust and then share the gospel?”

Pastor Hahn noted that CapMin’s very specific mission, to make disciples of Jesus Christ in the political arena throughout the globe is world-changing. Pastor Hahn also serves as senior pastor of Bridgeway Christian Church.

“Now, we can sit here and talk all day long about political solutions of this or that, but I think we’re going to boil it down to what you just said, Dr. Dan, and that is Jesus is going to be our solution, and we have to find a way to involve Him more,” Pastor Hahn said. “I think for all of our listeners trying to understand, how does this involve me? Just look at it very practically.

“Is the nation currently being run by people in love with Jesus at every level? If the answer is no, then we have work to do. This ministry is a strategic response to saying, how do we love on and influence our leadership so they can be full of Jesus, and then that would pour out through the public process.”

Dr. Dan noted that CapMin’s in-depth Bible studies have very practical applications that leave public servants informed and enriched. While CapMin never tells a political leader how to vote, the Bible studies clearly show through Scriptures the biblical positions on today’s complicated issues.

Two pertinent studies to this issue are “Understanding the Separation of Church and State” and “God’s Institutions and Their Roles on Earth.”

After they learn about the five institutions that God designed for earth—marriage, family, commerce, church, and state—conversation often comes up about jurisdictions.

“Each of these institutions God created has very specific jobs to do. And look where we are in our country right now when intuitions don’t stay in their correct lanes. The government is  deciding what marriage is and what parenting is, among other things,” Dr DeShong said.

“I often say, ‘Look, that’s not your job. That’s the church’s job,’ or, ‘That’s not your job, that’s the commerce’s job.’ We all need to just stay in our own lane.”

“And while church and state are to be separate institutionally, that does not mean influentially. We take them through the Bible from Proverbs to Psalms to Ephesians, teaching them God’s Word so they can best design policy for the public.”

“Whether they’re Christian or not, across the board they know what they’re doing in some respects just isn’t working. And when you show them what God says about all these tremendous social ills that we’re having, they are so appreciative to learn what the Scriptures say. It’s a tremendous help for them, not only their personal life, but in leadership. And we spend a lot of time on how to lead.

“If you don’t know the author of life, it’s very hard for you to develop good laws and policies for the public.”

Dr. DeShong also discussed the need for more LGM ministry leaders and said CapMin is forging partnerships with local churches and individuals across the nation—and the world—to build discipleship ministries for local political leaders. CapMin provides the curriculum, materials, training, and ongoing support at no cost. For more information about becoming a ministry leader, visit Capmin.org/local.

“I think about how many people we have in our churches that are lovers of the Lord,” Dr. DeShong said. “They’re good Bible teachers, they have wisdom, they have years of experience but they don’t have a vehicle to share the Lord with. We want to partner with them. We want to come alongside of them, train them and give them a purpose to share the Lord, to go across the street into City Hall, take these people they voted for out to lunch, build a  relationship, gain trust and share the gospel.”

Pastor Hahn encouraged his listeners to pray for political leaders and get involved with Capitol Ministries.

“When I hear a ministry saying, “I’m going to come in and make my leaders better as I pour into them the love of Jesus Christ as I train them into the Word of God, that’s something that makes my heart swell, right? That’s something I get excited about!”

Many more topics were discussed on the radio show. Click here to listen to the full broadcast.

CapMin ministry leaders are self-supporting missionaries. If you wish to support Dr. DeShong’s ministry, click here.