Dr. James Dobson: “God is doing something here!”
There’s a hunger and thirst among America’s political leaders for a “high-protein diet” of the Word of God, and Capitol Ministries is delivering that every week through in-depth, exegetical Bible studies in Washington, D.C., Ralph Drollinger, President of CM, told Dr. James Dobson in a recent on-air interview.
Ralph and Danielle Drollinger, Founders of Capitol Ministries, were recent guests on Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk radio program, which is a part of Family Talk ministry. The flagship radio program is broadcast coast-to-coast daily on more than 1,200 radio and online outlets and is heard world-wide online.
In the interview that was broadcast over two days, the Drollingers discussed why they are committed to discipling political leaders, among other topics.
“The high-protein diet builds spiritual musculature, so I’m all about expositing the Word of God, week in and week out,” Drollinger said.
A long-time friend, Dr. Dobson teasingly asked if Drollinger was teaching the whole Bible. “Now, assure me that you’re not giving what we call ‘thin soup’ to these people.”
Drollinger explained that he learned “exegetical precision” at the seminary where he earned his Master of Divinity degree, and that he was taught to think in terms of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Exegesis is the critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially Scripture.
“Jesus says, ‘Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you,’ and Paul, in the book of Acts, addresses the Ephesian elders who come down to the port city of Miletus to visit him while he’s hurrying back to Jerusalem,” Drollinger said. “He started the Ephesian church, spent three years there. He says, ‘I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.’
“So those two passages really inform my ministry philosophy, that I need to be about the blocking and tackling every week of preparing a high-protein diet, Word of God, that’s not only exegetically drilled down deep but has a custom application to the life of a public servant. And when you do those two things, there’s not a whole of stuff out there like it.”
“If you don’t have a good pastor, Bible teacher in the capital community, these guys can be deflated within one session,” Drollinger said, explaining that the lives of political leaders are extremely stressful; they are away from their families, communities, church, and pastor for months at a time while they are being bombarded with constant pressures and temptations.
For one year, Drollinger has been teaching the book of James in the three Bible studies he teaches to Members of the White House Cabinet, U.S. Senators, and Representatives.
Dobson asked Danielle, who once worked for Dobson in the Public Policy department of Focus on the Family, her impressions.
“I love it,” Danielle said. “There’s nothing better than watching a Member actually digesting the Word that you bring from the kitchen, unadulterated, you know, here’s the meal!
“And to watch them eat that meal and then implement it in their life, there’s nothing like that.
“We can’t expect men and women in office to vote right if they reject the Author of the book that we live by. You just can’t, you have to start at the heart of the matter which is the heart of the man and the heart of the woman. Good laws come from good hearts, bad laws come from bad hearts.”
Drollinger told Dr. Dobson that in addition to the weekly studies he teaches, he and Danielle hand-deliver written Bible studies to 150 offices where people have requested them.
World-wide, every week an estimated 50,000 people receive the written studies in five languages via email.
Fifty-two of the best among the hundreds of studies that Drollinger has written have just been published in the four-part book, Oaks in Office: Biblical Essays for Political Leaders.
The essays drill-down exegetically deep and have a custom application to the life of a public servant, investigate current events through a biblical lens, and help the believer grow in maturity and faith, among other topics.
“I’m hoping God will use these to make disciples in city government ministries throughout the nation, which America sorely needs because most of the guys in D.C. come from state capitols, and most of the guys in state capitols come from local city government.
“There’s 40,000 incorporated cities in America, and virtually none have outposts for Christ, so, we’re trying to utilize Oaks in Office as the fodder to develop disciples amongst the political people group as they emerge and start in their career path.”
“And we hope that this becomes materials that a local layman in his own city would use to disciple a couple of city council members.”
In its 22 years, Capitol Ministries has begun ministries in 42 states and 24 foreign nations, and lately, there has been tremendous growth in foreign ministry plantings, most recently in several Latin American nations.
“We’re in Romania, we’re in Ukraine, we’re about to start in Latvia,” Drollinger said.
“God is doing something here!” Dr. Dobson said.
“Oh, it’s just wonderful,” Drollinger said. “We can’t keep up with it. But you know what, it really gets you up in the morning. Just like I know you and your ministry, it just so invigorates you when you’re doing what God’s called you to do, there’s nothing better, is there?”
Oaks in Office is available at capmin.org, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble booksellers.
If you see a need for discipleship amongst our elected leaders, Capitol Ministries encourage you to prayerfully consider visiting capmin.org to purchase Oaks in Office as gifts to minister to your political leaders.
Click to Listen to Rebuilding America: Evangelism on Capitol Hill, Part 1 and Click Here for Part 2.
