Years in the Making, Formal CA Legislative Bible Study in Early Stages

An emerging accomplishment by Capitol Ministries’ California leader Mike Shreve is epitomizing Ralph Drollinger’s recent teaching on persistence and perseverance among those who lead Bible studies to political leaders. 

Pastor Shreve began a ministry to California legislators at the Sacramento Capitol in 2015 with the objective of establishing a sit-down weekly Bible study but a number of obstacles prevented from doing so. 

Undaunted, Pastor Shreve created a weekly Bible study that he walked the capitol halls distributing office by office. He also led the study to 18 or so lawmakers every week who gathered in offices to meet with him one or two at a time. He established a popular brown-bag lunch Bible study to 30 staff members and kept in touch by texting and emailing a daily Scripture accompanied by beautiful photographs he took on his travels. 

The friendly and affable pastor soon had a network of friends and believers whom he was discipling and ministering to. 

After laying a solid foundation, Pastor Shreve has the beginnings of a sit-down Bible study with three senators and two assemblymen whom he has been discipling for years. Finding a meeting time has been very challenging, but the lawmaker’s schedulers are working to solve that obstacle. 

“We pray for each other and are really committed to each other,” Pastor Shreve said. “I am prayerful that this core group will be the anchor and from there, this formal Bible study will grow. Making disciples is as important as making converts.”

At the biennial CapMin International Training Conference in Washington, D.C. in December, Ralph Drollinger, president and founder of CapMin, taught the nearly 100 people attending that the task of building ministries to political leaders is measured in years and sometimes decades. 

Pastor Shreve’s progress is an example of the perseverance and persistence he was speaking about. 

“I so appreciate Mike’s diligence in the California State Capitol,” Drollinger said. “His perseverance in his ministry in Sacramento is an exemplary quality that encourages other CapMin ministry leaders worldwide who find themselves in states and countries that are increasingly antithetical to biblical truth.”

If you wish to support Pastor Shreve’s ministry you may learn more at capmin.org/california.