On Tuesday, February 24, the New Jersey Family Policy Council answered the call to visit the South Jersey area.  Approximately 80 supporters comprising of clergy, para-church organizations, and concerned citizens attended a breakfast, hosted by the NJFPC at the Branches in West Long Branch. 

With many supporters all over the state, those living in and around the Jersey Shore area were very excited to have us in their neck of the woods.  The battle for traditional marriage is being fought all over New Jersey and those attending the breakfast are now more motivated than ever to take a stand to protect marriage as between one man and one woman.

The primary focus of this gathering was to inform current and future supporters of the efforts that the NJFPC has been making on their behalf to preserve promote and protect marriage, faith, family and religious freedom. Speakers who addressed the audience included the NJFPC team who work diligently on the ground floor.  Youth Builders, a program that endeavors to reach teens with the truth about the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual consequences of non-marital sex has reached more than 1000 students in the 2008-2009 school year.  Through their Not Now presentations students in private and public schools are making commitments to wait until marriage to have sex.  The Marriage Builders program works with churches and para-church organizations to strengthen marriage and reduce divorce rates through providing marriage mentoring and marriage enrichment trainings and seminars.  Couples are given the tools to mentor couples in the areas of building solid foundations for engaged and newly married couples, marriage preparation, restoring broken marriages and couples in distress, and deepening and enriching stable marriages.

Greg Quinlan, Director of Governmental Affairs, briefed the audience on the battle for the culture.  He spoke about the gay activists’ agenda to redefine marriage and change the church to accommodate homosexuality.  The Truth Now Told, designed to engage and equip youth with a faith based world view and the Power of a Parent- exposing the agenda in public schools are two programs that the FPC makes available.  In addition the New Jersey Family First, the legislative action arm of the NJFPC has been working very diligently on legislation to protect the family in New Jersey.   The Jessica Lundsford Act, Amended Twin Bill, The Ultra Sound Bill and the Marriage Protection Amendment are just some of the legislations that Greg has been involved with.

Q Rim, Director of Clergy Affairs, endeavors to educate and encourage our local churches to respond to the public policy issues that are affecting our families, faith and religious liberties. Q stated that “The major issue here in NJ is the battle for the definition of marriage. It is becoming abundantly clear, if the church in NJ does not stand for marriage, it most certainly will be lost.”  Q reported having face to face meetings with over 100 of our elected officials of which a slim majority have affirmed their stance to protect marriage.  In addition, The NJFPC produced a report dismantling the claims put forth in a very bias report released by The Civil Union Review Commission, comprised of gay activists as well as 2 pastors who are fully supportive of homosexual behavior.  In the end our review of the report findings stated that .0002 % of the homosexual population filed complaints that civil unions don’t work and gay marriage does.

The breakfast concluded with an invitation to return on April 25^th for the annual fundraising banquet with guest speaker, former Arkansas governor and 2008 Presidential candidate Gov. Mike Huckabee.