Pro-Family Tributes to Jerry Falwell

The following statement was issued by Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, the leading Christian ex-“gay” ministry group. Following that are several other statements from leading conservative, pro-family groups and leaders:

Exodus Mourns the Passing of Reverend Jerry Falwell
May 15, 2007

Orlando, FL- Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, released the following statement today regarding the death of Reverend Jerry Falwell, Founder and President of Liberty University and founding pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia:

“Exodus International is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Reverend Jerry Falwell. He was a friend to Exodus, a passionate, sincere advocate for the Gospel and had a tremendous heart for young people.
“Rev. Falwell will be remembered for his consistent emphasis on the truth that Jesus Christ loves and offers salvation to every individual regardless of their past. No doubt, many have come to a personal relationship with Christ through his ministry. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rev. Falwell’s wife, Macel, their three children and his friends and colleagues in Lynchburg, Virginia.”

Rev. Falwell spoke at the 2006 Exodus Freedom Conference and was dedicated to helping those who struggle with and desire freedom from unwanted same-sex attraction.  Both Liberty University and Thomas Road Baptist Church have ministries to those wanting help with this issue in their lives.

Statement of Beverly LaHaye and Concerned Women for America on the Passing of Dr. Jerry Falwell
WASHINGTON, May 15 /Christian Newswire/ — Concerned Women for America (CWA) offers its condolences to the family and loved ones of Dr. Jerry Falwell who passed into glory today.

CWA issued the following statement by Beverly LaHaye, founder and chairman:

“Dr. Jerry Falwell is a long-time dear friend who had a tremendously positive impact on America. His bold leadership helped change the course of Evangelical engagement in the public square. Dr. Falwell made big dreams reality – by inspiring millions to political involvement, by dedicating himself to higher education, and most importantly, by fostering Christian outreach to the spiritually and physically needy through Thomas Road Baptist Church and its myriad ministries. Though he is now with the Savior he loved, Jerry Falwell’s legacy will continue through the lives of those who were so profoundly touched by his vision.”

Wendy Wright, president of CWA, said, “Dr. Jerry Falwell had a profound impact on America by reviving Evangelicals’ involvement in the broader culture. He gained the authority to be heard on key issues of our day because of his work to help people in need and train leaders for the future. All of us at CWA are praying for his family and those who worked with and loved him. We take comfort in the words of Jesus Who promised eternal life to all who believe.”

Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization.

Statement by Tony Perkins and Family Research Council:

With heavy hearts, believers from across America are stunned and saddened by the passing of the Reverend Jerry Falwell. A man of conviction, he will be missed for his unique ability to speak the truth even in the face of great opposition. He stood stalwartly for the sanctity of life, marriage, faith, and family. Fifty-years ago his gift for vision-casting, together with his burning desire to serve Jesus, helped turn an abandoned bottling plant into the 22,000 member Thomas Road Baptist Church. In 1971 that vision continued in the form of Liberty University, which Rev. Falwell personally founded and shepherded into the thriving environment it is today, where future generations are equipped to learn and live for Christ. Although the media has sometimes vilified him for his outspoken views, a walk across Liberty University’s sprawling campus with Rev. Falwell would find a grandfather figure who frequently lifted people–including me–off their feet with his trademark bear hug. I first met him after a Wednesday night service when I was a student at Liberty University. I asked him to pray with me as I believed the Lord was redirecting my life away from my military and law enforcement career into the political arena. I am glad that I can say some twenty years later, after serving in public office and now in my present role, that I took the opportunity to thank Rev. Falwell for his friendship, for his influence on my life, and his impact on the nation. He was a pioneer whose legacy, marked by courage and candor, blazed the trail for all men and women of conviction to engage–boldly–on the great questions of our day. But he was first and foremost a husband, a father and a pastor. Our prayers today are with the Falwell family, in particular his wife Macel, his children, his grandchildren and the congregation of the Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Conservative Leader Richard Viguerie on Jerry Falwell: The Conservative Movement Has Lost One of its Founders and Key Leaders

MANASSAS, Va., May 15 /Christian Newswire/ — The following is a statement by Richard A. Viguerie on the death of Dr. Jerry Falwell:

“With the death of Dr. Jerry Falwell, the conservative movement has lost one its founders and key leaders. Dr. Falwell was one of the main architects of the conservative movement in the 1970s and 1980s. His work and leadership played an indispensable role in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.

“For decades, the conservative movement stood on a two-legged stool and won few elections. But when Dr. Falwell became an integral part of the movement, he led tens of thousands of ministers, along with millions of their followers, into the voting booths to support vital conservative causes. This provided the third leg of the stool, which allowed conservatives to level the political playing field with the Left.

“Without Dr. Falwell, there would be no meaningful conservative movement. He was a true history-maker in our nation.

“I had dinner with Dr. Falwell just 10 days ago and he was full of questions to me about the future of the conservative movement, in light of the 2006 election losses, as well as my views on the 2008 presidential candidates. He was looking forward to active participation in the 2008 political campaigns.”

Richard A. Viguerie pioneered ideological and political direct mail and has been called “the funding father of the conservative movement” for his role in helping build dozens of conservative organizations. He is the author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books, 2006).
Statement of the Institute on Religion and Democracy on the Passing of Jerry Falwell 

“For all of his polarizing statements and controversies, Falwell undeniably initiated a season of growing Evangelical influence in American politics. He will be remembered in history as a decisive figure in our nation’s political and religious life in the second half of the 20th century.” — IRD UM Action Director Mark Tooley

WASHINGTON, May 15 /Christian Newswire/ — The Rev. Jerry Falwell, a noted televangelist and frequent political commentator, died today at the age of 73. His efforts to mold conservative Christianity into a political force altered the American political landscape and were a decisive factor in the ascendancy of Evangelicals as a formidable voting block. Often one of the first to be quoted by the mainstream media on controversial social issues, Falwell was frequently a nexus of controversy in the engagement between religion and politics in America.

IRD UM Action Director Mark Tooley commented:

“Rev. Falwell helped bring millions of previously politically unengaged evangelicals into the forefront of American public life. He challenged religious people to apply their faith in the political sphere. In the late 1970’s and through the 1980’s, he was instrumental in the creation of what became known as the “Reagan Coalition,” of which evangelicals were a key component.

“As the founding pastor of a congregation that now numbers over 24,000 members, Rev. Falwell also foreshadowed the mega-church movement in America, which now involves millions of American Christians.

“Rev. Falwell was central in bringing and keeping issues involving family structure and sexual ethics in public debates, when many others, even among conservatives, would have preferred to ignore them.

“During the course of Rev. Falwell’s career, evangelicals went from the sideline of American religious and political life to the mainstream, where they are now America’s largest religious and political demographic.

“For all of his polarizing statements and controversies, Falwell undeniably initiated a season of growing Evangelical influence in American politics. He will be remembered in history as a decisive figure in our nation’s political and religious life in the second half of the 20th century.”

The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches’ social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.

Statement From Traditional Values Coalition Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon On The Great Loss Of Rev. Jerry Falwell

The death of Dr. Jerry Falwell is a great loss to those of us in conservative Christianity. We are deeply saddened but look forward to that great and glorious day when we will join him to sit at the feet of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.  Dr. Falwell was a great Christian statesman, a visionary who recognized decades ago that Christians had the moral duty to be involved in our culture and that included the political arena.

Rev. Falwell’s creation of the Moral Majority was a turning point in history for the Church in America, and his legacy will last for decades to come.

He was an inspiration to all of us who are involved in defending traditional values, and his courageous stand in the face of strong opposition is deeply appreciated.

His death is a great loss, and Jerry will be deeply missed.

Rev. Louis P. Sheldon
Chairman
Traditional Values Coalition