Plymouth, Massachusetts in cooperation with the Plymouth Rock Foundation
The Ohio Christian Alliance will be returning to Plymouth with Pastor Paul Jehle of the Plymouth Rock Foundation and Leo Martin of the Jenney Museumas we retrace the steps of the Pilgrims with reenactments, historical tours, and worship service. We will tour Plymouth and historic Boston, Massachusetts on the Freedom Trail. You are responsible for your own travel and accommodations. We will participate in the tour as a group from Ohio. Indicate on the form that you will be part of our group. You can reserve your room at the John Carver Inn or other local hotels in Plymouth. Hope to see you there.
The following is from the Reuters News service .....
Supreme Court rules for Colorado baker who wouldn't make same-sex wedding cake
The justices, in a 7-2 decision, faulted the Colorado Civil Rights Commission's handling of the claims brought against Jack Phillips, saying it had showed a hostility to religion. In doing so, the commission violated his religious rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
But the court did not issue a definitive ruling on the circumstances under which people can seek exemptions from anti-discrimination laws based on their religious views.
The commission had said Phillips violated the Colorado anti-discrimination law that bars businesses from refusing service based on race, sex, marital status or sexual orientation by rebuffing gay couple David Mullins and Charlie Craig in 2012.
Two of the court's four liberals, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan, joined the five conservative justices in the ruling authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Ohio Christian Alliance President Chris Long stated the following concerning today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. "We celebrate today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of Religious Liberty in the Colorado baker's case. Today the court reinforced the First Amendment rights of every American to freely live out their religious beliefs according to the dictates of their own conscience as they see fit, not what the state dictates they should be. We hope this sends a clear message to legislatures and office holders that Religious Freedom needs to be taken seriously when considering laws and statutes."
OCA President Chris Long attended the White House observance of the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 3rd, at which President Trump signed the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative Executive Order that will establish a faith-based office at the White House. CLICK HERE TO READ THE EXECUTIVE ORDER
Ohio Christian Alliance applauds the effort to advance religious liberty through this Executive Order. President Trump stated the initiative would focus on protecting religious liberty and ensuring that “the faith-based and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the federal government." A number of faith leaders from across the country were in attendance to witness the signing. Click here for our OCA at the White House Report.
Thanks to all who made the Spring Freedom Banquet a big success! (Here are the pics)
This year's Spring Freedom Banquet was a rousing success, thanks to the inspirational messages delivered by our speakers Bill Federer and Chad Connelly. The evening's focus centered on our support for the State of Israel, with a special recognition of the President's announcement to fulfill a long-standing commitment to the people of Israel to recognize Jerusalem as the Capitol of Israel. Next month, in recognition of the 70th year of the State of Israel, President Trump will dedicate the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. OCA President Chris Long shared about his recent trip to Israel and how God is forging a unique bond between Christians and Jews. Joining Chris Long in presenting the OCA 2018 Freedom Award was Michael Goldstein, State Director of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, the organization that is working with Ohio Christian Alliance for the passage of HCR 10
This week at the Ohio Statehouse, legislators and faith leaders joined together to address the sudden middle of the school closure of Ohio's largest online school, affecting 12,000 students, including 2,287 seniors. Tune in and tell a friend.
An open letter to Members of the Ohio Legislature:
Due to the unexpected resignation of Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, the Ohio House majority must vote on a new Speaker to finish out the current session. Because the business of The People’s House must continue in the 132 General Assembly, we the undersigned suggest the following:
In light of the FBI investigation of former House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, we suggest that a Speaker be chosen from among the Majority who is not currently part of the leadership team, who is not running for re-election, and who could serve on an interim basis until the end of the current session. A new Speaker could then be elected after the fall Election. This would allow for the House to continue its session without a lengthy interruption.
It is important to put The People’s business first.
Sincerely,
Christopher R. Long Linda Harvey
President, Ohio Christian Alliance President, Mission America
Rev. Alfred B. Davis Rev. Dr. Kenneth Johnson
Richfield Bible Baptist Church Pastor Seaman Community Methodist Church
Molly Smith Pastor Dan Wolvin
[President, Cleveland Right to Life; State Director Awake America Ohio
resident, National Personhood Alliance]
Diane Stover Rev. James Tasker
President, Ohio Value Voters, Inc. Priest in the Anglican Church North America
Mark Stevenson Pastor Phil Fulton
Director, Ohioans for Educational Freedom Union Hill Church
School Choice in Ohio now at risk with the sudden closure of the online school ECOT.
A Statement from the Ohio Christian Alliance:
"On Thursday when the ODE (Ohio Department of Education) turned down the latest offer of restructured payments by ECOT school, they all but set in motion the immediate closure of the online institution ECOT schools. In doing so, they put in jeopardy the 12,000 students currently enrolled in the school. The magnitude of this decision is equivalent to a major Ohio school district being forced to close in the middle of the school year. State superintendent Paolo DeMaria and his administration had no contingency plan for these students. Parents and students are now scrambling to find other schools to enter, including the 2,287 seniors. This crisis could have been averted by the ODE and the Kasich administration. Their failure to provide a workable solution that would have at least finished the school year for ECOT and its students, is in our opinion gross incompetence and negligent. We would hope that this decision was not made for political purposes. That would be unconscionable as it is affecting so many school children who depend on this online Ohio school for their continuing education. We would hope that the legislature would act quickly to remedy this situation."
We agree with the following Statement by State Representative Andrew Brenner Chairman, Ohio House Education & Career Readiness Committee. "This could have been avoided had the department of education set up a payment plan that would have allowed the students to finish the school year at ECOT. I warned the Department of this months ago, so their lack of consideration makes me concerned about the long-term ramifications of School choice in Ohio. Since ECOT is now closing the Ohio Department of Education has the responsibility to make sure all 12,000 kids are quickly and properly placed into alternative situations."
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Addressing the Moral Crisis at the Ohio Statehouse – A Statement from the Ohio Christian Alliance
Tue, Nov 28th, 2017 10:29:32 am
A moral crisis has emerged at the Ohio Statehouse in recent weeks and requires the attention of people of goodwill to address it. The serious nature of the moral failures of some people who serve the public trust in their capacity as public servants has cast a dark shadow over The People's House. That is why we the undersigned urge a call to action. Here is what is known, according to recent media reports, and it is disturbing. Senator Cliff Hite of the 1st Ohio Senate District recently resigned because of his inappropriate contact with female staffers at the Ohio Statehouse. His seat is now vacant. It was then reported by the House leadership that Rep. Mike Henne had been ordered to undergo sensitivity training 2-1/2 years ago due to inappropriate remarks. The House has stated they will release the documents in relation to the incident, but have not yet done so. Then came the news of Ohio Senate Democratic chief of staff Michael Premo's sudden resignation, about which no details were provided by Democratic Senate leadership. Senate President Larry Obhof has requested to speak to the woman who filed the complaint against Premo. - Click here for the full statement
Government Accountability and Oversight Committee Passes HCR 10
Today, members of the Ohio Legislature took a positive step forward, pushing back against anti-Semitism by passing out of committee HCR 10, the resolution to condemn the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel and to condemn increasing incidents of anti-Semitism on Ohio college campuses.
OCA President Chris Long stated, "The Ohio Christian Alliance is pleased to lend its support to this resolution that Representatives Andy Thompson and David Greenspan, along with 25 other co-sponsors, have signed on to.
In a major breach of protocol, the State of the State Address by Governor Kasich before a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly in Marietta last week, did not open with a prayer from the clergy. OCA President Chris Long who was in attendance recounted, "There was a call to order by the Speaker of the House and Senate President, a call to quorum, the presentation of colors by the Honor Guard, and then the Senate President looked down at his notes as to what was next on the program. .......
Ohio Christian Alliance Urges Delay of Implementation of Online Voter Registration in Ohio to Safeguard Ohio's Vote S.B. 63, the online voter registration bill, has raised concerns that it may further threaten Ohio's election integrity. Ohio's elections process has been under some scrutiny over the past several years due to an increase in reported voter fraud cases, referenced in the Ohio SOS Post-Election Voter Fraud Reports May 2013, SOS December 2013 Report "Non-U.S. Citizens Register and Vote in the Battleground State of Ohio", SOS report March 12, 2015 in which it was reported that 436 non-U.S. citizens were registered to vote in Ohio, 44 of whom actually cast ballots, and the June 25, 2015 SOS report "14 Individuals Referred for Investigation for Allegedly Illegally Voting." Additionally, Franklin County reported more than 90 cases of double voting in the 2012 Presidential Election .....
