Orange County Edition Vol. 23, No. 5 May 2012 wwwwww.christianexaminer.com Robert Tyler Cal Thomas MinistryM History: Monitoring how For government: No Dodgers’D Cy Young FREE government monitors us limits on control winnerw builds home in AfricaA for at-risk kids page 4 page 5 page 9 Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, dies at the age of 80 America loses one of its most infl uential Christian leaders Christian Examiner staff report LANSDOWNE, Va. — One of America’s most dynamic Christian leaders and orators has passed away. Charles “Chuck” Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries and once a prison inmate himself, died April 21 in a Washington, D.C. area hospital. He was 80 years old. “Though his monumental voice may be stilled, his message will live on in the thousands of bibli- cal worldview thinkers whom he Leadership skills taught through outside group-building activities for foster teens will be expanded to young adults so skillfully attracted, inspired, and involved with the newly implemented Leadership Academy. motivated,” said Terry White, a for- mer Vice President of Communica- tions with Prison Fellowship. Colson was hospitalized March Chuck Colson’s miraculous conversion and personal experience behind bars Fostering Success 30 after his speech became slurred during a Wilberforce Weekend led the once-feared Nixon ‘hatchet man’ to commit the rest of his life to conference in Northern Virginia. bringing compassion and the love of Teen ministry responds to new state law Doctors performed surgery, remov- Jesus Christ to those in prison. ing a pool of clotted blood from the By Lori Arnold technical assistance, training and ministry to foster youths nearly surface of his brain. ship Ministries, said Colson’s health other vital resources for youth fi ve years ago. Although his health seemed to had seriously degraded and he was NEWPORT BEACH — Orange opting to remain in the foster To help the young adults suc- be improving in the days following, not expected to survive. County foster teens who are aging care system, it does not address cessfully transition into society, a statement released April 18 from out of the foster care system at age housing needs. Some counties Castetter’s ministry has now Jim Liske, CEO of Prison Fellow- See COLSON, page 2 18 have new options thanks to a will also offer small stipends. launched the Leadership Acad- new state law and services offered According to a 2002 Depart- emy, which will offer one-on-one through the Teen Leadership ment of Social Services report, weekend retreats as part of a pro- Foundation. an estimated 65 percent of teens gram to develop long-term men- New initiative effort Implemented in January by the walk out of foster care without a toring relationships. The fi rst state legislature, the California home. Leadership Academy will be held Fostering Connections to Success “So homelessness becomes a in June in Orange County, with under way to block Act now provides social services to huge issue in foster care,” said several others following later in foster youth until age 21. Lisa Castetter, who founded the SB 48 curriculum law Although the law provides for Teen Leadership Foundation See FOSTER, page 6 By Lori Arnold SACRAMENTO — Three of Furler, Joel team up for Spirit West Coast California’s religious freedom legal organizations are teaming up with Former Newsboys the national Alliance Defense Fund in launching an initiative drive to bandmates part block SB 48, the new state law that mandates the teaching of homo- of strong festival The CLASS Act petition drive seeks sexual curriculum to children as 700,000 valid signatures by July 11. young as kindergarten. lineup at Del Mar The drive to get the initiative— & Freedom, the National Center By Lori Arnold The Children Learning Accurate for Law & Policy and the Pacifi c Social Science Act—on the ballot Justice Institute. The three groups DEL MAR — Spirit West Coast, is already under way and spon- have been major players in defense looking toward the future with its sors have until July 11 to collect of traditional values, including sup- May 25 to 27 festival after last year’s the needed 700,000 signatures to port of Proposition 8. hiatus, is stepping back into the qualify. As with same-sex marriage, the past to create a special treat for its The CLASS Act drive is the sec- pro-family groups said the new state guests with a reunion appearance ond one launched since the bill was law forces families to subject their of Peter Furler and Phil Joel. signed into law last year by Gov. Jer- children to lifestyles and beliefs “If that’s not worth coming to ry Brown. The fi rst campaign, Stop contrary to their family and biblical see, I don’t know what is,” Spirit SB 48, was circulated last fall, but values. West Coast promoters posted on fell just short of garnering enough In a joint statement from all the festival’s Facebook page. signatures to qualify for the ballot. four groups, the attorneys said the Furler, former front-man for the In addition to the Alliance De- CLASS Act “advocates an accurate Newsboys, will return to Spirit West PHOTO BY BRITTANY KEENER fense Fund, the CLASS Act is also Peter Furler appears here at Spirit West Coast in 2007 with Newsboys. He sponsored by Advocates for Faith See STOP SB 48, page 14 See SPIRIT WEST COAST, page 8 returns as a solo act this year, and he will also team up on stage with Phil Joel. For information about advertising, subscriptions, or bulk delivery, please call 1-800-326-0795 2 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • May 2012 OC www.christianexaminer.com Colson founded Prison Fellowship, in his ability to pull together his- COLSON… a prison outreach organization that tory, scripture, and philosophy into Continued from page 1 Piercing the darkness today serves in 113 countries min- memorable and actionable insights. By Terry White istering to prisoners, ex-prisoners “For a man whose pride was An attorney, Colson served as and their families. once his downfall, his humility Special Counsel for President In the constellation of light-givers whom God calls to help Him Later he founded Justice Fellow- was his hallmark characteristic.” Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973. dispel the present darkness, some of us are small, twinkling ship, a public policy organization White recalled the last time he He was often referred to as the lights, doing our best to shed a little illumination in our small that lobbies for criminal justice saw Colson in person. “hatchet man” for his ability to spheres of infl uence. reform. In 1991 Colson launched “The ramrod-straight old Ma- disparage others and to cover up Others are brighter lights, granted a larger sphere of infl uence, BreakPoint, a radio ministry heard rine was now a little tottery and illegal White House activities. and gifted to use words and infl uence to show others the way to daily on more than 1,000 stations needed a hand getting up on the Colson resigned from the Nixon Him and how to walk in His way. with a weekly listening audience es- platform,” said White. “But once Administration in 1973 and soon And there are a few—a very few—brilliant searchlights whose timated at 8 million. behind the pulpit and micro- thereafter converted to Christianity wattage pierces deep into the darkest places, illuminating all The Christian Examiner has fea- phone, the Lion again roared as after being invited to the home of who are nearby, and drawing even the most severe critics with an tured a Colson commentary in ev- strongly as ever, pleading for bib- Tom Phillips, then the president of authentic output whose clarity, brilliance, and internal consistency ery issue since August 1988. lical truth and biblical insights to the Raytheon Company. are a marvel to all who hear it. be the guiding principles in all Colson referred to the night he Chuck Colson was the latter. Biblical thinker and apologist of life—in media, in politics, in accepted Christ in an editorial he Not just a visionary leader of a medicine, in business, and in in- wrote 35 years later, Refl ections on suffering, joy, or jubilation, it makes no of guilty to Watergate-related prison ministry, Colson was a bibli- terpersonal relationships.” My Conversion. difference—I have known there was a charges; although not implicat- cal thinker and a staunch apologist Nelson Keener, former Senior “I left (Phillips’) house that night purpose. I have known that I belong ed in the Watergate burglary, he for authentic Christianity. Through Vice President of Ministry Enter- shaken by the words he had read to Christ and that I am here on earth voluntarily pleaded guilty to ob- his BreakPoint broadcasts, best-sell- prise at Prison Fellowship, called from C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity to advance His kingdom.” struction of justice in the Daniel ing books and frequent speaking Colson “a strong, brilliant leader about pride.,” recalled Colson. “It When Colson’s conversion Ellsberg case. He received a one- engagements, he was a crusader for and visionary.” felt as if Lewis were writing about spread to the media, The Boston to-three-year sentence and served religious liberty, the right to life, He said that Colson always en- me, former Marine captain, Special Globe reported, “If Mr. Colson can seven months at the Maxwell Fed- and biblical truth—and he fought couraged and cultivated a culture Counsel to the President of the repent of his sins, there just has to eral Prison Camp in Alabama, the to stem the erosion of Judeo-Chris- of collaboration with and be- United States, now in the midst of be hope for everybody.” fi rst of several former Nixon asso- tian values from society.