GARLAND, Texas — “You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world” is the rallying cry surrounding a timely new resource, designed to empower the Church “to raise up a new vanguard of civil servants in the area where you live.”

For such a time as this, Salt and Light: How to Impact Our Local Communities — an eight-session video curriculum based on Jesus’ most famous sermon and taught by more than 30 present and former civic leaders representing almost every level of local government — launches with a singular goal: to activate people of faith of all ages and walks of life into public service.

“Every Christian should leave the building,” said Bunni Pounds, founder and president of Christians Engaged, a Texas-based discipleship ministry on a “get out the vote” and civic engagement mission for the entire body of Christ, throughout the entire country.

“The church should leave the building and go into our businesses, schools, and communities to energize people and carry Jesus wherever we go. How are they going to know Him if they don’t see Him in us?” Pounds said.

“Some of you are feeling a pull, saying ‘Maybe I should run for office?’” continued Pounds. “We have to discover if there is someone to fill the leadership vacuum.”

The Servant’s Journey

In 2018, Pounds answered God’s call to “step out” into a congressional race because there was no one else. “I never saw it coming,” she recalls.

Pounds was a political consultant managing campaigns for 32 candidates throughout Texas including that of U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling in Texas’ 5th district, whose campaign she had run for over a decade.

“My boss retired and three other people who were supposed to run from our state district decided against it.” When each potential candidate declined, Pounds realized she needed to throw her name in the hat.  

Though Pounds barely lost that race during the 2018 primary season, she raised more money than any GOP open seat candidate in the State of Texas, became the only person in the entire United States who gained the endorsement of Vice President Mike Pence, and out of 46 candidates became the only Texas Republican woman to make the runoff election.

Similarly, Susan Wright, who teaches the session “County Government Explained,” ran for Congress and was thrust into a 23-person special election primary followed by a two-person run-off after her husband unexpectedly died of COVID-19 during the pandemic. Like Pounds, she came up just short of winning her congressional seat.

Still active in her local community, Wright encourages viewers, “This is the only nation on the earth today where freedom is entirely our own. We are completely in charge of who governs us, no other nation is like that. We’ve had it so long we don’t understand how valuable it is — but we are just one election, one generation away from losing it.”

An Ambassador for Christ in Politics

Salt and Light also introduces viewers to Texas Judge George Flint. Prior to the recent SCOTUS ruling on Roe v. Wade, his Christian faith informed his decision in a judicial bypass case involving an adolescent girl who requested permission to have an abortion without her parents’ consent. While Judge Flint believes “life begins in God’s mind and at conception,” he had planned to rule in accordance with the law and grant the abortion — until God intervened. At the last minute, the young girl confided in her parents and decided to carry her baby to term.

“I pray every morning that I bring grace and truth to whatever situation I am facing,” said Judge Flint. “That I really am an ambassador for Christ here at the courthouse, particularly where I have a difficult decision,” he said.

Including more than eight hours of video instruction, personal testimonies, and interviews along with companion worksheets, Salt and Light features the topics: Theology of Being Salt and Light, Liberty Begins Locally, County Government Explained, City Government Explained, School Boards and Public Education, Modes of Engagement, Running a Campaign for Local Government, and Other Powerful Ways to Engage Our Communities. It also includes special interviews by Rev. Rafael Cruz, father of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, and former U.S. Congressman Hensarling.

Christians Engaged, a 501(C)(3), was founded by Bunni Pounds, a Bible teacher and political consultant who ran for Congress in 2018. Its mission is to motivate Christians to pray for the nation, vote in every election, and engage in civic education. Since 2020, Christians Engaged has served over 125 churches, activated more than 76,000 people to vote in midterm elections (through its non-partisan communication system), and has educated more than 1,500 people through in-person, Zoom, and on-demand video classes. It has produced a myriad of free content, including articles, prayer calls and podcasts, to educate the Body of Christ on the importance of their biblical call to America. For information, visit www.Christiansengaged.org.