The Church Report recently announced this year's list of its "50 Most Influential Christians in America." The list's top 10 are Joel Osteen, Billy Graham, Bill Hybels, T.D. Jakes, James Dobson, Paul Crouch, Joyce Meyer, Leonard Sweet, John Piper, and Rob Bell. Other notables making the top 50 include President Bush, Robert Schuller, Franklin Graham, Rick Warren, Chuck Colson, Andy Stanley, Joni Eareckson Tada, Jay Sekulow, Chuck Swindoll, Jack Hayford, Richard Land, Charles Stanley, Max Lucado, John Hagee, D. James Kennedy, George Barna, Rod Parsley, Jerry Falwell, Sam Brownback, John MacArthur, Frank Page, and Creflo Dollar.
What strikes me most about the above list are the names of people I wish were listed but were not. Unfortunately, the people who are most consistently championing the principles that would restore America to its former self are mostly ignored by the mainstream media and even by the Christian media. The above list clearly illustrates this reality.
Therefore, without giving a ranking to each name, I would like to offer my list of "50 Americans I Wish Were The Most Influential." I can tell readers this: If these people were America's most influential leaders (Christian or otherwise), our country would not be in the shape it is in today. And that is a fact. Anyway, here goes.
David Alan Black, Derry Brownfield, Tom DeWeese, John Eidsmoe, Ezola Foster, Rick Jore, Alan Keyes, Stanley Monteith, Roy S. Moore, Ron Paul, Doug Phillips, Howard Phillips, Larry Pratt, Charley Reese, Paul Craig Roberts, John Stormer, Herb Titus, Ed Vieira, Paul Walter, Darrell White, Pat Buchanan, Jim Clymer, Ray Moore, Tom Parker, Phyllis Schlafly, William Shearer, Joe Sobran, Bob Barr, Joseph Farah, George Putnam, Jeromi Corsi, Jesse Lee Peterson, Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter, Ron Maxwell, Bob Dill, Devvy Kidd, Mary Starrett, Frank Fluckiger, Michael Peroutka, Randy Stufflebeam, Fob James, Jr., Tom Ambrose, John Hostettler, Jack McLain, Gene Howard, Greg Dixon, Don Boys, Thom Holmes, and Tony Romo.
Obviously, I would have differences to various degrees with just about everyone on my list. That is not the point. These are people who generally understand the "big picture" and are unafraid to confront the issues that are most necessary to America's survival. Unfortunately, this is not something that everyone in the first list is willing to do. Perhaps that helps explain why our country seems to be without a rudder or compass today.
I realize that anytime one makes a list, he risks leaving out those who deserve to be on it. I'm confident I have fallen victim to that propensity. I beg the reader's forgiveness, as he or she recognizes names (as I did in the first list) that are not mentioned. Feel free to share your names with me. Our combined lists are much larger than 50 names, for sure.
If America suffers from anything, it suffers from a lack of dynamic, principled leaders. Leaders who understand the real threats to America's freedom and independence and who are willing to pay the price to address these threats. Men and women who cannot be bought or bullied, but who also possess the qualities of compassion and wisdom. Stalwart champions of character and conviction. Such leaders are needed as much now as at anytime in our history-maybe more.
© Chuck Baldwin
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