CLC seeks to influence next generation

Posted: 9/16/05

CLC seeks to influence next generation

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

AUSTIN–If Texas Baptists had done 30 years ago what they did this summer, the results would now be seen in state government, a Christian Life Commission member said.

He referred to a one-week summer program launched this year by the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Com-mission to familiarize high school students with state government, public policy issues and the role of faith.

The Public Policy Institute is one of the ways the commission staff is working with young people to introduce them to the public policy arena. Another is an ongoing intern program for college and law school students.

The opening of the commission's Austin office in 2001 gave the public policy agency an opportunity to create a ministry to young adults, said Suzii Pay-nter, director of public policy for the CLC.

Whitney de Foore of Western Hills Baptist Church in Fort Worth visits with her state representative, Anna Mowery, during the Public Policy Institute of the Christian Life Commission. High school and college students learned more about state government, key issues and faith during the one-week institute.

Austin has several colleges and universities–including the University of Texas, Concordia University and St. Edwards University–and that makes internship programs possible.

Every semester, students are involved on a mostly volunteer basis, and many of them receive school credit for the internship, as well, Paynter said.

The assignments vary for the interns. At the beginning of each internship, Paynter learns about an intern's policy passions, then tries to match the work to the passion.

Leigh Jackson had an interest in immigration issues. Stephen Reeves was a law student who wanted to research church-state issues. Rob Owen researched the lottery industry and discovered a discrepancy between advertised odds and actual ones. Josh Houston looked into criminal justice issues and ended up testifying at a hearing in the capitol and being present with Gov. Rick Perry for the bill signing.

That's four of the nine who have been interns since 2001.

“There are so many young adults who are looking to make a real difference,” Paynter said. The internship provides a “real-world experience. This is not a simulation; this is not a case study.” The interns are “impacting actual policy.”

Jackson, who now is in her clinical pastoral education residency at Seton Healthcare Network, said: “My experience at the CLC and working with Suzii was life-changing. I did everything from develop, implement and research a curriculum for congregational education to research and discuss what it meant to advocate for the common good regarding public school finance reform.”

Reeves, now a staff attorney for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Washington, D.C., said: “The value of this experience for me cannot be overstated. … My time at the CLC showed me that I could use my skills and energy on issues that I truly cared about.

“The practical experience of working at the capitol and in the political process was also invaluable. In many cases, I learned just how accessible politicians and other decision makers can be. It demystified the process and made it less intimidating.

“It was amazing to me that someone as young as myself could be so active and make a difference. Unfortunately, at times, it was also a little scary to learn just how decisions are made and the underlying motivations for public policy.”

The commission's internship program also affords an opportunity for spiritual growth, Paynter said. Students learn how faith and work in the public sector intersect.

“In all of my work, I was constantly thinking about what it means to be a Christ-follower and the unique voice the church brings to the public policy arena,” Jackson said.

“It's a voice that is not always popular. Power, success and looking out for yourself are the accepted and commended values of our culture, our politics and, all too often, our churches. The call of Jesus to take care of 'the least of these' and practice reconciliatory love doesn't always mesh well with just looking out for ourselves or our family. We are called to be different, and different is sometimes pretty uncomfortable.”

Reeves experienced that care for people, as well.

“Suzii and the rest of the CLC care first about the people of Texas,” he said.

“They demonstrate how a Christian voice can be used to make Texas a better place for all individuals, regardless of their political affiliation, religious beliefs or personal worldview.

“In the bitterly divided world of politics, it is hard to find many organizations or individuals who are willing to do and say what is right, regardless of criticism from either political party or either end of the political spectrum.”

Jackson also experienced the value of building relationships across political and other lines.

“In our current political climate, we are very comfortable with labeling people red and blue or conservative and liberal before we ever have a single conversation with them,” she said. “The truth is, however, that polarizing labels never capture an entire person and their views.

“If Jesus simply accepted the religious and societal labels given to the people around him, I'm not sure we would have had half of the encounters and stories in the gospels. Instead, he took time to touch, talk and heal the people that society placed on the outside.”

Jackson called Paynter a mentor and dear friend. “She is one of the most talented and thoughtful people I know. I am thankful to have her fingerprints on parts of my life journey.”

Paynter said she's “grateful to be a pebble in their pond” as the impact of the internships ripple outward from the students' lives. The work with young people comes out of her sense of calling. She was a schoolteacher 30 years before joining the CLC.

“I have the teaching gene. I love these young Christians who want to make a difference in the world. For some of us, this area of life is a call.”

Paynter's role as a mentor found a new avenue for expression this summer with the first Public Policy Institute. Nine high school students attended, and six “20-somethings” and several adults helped guide them, she noted.

The students came with varied political perspectives. They met with past and current elected officials from both political parties, explored some key issues, made contact with their representatives in the Legislature and had some fun.

The CLC's goal for the week was to “create an opportunity for the young people to explore what it means to be a leader when you take your faith with you into a secular policy kind of world–a leader with a salt and light kind of idea,” Paynter said.

This event was part of the CLC's mission to speak to and with Texas Baptists, she said. “You plant something in deep soil. It's God's to nurture.”