As CLA celebrates 40 years of providing free legal help for Bible-believing churches and individual Christians, Dr. David Gibbs,  Jr.‘s original vision for CLA has not changed. CLA’s primary goals remain the same.

I. The Church

CLA exists first and foremost to legally protect the Bible-believing churches of America.  Without the strong witness of these churches,  our culture is doomed to failure.  Our Founders recognized and understood the importance of Biblical principles in creating a successful nation.  America’s Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our laws all acknowledged that our rights come from the Creator God of the Bible.

If our culture does not continue to recognize and honor this American legal distinctive, our rights will be placed in great jeopardy.  The local Bible-believing church is the cornerstone for all our freedoms in America.  It always has been and it always must be. Therefore,  legal protection for the local Bible-believing church remains CLA’s top legal and spiritual priority.

II. Getting out the Gospel

Just as important is CLA’s priority of proclaiming the Gospel to everyone in order to bring as many people to faith in Christ as possible.  That is why CLA’s attorneys and staff are all soul winners and why CLA remains so concerned to keep America safe for the spread of the Gospel.

CLA’s attorneys defend the right to distribute Gospel tracts, to preach on the streets, to visit door to door with the Gospel message, and to convert all who will come to faith in Jesus Christ and receive His precious gift of salvation.

III. Our Children

Our children are the future of America, as well as the future of our churches.  The vast majority of Christians hear the salvation message and come to faith in Christ as children.  Therefore, we at CLA continue to believe it is very important to win children to Christ.  A third priority for CLA has always been children’s ministries—-from bus ministries to Christian schools to protecting the rights of Christian parents to home school their children.  Continuing to reach children for Christ is perhaps the right that is in greatest jeopardy in America today. Christian children’s homes are coming under ever-increasing governmental restrictions and attacks.  Public schools continue to limit student exposure to the Bible and spiritual training.  Church ministries to children are beset with ever more potential legal problems and road blocks.  But CLA’s commitment to protecting Christian schools, bus ministries,  homeschooling and Christian children’s ministries of all types remains as strong today as it was 40 years ago when CLA began out of a necessity to protect the rights of parents to educate their children in church-related Christian schools.

IV.  Freedom of the Pulpit

When America was founded as an independent nation in the 1700s, the Black Regiment, those preaching in the colonial pulpits, were instrumental in “preaching liberty” and freedom from Britain.  In modern times, the freedom of the pulpit has come under attack.  Just as the colonial pulpit—-the Black Regiment—-was the heart and soul of the initial American Revolution, today’s pulpit must remain a key tool for maintaining our freedom.

Throughout the history of America, it has always been the Bible-believing pulpit that has advocated important social changes—-from the abolition of slavery to today’s fight for life from conception to natural death.  Without this freedom of the pulpit, America would be a very different nation.  If we are to continue as a free people,  the liberty of the pulpit must remain a top priority.

 

  V. Individual liberties

Finally,  CLA continues true to its initial priority of protecting the rights of individual Christians in their homes, their public schools, their public community centers, their libraries, their workplaces, and in every area of life where individual Christians live and seek to have a witness for Christ.  Individual liberties are being lost in America today as the state begins to replace God in our lives and to take more and more control over our lives.  It is our responsibility to preserve for our children the freedom that was passed along to us in this great nation.  This responsibility is more important now than we can ever remember in our lifetimes.

On to the Future

It is very unusual for any organization to retain its founding vision and goals intact for 40 years.  But at CLA, we realize that we have an ongoing commitment to the churches and individuals who support us,  who pray for us, and who so graciously welcome us into their hearts and pulpits.  This is a commitment we intend to keep, so long as God grants us favor.

Attorneys for CLA consider themselves to be legal missionaries.  That is not just a title for us.

It demonstrates who we are and who we intend to continue being for the next 40 years, if the Lord tarries.  We take this commitment very seriously.  We greatly appreciate all those who have partnered with us over the years, encouraging and sustaining us with prayers and financial gifts.  The encouragement we receive from God’s people is an integral part of CLA’s ministry.  Thank you to those of you who have been so faithful over the past 40 years to make this ministry possible.  Please pray for us that we will continue to have God’s grace and success for the next 40 years.