Politics
in the Pews

Michael Berry serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Litigation at America First Policy Institute (AFPI). Before entering private practice in 2013, Michael spent seven years on active duty as an attorney with the U.S. Marine Corps. During his tenure in the Marine Corps, he deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 and served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the United States Naval Academy from 2009 to 2012. Michael continues to serve our nation as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve.

As the Executive Director of AFPI’s Center for Litigation, Michael leads efforts to restore and defend Americans' most fundamental rights. A recognized subject-matter expert, he has testified before Congress and is frequently invited to speak nationwide. Michael has also been featured in various national media outlets.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and his law degree from The Ohio State University.

Sam Brownback served as the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom from February 2018 to January 2021. He was the Governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018 and previously represented his home state in both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. During his time in the Senate, he was an active advocate for religious freedom in multiple countries and was a key sponsor of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

Before his public service, Ambassador Brownback practiced law and taught agricultural law at Kansas State University. He earned a B.S. from Kansas State University and a J.D. from the University of Kansas.

Currently, Ambassador Brownback serves as co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit and is a Senior Fellow at Global Christian Relief. He also chairs the National Council for Religious Freedom.

He and his wife, Mary, have five children and ten grandchildren.

Ian M. Giatti, an award-winning journalist and podcaster with The Christian Post, has enjoyed a diverse career spanning film, TV, and broadcast media both behind and in front of the camera.

With over a decade of experience in ministry roles teaching the Word of God across various age groups, Ian is deeply committed to evangelism and the transformative power of the Gospel in his life and others'. In addition to his media background, Ian has served as a Sunday School teacher, held ministry leadership positions, and conducted Bible studies in settings ranging from churches to local jails.

Having once been an atheist, Ian found faith in Jesus Christ while working for one of the largest media companies in the U.S. Over the ensuing decade, he navigated the challenges of corporate media as a vocal and unashamed Christian, experiencing significant growth both professionally and spiritually.

Ian is also an author and contributor to several books, focusing passionately on the intersection of faith and politics. He currently produces "Politics In The Pews," a podcast series examining the role American Evangelicals will play in the 2024 election and beyond.

A California native, Ian, his wife Susan, and their four kids are now proud Texans.

Denise Grace Gitsham is an on-air political commentator and strategist, attorney, speaker, and author of Politics for People Who Hate Politics: How to Engage without Losing Your Friends or Selling Your Soul. Denise has worked at the highest levels of the federal government, from the White House to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Senate, and now runs her own public affairs firm. She is passionate about healing a divided nation by restoring civility and respect in political discourse without compromising truth. In addition to cable news and other media appearances, she speaks at conferences, churches, and political events.

As a member of a proud military family, Denise has a special appreciation for the liberties that enabled her parents to achieve the American dream. Her father was a Canadian immigrant who served twenty years in the U.S. Air Force, and her mother is a Chinese immigrant who escaped communism in 1949.

Denise graduated from Bowdoin College and Georgetown University Law Center. She practiced law at K&L Gates and served as a presidential appointee at the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as a law clerk in the U.S. Senate. In 2016, Denise ran for Congress in California’s 52nd Congressional District. Today, she advises businesses, ministries, and nonprofits as a consultant and board member. She is a regular contributor to Lifeway Women and Propel Women and serves on the board of the Rock Church in San Diego, California.

Denise speaks Mandarin Chinese, is an avid reader, and has competed as an Ironman triathlete. When she isn’t on a plane headed to or from DC, she’s basking in the California sun with her golden retriever, Jack.

Gina Gleason is the Executive Director of Real Impact, an organization dedicated to educating, equipping, and empowering Christians to influence culture through the lens of Scripture.

Gina has developed guidelines to help churches navigate the various activities they can legally engage in, such as holding voter registration drives, creating legislative action alerts, producing voter guides, supporting state-wide initiatives, and encouraging Christians to engage with the culture.

Under Gina's leadership, Real Impact has built a network of churches that share a biblical worldview. She emphasizes the importance of each church customizing its ministry efforts to align with its unique culture. Numerous resources, ideas, suggestions, and training webinars are offered at no cost. Gina is thrilled to see that churches are now better equipped to monitor societal issues that impact faith, family, and religious freedom.

Gina and her husband, John, have been blessed with three children and six grandchildren and have enjoyed over 49 years of marriage.

Coach Joe Kennedy, a twenty-year Marine veteran, served as an assistant coach for the Bremerton High School (BHS) varsity football team. Before coaching his first game, the Marine-turned-football coach made a commitment to God to give thanks at the conclusion of each game for the players' accomplishments and the opportunity to be part of their lives through football. This commitment was met with disapproval from his school district, leading to a lengthy court battle. On June 27, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Coach Kennedy and his First Amendment rights. On March 8, 2023, Coach Kennedy was officially reinstated as an assistant coach and is excited to be back with his team.

Joe and his wife, Denise, are parents to four and currently reside in Pensacola. A film inspired by his life is in development. He continues to speak across the country promoting freedom of speech. His new book, Average Joe, will be available for purchase nationwide on October 24, 2023.

Meg Kilgannon is a Senior Fellow for Education Studies at the Family Research Council. Previously, she served as the Director of the Office of Faith and Opportunity Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Education during the Trump Administration.

Meg combines her expertise in education policy with her skills as a coalition builder to promote excellence and accountability in America's public schools. She spearheaded dynamic change in her community by organizing parent groups to lobby school board members on important issues. Her leadership in these efforts earned her the Virginia Family Foundation's Citizen of the Year award in 2019.

A long-time advocate for women and children, Meg is a member of Hands Across the Aisle, a multi-partisan international coalition of women working to preserve the rights of women and girls. She is also a trained FertilityCare Practitioner and former natural family planning consultant.

Meg began her career as an account executive at a public relations firm and later served as the director of media relations for a national senior citizens organization. She also has experience in radio and television production.

She is married with four children and is an active member of her parish. A graduate of Washington & Lee University, Meg enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, fly fishing, and reading.

Dr. Richard Land holds distinguished roles as the Executive Editor of The Christian Post, President of Southern Evangelical Seminary, and President Emeritus of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, a position he has held since 1988. Recognized for his significant influence, Dr. Land was featured in Time Magazine as one of "The Twenty-five Most Influential Evangelicals in America." He also served five terms on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, appointed by former President George W. Bush.

Despite his professional achievements, Dr. Land considers his most cherished accomplishment to be his over 35-year marriage to his wife, Dr. Rebekah Land, and their dedicated investment in the lives of their three adult children: Jennifer, Richard Jr., and Rachel.

Bunni Pounds is the Founder and President of Christians Engaged. She was a political consultant for 16 years, once leading a firm with 32 clients and 9 employees. During her career, she worked with Members of Congress, managing their campaigns. In 2018, Bunni ran for Congress, becoming the only woman to make the Republican Runoff Ballot in Texas out of six open seats and the only person in the U.S. endorsed by Vice President Mike Pence during the 2018 primary season.

Although she did not win, God has been using her 20 years of Christian ministry and political experience to lead this national ministry today. Since its launch, Christians Engaged has been involved with over 125 churches, secured more than 50 ongoing strategic ministry partnerships, and has over 200,000 Christians in their voter mobilization communication system reaching all 50 states. Additionally, over 2,000 Christians have taken one of their long-form classes. Their goal is to engage 1 million Christians by the 2024 general election.

Bunni is a graduate of Christ for the Nations and Dallas Baptist University. Above all, she loves Jesus and sharing the gospel with anyone who will listen, from the halls of Congress to her own hometown.

Bunni has been married to her husband Tim for 28 years. They have two grown sons, both married, and two precious grandchildren.

Ralph Reed is the Founder and Chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, a pro-family public policy organization with over 3 million members. He has worked on 11 presidential campaigns and served on the Pro-Life and Evangelicals for Trump committees for President Donald Trump. Additionally, he chaired the Georgia Republican Party and was a senior advisor to both of George W. Bush's presidential campaigns.

Reed served as the Executive Director of the Christian Coalition from 1989 to 1997. The Wall Street Journal has called him “perhaps the finest political operative of his generation.” He is also the Chairman and CEO of Century Strategies, a public relations and public affairs firm with offices in Atlanta and Washington, DC.

Reed earned a B.A. from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in history from Emory University. He and his wife, Jo Anne, have four children and two grandchildren and reside in Atlanta, Georgia.

Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq. is the President and Chief Executive Officer of First Liberty Institute. A constitutional scholar, Mr. Shackelford has argued before the United States Supreme Court, testified before the U.S. House and Senate, and secured numerous landmark First Amendment and religious liberty victories. Notably, he has achieved three landmark wins in the U.S. Supreme Court: Kennedy v. Bremerton, Carson v. Makin, and American Legion v. American Humanist Association.

Mr. Shackelford was named one of the 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter Century by Texas Lawyer and received the prestigious William Bentley Ball Award for Life and Religious Freedom Defense for his leadership and pioneering work in protecting religious freedom.

He serves on the Board of Trustees of the United States Supreme Court Historical Society and has been featured in prominent publications including the National Law Journal, Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Times, and The L.A. Times.

Formerly an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Texas Law School, Mr. Shackelford graduated cum laude from Baylor University in 1985 and from Baylor Law School in 1988, where he earned the highest unadjusted GPA in his graduating class.

James Spencer is a theologian and ministry leader currently serving as President of the D. L. Moody Center in Northfield, MA, and Managing Partner at Useful to God, a new education and discipleship ministry. He holds a PhD in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and an MA in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College.

James is the author of several books, including Christian Resistance: Learning to Defy the World and Follow Christ, Thinking Christian, and his latest work, Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics, and the Art of Bearing Witness. He is a regular contributor to Christianity.com, hosts the Thinking Christian podcast on Salem’s Life Audio Network, and serves as an adjunct instructor at Wheaton College and faculty member at Right On Mission.

James writes and teaches on Christian thought, including the intersections of faith and politics, faith and technology, and discipleship. His work has appeared in the Christian Post, Wall Street Journal, Fox News, The Washington Times, and American Thinker. He has also been featured on Lauren Green’s Lighthouse Faith podcast, James Dobson’s Family Talk, Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey, TBN’s “The Rise of AI,” and various other podcasts and broadcasts.

After spending over two decades as an executive at Fortune 100 companies, Jason Yates discovered that 1 in 3 Christians do not vote consistently. This statistic prompted him to leave the corporate world and become the founding CEO of My Faith Votes—a national nonprofit ministry dedicated to equipping Christians to think biblically about issues, pray for our nation, and vote consistently in every election.

Under Jason’s faithful leadership, My Faith Votes has activated and equipped thousands of Christians to vote in local, state, and federal elections. For the 2024 elections, they aim to activate 1.5 million Christian voters.

Jason and his wife, Megan, live on 14 acres in Minnesota and are proud parents to two children through adoption. Jason serves on several national mission boards, coaches his daughter’s lacrosse team, and is an elder at his church.

Ed Young is the Founding Pastor of Fellowship Church and a New York Times bestselling author. Fellowship Church is renowned for creatively and boldly communicating the Bible and equipping people for the challenges of everyday life.

With a passion for equipping and training church leaders, Ed founded C3 Global, CreativePastors.com, and the Creative Church Conference (C3) to provide resources to thousands of pastors and leaders worldwide.

Ed has published several books on leadership, Christian living, marriage, and parenting. His works include Sexperiment: 7 Days to Lasting Intimacy with Your Spouse, The Marriage Mirror, The Creative Leader, Outrageous Contagious Joy, and his most recent, A Path Through Pain.

He and his wife, Lisa, have been married for over 40 years and have four children, one of whom is in Heaven.