YOUR INTRODUCTION TO THE FAMILY HERITAGE ALLIANCE

Introducing A New Alliance!

(Committed Beyond The Excitement)

Even though change is difficult, leaders can’t avoid it.  So it is that a host of South Dakota leaders took the initiative and established a new endeavor bent on supporting our bedrock traditional family values.

www.familyheritagealliance.org

Change is hard.  Leaders will struggle and so will the people they are trying to convince.  But the Family Heritage Alliance story is one of fearless change, hope and action.   Yes, strong family valued folks are lining up in full support of her mission.  We have found that one needs three things in order for an organization to mature into a reality:  your belief in it, the determination to act on your belief, and some information on how to implement your plans.

With that in mind, on Tuesday, July 20, 2010, approximately 60 community leaders came together in Rapid City in what has since been dubbed the “Gathering of 60”.  We discussed the need for a coalition of like-minded, God-honoring, family-valued people.  This “alliance” would encourage faith in God, protect and promote the family as God’s Word defines it, and push for a return to the values of our founding fathers.  All this as we seek to unify and educate people of faith wherever God so leads.  Over the course of two and a half hours, this group of concerned leaders consistently voiced the same sentiment:  “We need to do this”.         

A nine-member ‘Steering Committee’ was selected and on July 23, their first organizational meeting was held.  At that time it was unanimously agreed upon that a new organization (non-profit 501-c3) would be established and that Dale Bartscher (long-time advocate for faith, family, and freedom in South Dakota) would be hired as the Executive Director of this fledgling organization.  


Then on August 19 history was made! 

The newly formed executive Board (in the presence of the organization’s attorney and Executive Director, Dale Bartscher) signed the SD state incorporation documents and thereby moved this new endeavor closer to reality.  It was stated afterwards:  “This was almost a ‘Moment of Worship’ my friends!  We’re OFFICIAL!”

On August 31, this ‘Steering Committee’ was dissolved and the new nine-member ‘Family Heritage Alliance Board of Directors’ was seated.  For staff information go to:  www.FamilyHeritageAlliance.org.

Why the need of this new organization? 

The Family Heritage Alliance exists to champion ‘Traditional Family Values’ to Pastors, Policymakers and the Public!

Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) the thirtieth President of the United States once said:  “The foundation of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.” ⁽¹⁾

Yes, our nation’s heritage is firmly rooted in religious principles.  This truth is clearly seen in our pledge of allegiance, our national anthem, our money, our unique form of government and in our founding fathers’ beliefs.

Our founding fathers believed that national prosperity and morality were inseparably linked to religious principles.  This fact is evidenced by the following founding fathers quotes:

George Washington:  “And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion…Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles….” ⁽²⁾ 

Noah Webster:  “No truth is more evident to any mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.” ⁽³⁾

Benjamin Rush: “The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments… Without religion, I believe that learning does much mischief to the morals and principles of mankind.” ⁽⁴⁾

John Adams:  “…it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand.” ⁽⁵⁾

The values of Faith, Family and Freedom were at the core of our founding fathers’ belief system!  They clearly understood that these were unalienable rights given by God.  Our forefathers took God’s Word seriously.  They established a nation founded on biblical principles that publicly acknowledged God’s headship and providential protection. They understood fundamental biblical truths and structured our government accordingly. Thus, they established three branches of government to protect against unrestrained pursuit of self-interest and abuse of power.

In direct opposition to our founding fathers’ warnings, God and His principles are being incrementally removed from the public affairs of our nation.  It has become ‘our responsibility’ to call our families, our nation back to the Godly principles upon which these were birthed.

Yes, we are ‘committed beyond the excitement’ of a newly formed endeavor.  The road ahead will be filled with challenges and rewards.  For now we echo these words by the late, great Everett Hale:

“I am only one, but I am one.
 I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and
with the help of God, I will do.”

Thank you for your interest in what God is doing through His people and the Family Heritage Alliance.  For more information on the Family Heritage Alliance please go to:  www.familyheritagealliance.org

Dale Bartscher, Executive Director ‘Family Heritage Alliance’

1825 Clear View Lane, Suite 101-E

Rapid City, SD  57702

Office Phone: 605-718-5433 (life)

Dale@FamilyHeritageAlliance.org

(1) Calvin Coolidge; William J. Federer, America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, FAME Publishing, Inc., 1996,

p. 181; Michael R. Myers, It’s Time to Remember America!, Horizon Books, 1999, p. 52 

(2) George Washington; William J. Federer, America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, FAME Publishing, Inc., 1996,

            p. 661; David Barton, America To Pray? Or Not to Pray?, (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1995), p.23 

(3) Noah Webster; William J. Federer, America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, FAME Publishing, Inc., 1996,

            p. 677; David Barton, America To Pray? Or Not to Pray?, (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1995), p.12   

(4) Benjamin Rush; David Barton, America To Pray? Or Not to Pray?, (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1995), p.12   

(5) John Adams; William J. Federer, America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, FAME Publishing, Inc., 1996, p. 8