DALLAS—Today, The Danbury Institute launches officially, having already made significant strides in defending life and liberty in the first six weeks of 2024. Born out of a realization that Christian influence is waning in American culture and government and that a vacuum of virtuous leadership has produced a country sympathetic to the sexualization of children, abortion on demand, and the infringement of religious liberty, The Danbury Institute emerges as a coalition to defend the values that made America exceptional. As the Danbury Baptists did in the 1800s, Christians must today re-engage in the leadership of the nation and take an active role steering the direction of both public policy and public opinion.
As a rapidly expanding coalition, The Danbury Institute poses a probing question, “Who will stand for life and liberty?”
The coalition is led by an executive team, governed by a board of trustees, and guided by an advisory council chaired by Richard Land, president emeritus of Southern Evangelical Seminary and executive editor of The Christian Post.
“I am both honored and humbled to endorse and recommend The Danbury Institute,” Land said. “Never has our beloved country more needed to be reminded of her founding values of soul freedom and religious liberty so bravely defended by 18th century Danbury Baptist ancestors. I pray God's manifold blessings on their noble efforts to protect and restore our sacred liberties."
“I am both honored and humbled to endorse and recommend The Danbury Institute" - Dr. Richard Land
The Danbury Institute is an association of churches, Christians, and organizations aligned to affirm and preserve God-given rights to life and liberty by influencing culture and public policy, upholding the free exercise of religion, inspiring the vigorous involvement of an informed citizenry, and promoting Judeo-Christian values as the proper foundation for a free and prosperous republic.
The new organization aims to educate Americans on the nature of the country’s founding, emphasizing the centrality of faith that built the nation into a robust liberty-laden republic from its inception. The group will highlight the current state of the union, shining light upon the litany of ways that life and liberty are in peril. Focusing on these two elements, The Danbury Institute will advocate for a revival of an effectual Christian worldview in the United States. While no person is mandated to follow Christ and is free to make that decision for themselves, the reality is that, as John Adams said, the United States was founded upon Judeo-Christian values:
“Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – John Adams
Today, that reality is born out daily in a nation deeply divided.
Half of the nation views killing pre-born children as a “choice” to be made. The other says it is murder.
Half of the nation views exposing children to pornography in schools as tolerance and love. The other says it is grooming and child abuse.
Half of the nation views letting men into women’s bathrooms as “affirming.” The other half says it is detestable voyeurism.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders clarified the battle lines in her response to the State of the Union address in February 2023.
“The choice is no longer between right or left,” she said. “The choice is between normal and crazy.”
Huckabee-Sanders represents a large portion of the nation who feel exactly the same, and the mission of The Danbury Institute is to rally that bloc of people, to equip them with knowledge, perspective, and a biblical worldview, and then to inspire them to re-engage in the process of self-government.
“For far too long, Christians have sat idly on the sidelines, satisfied with the status-quo,” said Danbury Chief Executive Officer Scott Colter. “The status-quo can no longer be tolerated. We are watching in real-time as the sacrifices our great grandparents made to defend our nation are squandered right before our eyes. As a father, I am not ready or willing to say to my children that we gave up and let go of our great nation before it could be preserved for them. We have to stand up and say that we respect life, we love liberty, and we will expend effort, time, and treasure to protect them.”
"We have to stand up and say that we respect life, we love liberty, and we will expend effort, time, and treasure to protect them.” - Dr. Scott Colter
The way in which The Danbury Institute will accomplish these things falls largely under the purview of Chief Operations Officer Collin Hain, who comes to the institute with experience as a vice president of a Texas bank and a communications director of a Texas church.
“The chief goal of The Danbury Institute is to inform and empower churches and pastors, providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to actively participate in the self- governance of our nation,” Hain said. “We are committed to advocate on their behalf in Washington D.C., ensuring that the voices of Christians are heard at the highest levels of government. By forging meaningful relationships with lawmakers, we strive to uphold the Judeo-Christian values that are the bedrock of our society, ensuring they continue to guide the future of our nation.”
"By forging meaningful relationships with lawmakers, we strive to uphold the Judeo-Christian values that are the bedrock of our society, ensuring they continue to guide the future of our nation.” - Collin Hain
The first six weeks of Danbury’s existence, even ahead of today’s official launch, have already been dedicated to this advocacy work.
In Ohio, The Danbury Institute was instrumental in overturning the veto of the SAFE Act, saving children from transgender procedures and keeping transgender men out of women’s locker rooms and sports.
"I'm grateful for the vigorous support of the Danbury Institute,” said Ohio State Representative Gary Click (R-Vickery). “Your vocal support and authentic prayers not only encourage me but actually touch the throne of God. Nothing can be more meaningful than protecting the bodily integrity of today's youth. The next generation depends on what godly men and women do in this generation."
"I'm grateful for the vigorous support of the Danbury Institute." - Rep. Gary Click
While participating in the March for Life in Washington, D.C., leaders of The Danbury Institute also organized citizens to urge a Maine judiciary committee to reject a “transgender trafficking bill,” which would have let the state remove children from parents who would not encourage them to undergo harmful “gender affirming care.” The effort was successful.
The following week, representatives of The Danbury Institute traveled again to Washington for the International Religious Freedom Summit and to Eagle Pass, Texas, to meet with military personnel and local officials to get a firsthand understanding of the crisis on America’s southern border. Days later, Danbury leaders met with congressional staff in Washington, D.C., regarding the situation at the border. Danbury representatives delivered to Capitol Hill during the same visit a letter bearing the signatures of some of America’s leading retired law enforcement officers warning leadership in the House and Senate about the dangers posed by the porous border.
Just last week, The Danbury Institute reviewed a new documentary revealing the all-out assault on children by the LGBTQ+ agenda and began promoting screenings in churches across the nation.
These initiatives-in-action are only a part of what The Danbury Institute will to do as a conservative Christian coalition amassing strength and resources to make expedient and tangible progress in defending the Judeo-Christian values upon which America was founded.
To learn more about The Danbury Institute, follow the organization on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Visit danburyinstitute.org to subscribe for email updates and to join The Danbury Institute’s association of churches.
The Danbury Institute is an association of churches, Christians, and organizations aligned to affirm and preserve God-given rights to life and liberty by influencing culture and public policy, upholding the free exercise of religion, inspiring the vigorous involvement of an informed citizenry, and promoting Judeo-Christian values as the proper foundation for a free and prosperous republic. Learn more about The Danbury Institute at danburyinstitute.org.
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