ALCAP & American Character Builders
2376 Lakeside Drive Birmingham, AL 35244
205.985.9062 * Fax 205.985.9015 * *
Joe Godfrey, Executive Director
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS: During the 2015 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature ALCAP monitored 132 bills dealing with moral issues. Sixty-ninebills (52% of the bills monitored by ALCAP) dealt with the expansion of alcohol or other drugs, most of which involved local Sunday alcohol or draft beer sales. Four pro-life bills were introduced (3% of the bills monitored) and 9 bills related to religious liberty were introduced (7% of the bills ALCAP monitored).
Gambling, which had not been an issue the last 4 years, became an issue again as a few Republican leaders introduced or co-sponsored pro-gambling bills. In the House, Rep. Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) signed onto a gambling bill with Rep. Craig Ford (D-Rainbow City) and in the Senate, President Pro-Tem, Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston), introduced one of the most sweeping pro-gambling bills in the history of the Alabama Legislature. If it had passed, it would have turned the entire state of Alabama into a new “Las Vegas!” Marsh refiled a similar bill in the Special Session in July. As long as legislators continue to push gambling, churches need to let their House members and senators know of their strong opposition to any and all pro-gambling bills. (We express our gratitude to The Alabama Baptist for their help throughout the year in informing Alabama Baptists about these pro-gambling efforts and calling churches to action.)
For several years ALCAP pushed to get legislation passed that would help protect small, rural churches from repetitious acts of vandalism. House Bill (HB) 28, sponsored by Rep. David Standridge (R-Hayden) was successful in getting this “Church Vandalism” bill passed in both houses and signed by the Governor. ALCAP, also, worked this year in support of a bill by Sen. Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) that makes powdered alcohol (“palcohol”) illegal in the state of Alabama. This bill also passed both houses and was signed into law by Governor Bentley.
CONSULTATIVE MATTERS: ALCAP was a petitioner in a mandamus proceeding and is still working to uphold Alabama’s marriage laws. ALCAP also cohosted a series of state and regional conferences for pastors and church leaders designed to help them find ways to address the same-sex “marriage” issue in their local churches and communities.
In May, ALCAP was invited to participate in a press conference in Washington, DC. Together with the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and other diverse denominations and organizations,we helped launch a new, national coalition to oppose predatory lending.
ALCAP hosted and paid the travel expenses for Les Bernal, national director of Stop Predatory Gambling out of Washington, DC. We flew him to Montgomery to meet with legislators and arranged for him to appear on Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal, as well as participate in a panel discussion about gambling on TV15 in Mobile.
AMERICAN CHARACTER BUILDERS—The four available American Character Builders kits (Alcohol—It’s a Killer!; Tobacco Awareness; Saying NO to Meth, Marijuana and Cocaine; and The Bully Issue)are still being offered to churches, associations and local schools. For more information and to view short videos introducing the kits, go to .
At the April 2015 ALCAP Board Meeting, the 3nd Annual ALCAP/Dan Ireland Salt & Light Award was presented to Eric Johnston of Birmingham, AL (ALCAP’s legal advisor) for his efforts to impact our culture for Christ.
ALCAP and American Character Builders are completely dependent on the prayer and financial support of the churches of Alabama. Please consider adding these ministries to your on-going prayer lists and to your church and associational budgets so that we can continue this important ministry.