Rick Green [00:00:07] Welcome to Intersection of Faith and Culture. Thanks for joining us today on the WallBuilders Show. We appreciate you being with us. I'm Rick Green here with David Barton and Tim Barton. And we're taking on the hot topics of the day from a Biblical historical and constitutional perspective. Wallbuilders.com is our main site, WallBuilders.com. What a time to rebuild folks. 250th coming up in just over a year. So let's rebuild the walls. Wallbuilder.com as the place to go. And then wallbuilders.show, if you missed any of our programs last few weeks or so, they've been really good by the way. So make sure you check out wallbuilders.show for the radio program. And share it with your friends and family. Share, share, share. Get the word out there. All right, fellas, we got, we're actually talking military today. And of course, you got family in the military. You know how important it is to have this kind of ministry going on in the Military. Andy Bunn's gonna be with us a little later in the program talking, and I didn't even know, I'll be honest, I didn' know Child Evangelism Fellowship had a specific military program. It's Military Children's Ministry. I didn't know this existed. This is pretty cool to check into. 

David Barton [00:01:05] Yeah, you know, Child Evangelism Fellowship is a group that is not really well known for whatever reason, but let me give you some stats on these guys because Rick, you're talking about, they've got a military program and you know, we, we didn't really know about that, but these guys were founded back in 1937, so long time ago, we're coming up on a century. They have programs in all 50 states and 192 different countries. So by the way, how many countries do we have at the UN right now? I think it's 197. So they're active in 192 countries at this point. How many full-time employees you think they have in the US? Just guess, based on how often we hear them. 

Tim Barton [00:01:47] Well, I bet, knowing that the American Bible Society has a lot of employees and we don't hear about them all that much unless we're talking about it on a radio program, using that same logic, I'm gonna say they have 150 people working for them. 

David Barton [00:02:02] You're going to have to go up to about 750. So 750 folks working in the U S 1200 folks working overseas. So you're looking at 2000 folks that they employ and they minister to about 20 million kids a year. That's not a small group or organization, man. That is just, we just don't hear about it. I mean, this just doesn't get out, but somehow they're getting out to all these other groups and nations and 20 million kids. So that's great. 

Tim Barton [00:02:30] Well, and dad, even as you mentioned, it was founded back in the 1930s. 1938 is, is that what I recall you saying? 

David Barton [00:02:37] 1937. 

Tim Barton [00:02:38] So 37. So when you were bringing that up, my first thought was, was that, was that one of the things Chuck Colson did? Because I know he was connected for a while, uh, with the child evangelism fellowship and of course his prison fellowship and so many great things he did, I did not know it went back so far. Uh, and certainly as you mention. We don't hear about it all that much. And the fact that my association with it goes to Chuck Colson, uh, also maybe says something, and this is not at all any kind of criticism of child evangelism fellowship. Uh, it really is more reflection of our ignorance of some of this, given what they've done, but also why it matters that we're talking about it on the program today to hopefully bring even more exposure to them for the good things they're doing. 

David Barton [00:03:26] Well, I'm going to take you back even 20 years before this 1937. I'm gonna take you back to the 19 teens. And at that point in time, they started what were called good news clubs, which is also kind of what we're going to talk about today. I think more people know about good news clubs than they know about child evangelism, evangelism fellowship. But with good news clubs, there are there are 3500 good news clubs in the U S there's about 5000 school districts. So you've got that many school does recover. And really, they're kind of focused at elementary level, not totally, but they have 42,000 clubs worldwide. So they started Good News Clubs before they started Child of Edgerman Fails show, but they had it going. And so since that was the organization doing it, they became the organization as well. So these guys really have, you know, well over a century of work with young people, particularly elementary students And what they do in the clubs. I mean, these young people, they'll have a Bible lesson, they'll teach them songs, they have memory verses, they do games, it's a fun time, and it's, it, it is a really healthy program. And I'm really glad to see them doing this on military base as well, because you really need that for young people in military, you got families living on military bases. So they really need that kind of supportive military bases for military families, which is great. 

Tim Barton [00:04:49] Well, and given the nature of that, that kids are trying to figure out a lot of life anyway, they're navigating a lot of emotions, a lot of insecurities. And then when you're in the military and you're having to relocate every couple of years, over time, we know that they probably, these kids probably get a lot better at it because they've had to do that depending on how long the family's in the military multiple times. My brother-in-law, my brother, they've been in for many, many years. And so they've, they've gone to lots of different bases. And so we've seen the kids having to navigate what that's like. But the reason I bring it up is this is one of the things that can definitely help students and those young military kids have a more stable, solid connection. That faith foundation to help them navigating in what could seem like instability in areas of life, having having that faith connection can be so vital for them. And so it's super exciting to find out what they're doing, to hear these military bases. And of course, we have a lot of military folks that listen, active duty, veterans, et cetera. And this can be something that maybe is new information for some of them that they can work to help even start some of these clubs or programs on whatever base they're on, or maybe it's already there and they didn't know about it and it's an opportunity to have something for their kids to be. Part of me connected with, so I'm definitely excited to get a little bit more information from this from Andy in our interview. 

Rick Green [00:06:22] Andy Bunt, our special guest, he's a graduate of West Point. He's got his Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a PhD in leadership from Piedmont International University. He is a Desert Storm veteran, served 10 years in the Army, and now, you know, doing this ministry with these kids across the country, going to be really cool to learn about this. Stay with us, folks. You're listening to the Wallbuilder show. 

Rick Green [00:07:51] Welcome back to The WallBuilders Show. Thanks for staying with us. Andy Bunn is with us from Child Evangelism Fellowship, specifically works on the Military Children's Ministry. Excited about this show today. Hey man, appreciate you coming on, Andy. 

Andy Bunn [00:08:04] Well, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about what the Lord's doing on our military bases in the United States. 

Rick Green [00:08:11] Love it. Well, I didn't even know May is a military appreciation month. I suppose that makes sense being a Memorial day in May and, and, you know, of course we've got veterans day in November, but Memorial day in, in May, I did know that we had a whole month for it, but thank God for it. You know, we wouldn't have our freedom if it wasn't for you guys willing to pay the price for it? I get to go, you know, yak my gums and, and talk about freedom all the time, but y'all are willing to fight for it and these kids that grow up in these families, they, they face a lot more challenges than the average joe what you know traveling around and and constantly being moved and all of those things and you'll meet an incredible need so thanks for what you do at child evangelism fellowship 

Andy Bunn [00:08:50] Well, thank you for sharing that because, yes, there is a great need. We get the opportunity to link up chaplain teams on bases with our local Child Evangelism fellowship teams that are in the field, and together they are able to go forward sharing the gospel of Jesus with the children of military families. And especially right now, during such a a time of uncertainty as to the many deployments that their parents go on on a regular basis. 

Rick Green [00:09:26] What tell me how it practically works how do you guys get access first of all and and I know you're working with about 30 different bases across the country and then how do you plug in like what what is the the ministry arm here. 

Andy Bunn [00:09:38] Well, actually, it's my role is liaison. I'm a connector. It is an opportunity that I have that if we have local directors that have military bases in their areas in the United States. They contact me or I may have reached out to them and they have a desire to serve the children and families on the base. And so once I know that we have that desire on our side to go forward, I simply contact the chaplain team. And once I'm able to talk to a chaplain, let them know about who we are and what we would like to do in serving the children and the families there. We set up a meeting with a foundation for how we can get continual access to the base, how we could also have a place on the base to serve and minister to the children. And then the partnership goes forward with our local directors that are in the immediate vicinity there of Child Evangelism Fellowship, along with the chaplain team in order to serve the families. With the different types of ministries we have, which are three, we have what is known as a party club. Everybody, of course, loves to go to a party and kids, especially. And that is a one-time event. It's usually tied to a holiday like Christmas, Easter, but we also do them for Independence Day. Uh, any reason back to school, uh, tops of clubs, they last about an hour and a half and they're very intentional with a whole lot of fun. Whole lot of snacks, games, but we always have a memory verse from scripture as well as the gospel shared during that hour and a half time frame. And then what is kind of the main ministry that we do is what is known as the Good News Club, and that is an after school club. We do throughout the year once a week, and it is also an hour and a half, also has the memory verse, also the sharing of the gospel, snacks, but it's much more intentional over the course of a time frame of meeting week in and week out. And then what is also very popular, because it not only involves children, but we also day clubs, which is akin to your vacation Bible schools in which we have these five-day clubs with the intentional aspect of sharing the gospel every day and leading children and sharing the gospel with them in that kind of time frame as well. And we do all three of those, depending on the base. On some bases we do three, some we do a variation of three. 

Rick Green [00:12:39] Well, you read my mind, man. That was my, that's exactly what I was going to ask you. It was where, well, especially the summer day. I was wondering about the summer program. Is that done on the campus? Do you have to get a facility off-site or. 

Andy Bunn [00:12:49] Oh, well, actually it's done right there on the base as well. Um, and it can be, we've, we'd had a five day club at one particular base where it is extremely hot. Held outside and the children loved it. The heat didn't bother them a bit. Uh, typically we're in, uh, the chapel where they also have, uh side rooms and different things for classes and whatnot, uh to hold them there. We've done them in rec centers on base, but our whole intention is to gain access to base so we can actually minister on the base. We do have a few bases. We are outside of the gate, but we are still ministering to children in the military community because it may be adjacent to the housing area or something like that, and it's just more convenient to do so. 

Rick Green [00:13:42] Well, that's that summer program when it's super hot. Listen, I'm from Texas. As long as you got a garden hose, you're in good shape. I mean, drink water out of it. It doesn't matter how hot it is coming out of. 

Andy Bunn [00:13:52] I live north of Dallas, about 45 minutes. 

Rick Green [00:13:54] Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about. What part of that? What are you Frisco? Where are you? 

Andy Bunn [00:13:59] I started out in Frisco and now I live a little further north west in Aubrey, uh, text. Yeah. In between Denton and Prosper. 

Rick Green [00:14:09] I gotcha. Yeah. I grew up in Wiley. We played Frisco back when Frisco was a little three a school and we were as well, and that was out in the country back then it's no longer that way as you well know, so let's go back to the, we've got a lot of, lot of military that, that listens to the program. And so if, if somebody's listening today and they're saying, well, we don't have it on our base, but we'd like to have it our base. So the chaplain is the key. Is that the, that's the person they should go to first? 

Andy Bunn [00:14:34] Yes, I would encourage, there are the Protestant women of the chapel organizations that augment the chaplain teams that usually talk to the chaplains. They're someone that the military can talk to about this. They have other chapel and chaplain organizations that they can also talk to, but mainly is the chaplain team, because what we always want to do at Child Evangelism Fellowship is ensure that the ministry that we do provide is to everyone and it falls under the authority of the senior chaplain and his team on base. And so that's very important. And if folks do want to consider having their child as a part of one of our clubs, they can go online to www.cefonline.com/MCM and it lists the bases in the United States that we're currently on. And then of course you can also, if your base is not listed, you can contact the Chaplain But you can also Scroll down a little further and there's a place where you can send an email. And that email will come directly to me and then I will respond to you as well as make contact with our local team that may be adjacent to that base as well the Chaplain team to see if we can open the gates of that base, as well. 

Rick Green [00:16:15] Love it, man. Superb. I also want to ask you about the ages. So you mentioned the party clubs, the good news clubs, and then the summer five day clubs, you said the teenagers were, you train them to lead the. Summer five day club. So when we say children, that's up to 18. So you're re you're still ministering to them, even in, in the kind of middle school, high school age. 

Andy Bunn [00:16:34] Well, actually, our, for lack of a better word, our target is elementary school children. Okay. And so the clubs are designed. Basically K through sixth grade to some degree in middle school, and we also will minister to preschool. Now, how we involve the teenagers is that typically those who have been affiliated with Child Evangelism Fellowship as a child or their parents, we have this program where we train the teens to do the five day clubs such that not only have they had the gospel shared with them, their believers, but now they can disciple the younger children as teens themselves and actually learn how to lead and train and grow in that capacity. And what's so amazing about that is one of the bases that we have clubs on right Did not have any clubs at all. Until two CYA teenagers, as we call them, Christian Youth in Action, graduates of our training program who did a five-day club, they wanted to do a good news club on the base and lead it. And our first club on one particular base was led by two teenagers who coordinated with the chaplain team and the women of the chapel. And started the first good news club on that base. 

Rick Green [00:18:13] That's great. That's passing the torch, man. That's that's making disciples that are then making disciples. That's a, that's beautiful. That's the way, the way it ought to work. I mean, I'd absolutely love to get, let's get connected more because our Patriot Academy program that we do at this, we do it in capitals around the country, uh, but also at our campus and in Fredericksburg, Texas in our legislative hall there, and it's 16 and up and, and I bet some of those kids you've had come through even in their younger years, as they reach those teens. We'd love to have them and actually up there in Dallas, we've got a wonderful group that does a fundraiser every year. They do the Murph challenge and the money they raised from that. They sponsor kids of military veterans and, um, active duty or retired and, uh, to, to attend Patriot Academy. So, you know, let's, uh, let' find some of those kiddos that would like to come learn how to be an even better citizen with a biblical worldview and go through our legislative simulation. We're, we're looking for them and you've got them. So we, we, can team up on that, bro. 

Andy Bunn [00:19:12] Sounds good. 

Rick Green [00:19:13] Hey, Andy, God bless you for what you're doing, man. What a great ministry. And, and, um, you know, we, we too often forget. We often think that military member and say, thank you for your service and shake their hand. We forget the price, the family pays as well. The spouses, the kids, everything else. They're all, um you know given a lot for our country to be free. And so we appreciate ministries like yours that are, that are reaching out to the members of that family. I really appreciate you sharing today and give them what you give the website one more time for us. 

Andy Bunn [00:19:40] Uh, www.cefonline.com. All right. And to specifically get the military children's ministry, you just do/ MCM. 

Rick Green [00:19:52] Okay, CEFonline.com/MCM for military children's ministry. And you appreciate your man. God bless. Thanks for coming on. 

Andy Bunn [00:20:00] Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate your time and the opportunity to share what the Lord was doing on our basis. 

Rick Green [00:20:06] Stay with us folks, we'll be right back with David and Tim Bark. 

Rick Green [00:21:16] Welcome back to The WallBuilders Show and to Andy Bunn. We say thank you for the ministry. Thank you for reaching out. Thanks to Child Evangelism Fellowship, uh, back with David and Tim. And again, guys, I didn't know about this part of what Child Evangelism fellowship was doing. Really excited about this. And, and even, you know, looking for the, I love the fact that he was talking about how they're passing the torch already, those kids come up through the ministry and then they helped to put on the camps and, you know, Hey, we'll, we will take them to the next level. Get them going to Patriot Academy, get them going to the Wall Builders Summer Institute over at over at American Journey Experience. This is a cool connection. I'm glad we had him on today. 

David Barton [00:21:47] Yeah, it's a cool connection. And it's one that has a lot of legal defense. Our friend, Matt Staver, he's the one who represents Child Evangelism Fellowship and Good News Clubs. And I don't know how many of these cases he's won where the people sue and say, you can't do this and it's illegal. And Matt wins these things like crazy. I'm just surprised how many cases have been filed because he wins so many of them. It's crazy they keep fighting this. 

Tim Barton [00:22:11] Well, dad, I think the answer you're looking for is all of them. How many cases has he won? All of them, all of the, that's right. I liked it. Uh, because it's just totally constitutional. It's totally legal. This is something that can be done. And yet we've seen over the years, over the decades, the hostility against Christianity, uh, the people that have worked to try to belittle and diminish Christianity in many of these government arenas, but now We've seen it even aggressive in the military. Dad, we were talking earlier this week, I think, is when we were taking, maybe even yesterday. Now, the days are running together as we're traveling so much, but you were pointing out one of the big changes that's happened in the military, you can go back to President Obama, where there was increased hostility against religion in the Military under President Obama who stopped a lot of the religious activity, the religious expression. That had been standard in the military, going all the way back to George Washington, and so we've seen over the last decade or so, an increased hostility, especially in the military, towards some of these religious activities and expressions, but fortunately, we are now at a place that we're seeing some of those recovered and regained. 

David Barton [00:23:24] Hey, by the way, I've got a random trivia question for you guys. Who do you think is the most attacked entry on Wikipedia? Wikipedia we know is left leaning. 

Rick Green [00:23:36] It's not Donald Trump? 

David Barton [00:23:37] What, what entry would you go to, to see the most aggressive attack? You think, you think Donald Trump? 

Rick Green [00:23:43] That's my guess. 

Tim Barton [00:23:45] It would depend on, it would depend on the, the span of time. Cause if you go back 10 years, Donald Trump is the most popular beloved person. 

Rick Green [00:23:54] Ah, good point, yeah. 

Tim Barton [00:23:55] You know, by the left, by media personalities, music stars, but certainly since his first term in office, he's no longer the darling anymore. Definitely there's a lot of hostility toward Christianity from most academia and since a lot what happens on Wikipedia, it tends to show a bias from some level of academia. And I think that's probably the setup you were going for dad. I don't know what the answer is, but it seems like maybe something in the Christian circle for sure. 

David Barton [00:24:26] Well, I have definitely seen lots of attacks. I mean, we get them on Wikipedia. We're used to that. I don't think I've ever seen an attack as blatantly twisted as what Wikipedia does with Child Evangelism Fellowship and with the Good News Clubs. When you go to Child Evangelist Fellowship, it's just a few paragraphs long and they accuse these clubs of teaching elementary kids about genocide, about killing people as many as they can. And then they show a letter in there where Charlie Evangelism Fellowship responded and said, you're crazy, here's what we teach. And they put the final word in there and say, no, no, that's not true. They do teach genocide. So they don't even let Child Evangelin Fellowship speak for themselves. They come back in to counter it to get their perspective. 

Tim Barton [00:25:13] Well, dad, I mean, as we've already heard earlier this week, clearly, if they were promoting pornography or some kind of gender ideology, they would be totally fine. But because they have the audacity to do something like Christianity and an objective system of morality, that's where they've crossed the line. 

David Barton [00:25:32] Well, the other thing is when you go to their entry on the Good News Clubs and with Good News clubs, they go through and talk about what it is and how many there are in the United States and where they are. But even then, they can't let it alone. They at the very end, they close with all these criticisms and and they offer a couple of alternatives. They let you know there's some alternatives out there. And one of those alternatives is what they call better news clubs, which is secular progressive stuff will teach all the secular stuff, not just religious nonsense or the Bible. And then they even have after school Satan clubs that they promote. And so, you know, they just can't let it be. They've got to come back and finish with, we think this is bad and here's what you need to know. So it's just crazy to see how they attack this great group that does so much good stuff for kids and teaches such good wholesome stuff at a very early age. 

Rick Green [00:26:23] Yeah, simple, easy and wholesome and good and and and you know, it just doesn't make any sense at all. Hey, listen, folks, if you want to learn more, I know we have a lot of military folks listening. You want to try to help get it on your base? Go to cefonline.com forward slash ministries forward slash MCM. Thanks so much for listening today. You've been listening to The WallBuilders Show.