Pro-Family Organization Announces First-Ever Legislator & Pastor Awards
Madison, WI – Wisconsin Family Council (WFC) announced the recipients of its first-ever legislator and pastor awards.
State Representative André Jacque (R-De Pere) is the first state legislator to be awarded WFC’s “William Wilberforce Freedom Award.”
William Wilberforce was an 18th century Member of Parliament, serving from 1780, when he was just 21 years old, to 1825, when he retired due to health problems. For 44 years Wilberforce tirelessly worked to abolish the slave trade and free the slaves in the British Empire. The lucrative slave trade was abolished in 1807 but the slaves weren’t set free until 1833, with Wilberforce learning of the bill’s passage just 3 days before he died. In addition, he did much philanthropic work in his homeland.
WFC President Julaine Appling stated, “We are honored to give our first William Wilberforce Freedom Award to Rep. Jacque. He epitomizes this award. William Wilberforce valued human life and gave himself with abandon to protecting his fellow humans, a position that was not always politically popular. André Jacque shares that passion in his pro-life work. He has consistently stood up for the rights of the unborn and for the continuation of freedom for all Wisconsin citizens, especially for Wisconsin’s best resource, her families.”
A second award, WFC’s John Witherspoon Award, will be given to Bob Loggans, Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown.
John Witherspoon was a minister of the Gospel, and as such was the only cleric to sign the Declaration of Independence. He served as president of Princeton University (1768-1794). Founding Father and leading abolitionist Benjamin Rush and the great evangelist George Whitefield invited and urged Witherspoon to leave his native Scotland and come to America to take on a troubled Princeton. Witherspoon supported America’s push for liberty, served in Congress during and after the Revolutionary War and had great influence on the ratification of the US Constitution, while also educating a number of the next generation of American leaders, including John Adams.
“Bob Loggans is a faithful minister of the Gospel, who understands, as did John Witherspoon, that it is altogether appropriate, indeed necessary, for pastors to be engaged in government and the critical issues of the day. He informs and teaches his people about the issues of the day, encourages knowledgeable voting, supports the work and ministry of WFC, engages with elected officials and much more. We are extremely pleased to be giving this first-ever John Witherspoon Award to Pastor Loggans,” Appling said.
Both presentations will be made on Thursday, September 24, at WFC’s first-ever “Awards Gala” held at Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center in Pewaukee, starting at 6:30 p.m. For more details and to register, call 888-378-7395 or visit www.wifamilycouncil.org.