Photo: Peter Wooding

Governor Huckabee highlights ‘mission calling’ at Fox News

Following his quest for the Republican nomination for president in 2008, Governor Mike Huckabee shared at an NRB press conference, at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville on Sunday, February 28, 2010, how he’d now found his mission calling at Fox News channel, where he hosts his own weekend show “HUCKABEE,” reports Peter Wooding, special to ASSIST News Service.

“I don’t consider myself a religious broadcaster in the sense that my programming is religious, but I consider myself unapologetically a Christian believer and I take my Christian faith to work with me everyday. I don’t leave it at the door,” explained Huckabee who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas.

When asked by a Romanian journalist in a room primarily full of Christian press, why he’d chosen to work in secular media he replied: “They offered me a job and none of you guys did. Now it’s interesting because it gets me in trouble on both sides. I have people on my show who I encourage to share their Christian testimony.

“But then people ask me why I don’t do more Gospel orientated content on my show. Fox isn’t a Christian channel, it’s a news channel. They want me to be careful not to look sectarian but if anybody watches the show regularly they’re certainly going to see spiritual content whether it’s a Christian music artist or people giving very powerful testimonies of their own faith and walk with God. I’m careful to ensure we do that in the balance.”

Governor Huckabee who also presents a three times daily commentary on the Citadel Media Network, highlighted the importance of the work of those at NRB involved in Christian media: “There’s a greater need for quality Christian broadcaster than ever before. With the break down of marriages and soldiers coming back from war with post tramatic stress syndrome, there are just so many people hurting that need the Lord.”

He added: “There are many specific values of Christian broadcasting. One is to be edifying, teaching, building up believers, helping the body to be nourished spiritually. Secondly it informs them. There are issues that can be discussed in detail in Christian media that are never going to be covered in the same way on the secular news channels.. The third value is evangelism. There are many who’ve come to know the Lord because of a Christian radio or TV broadcast and that’s where they met Jesus. So let’s not forget that not only is there the ministry to the believer but there’s a ministry there to the unbeliever.”

Huckabee held his own throughout the conference with no mediator, apart from his security team with their ear pieces standing by and after several questions I was finally able to ask him his thoughts on the imminent British elections. But just after I asked my question a cell phone rang and he jokingly said it was probably Obama calling for him. He went on to say: “I saw something today that there seems to be a resurgence that Gordon Brown may be on the comeback trail. I would be somewhat surprised. I think Americans hope that whoever is in charge of the UK will maintain an incredibly strong and deep bond with the United States, who feel a kindred spirit with Britain. After 9/11 I don’t know that in my lifetime I’ve ever seen a more close relationship with the American people and the Brits largely because of the outspoken support of Tony Blair, who has paid a heavy price for that. But I have deeply appreciated his courage, his convictions and his unfaltering position no matter what’s thrown at him.

“I had a chance to meet with him and interview him in Jerusalem just a few weeks ago and I was impressed by first of all his steadfast attitude towards speaking out against radical Islam and understanding the nature of that being an enemy of the United States. The second thing his own faith and the importance that now plays and he now has the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which I was very interested in hearing about. He’s a very committed Christians and feels very strongly about the role his own personal faith plays in his worldview and that was refreshing to hear him speak of that."

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TAGS: USA Governor Mike Huckabee Fox News mission calling NRB Christian media

[03/04/2010]

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