Whether walking the halls of the Alabama State House, crisscrossing the state for community awareness meetings or developing curriculum to influence students’ lives, Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP) leaders have worked relentlessly over the past 75 years to promote high ethical, moral and biblical standards throughout the state. So diligent are their efforts that both those who support and those who oppose their stances on various issues consider ALCAP “Alabama’s moral compass.”
“In 1978, when I became executive director, I got to wondering if anybody was speaking up for the churches and the Lord’s work in Montgomery,” said Dan Ireland, director emeritus of ALCAP who served 30 years as executive director. “So I went down to the Capitol and did a little investigation. I found that no one was making any kind of inroads as far as the faith community was concerned. So I decided I would do it. That’s when I started working with the Legislature. … Some of the legislators, especially the ones who sided with me and appreciated what I was doing, said, ‘You are the moral spokesman for Alabama.’ So it went from that.”
ALCAP began its work in 1937 as an interdenominational program called the Alabama Temperance Alliance, which was organized to stop the growing legalization of alcohol sales across the state at that time. Over time its name was changed to the Alabama Council on Alcohol Problems, and as more moral and social concerns became prevalent the name was changed to ALCAP.
Through the years the ministry began sponsoring weekly prayer breakfasts during legislative sessions. These events have grown over the past 31 years from five or six attendees to more than 80 attendees from every branch of government, at times including legislators, judges, lieutenant governors and even the governor.
Now, Ireland and current executive director Joe Godfrey send out prayer sheets to elected officials and invite local legislators when they visit churches across the state informing residents of various moral issues facing Alabama. Ireland said he was asked twice to serve as the Legislature’s honorary chaplain and he is often consulted when moral issues are addressed in proposed legislation.
“We are a voice for all of the faith communities in Alabama based on the Word of God,” he said.
Ireland noted that the changing times have affected ALCAP’s ministry, but the ministry to promote the moral issues pointed out in the Word of God is unchanging.
“I think people are more tolerant of their views of certain drug issues than they ever have been,” he said. “The Bible says we are to abstain from any appearance of evil. … I am of the old school that sin is wrong and what was sin then is sin today concerning the things that we are to abstain from. Those things which are destroying lives, wrecking marriages, destroying families and sending people to early graves are moral issues that must be addressed, and the faith community is the only community that is dedicated to the preaching and teaching of the Bible and the preservation of life, marriage, parenthood and childhood. We’ll go by the Word of God in standing for these things.”
Also under the ALCAP umbrella is the American Character Builders program, which provides awareness of alcohol and drug abuse, bullying and other character development studies in hundreds of Alabama schools. This involvement helps to achieve ALCAP’s purpose to protect children “from the dangers associated with immoral behaviors and the temptations they face in life” through “education, legislation and consultation.”
“We began to expand our area of focus beyond just alcohol to include other addictive drugs, behavior and character in general,” Godfrey said. “Evidence is piling up that bullying and substance abuse or use are intrinsically tied to one another. … The culture has dramatically shifted in that alcohol has become more and more acceptable and now we are beginning to see the acceptance of other drugs nationwide. It is beginning to affect our culture by destroying lives and breaking up families. That’s why ALCAP and American Character Builders are more needed than ever before.”
Through the years ALCAP has remained an interdenominational ministry effort with board members currently from Nazarene, Free Will Baptist, Southern Baptist, United Methodist, Wesleyan, Presbyterian, National Baptist and Assembly of God churches.
Funding for the ministry comes from all these denominations and from individuals and churches.
“We receive a small amount of our funding through the Cooperative Program (CP) and we are very grateful for that, but it is not enough to keep the ministry alive,” Godfrey said, noting that CP gifts account for about 15 percent of ALCAP’s income.
The remaining 85 percent comes from donations given by churches and a few individuals, he said.
“We need for Alabama Baptist church leaders to see ALCAP and American Character Builders as ministries and missions opportunities to the Alabama Legislature and to the schools of Alabama. As a result of that understanding, we need for the churches to provide for this important ministry in their annual budgets and/or collect a special offering each year,” he added.
Part of Godfrey’s responsibilities includes fundraising and raising awareness of the ministry, and he shares every chance he gets because he considers it a privilege to be a part of this ministry.
“I felt a definite call to this ministry five and a half years ago and I am more committed to the mission of this ministry than ever before,” he said. “There are other ministries that pick up the pieces of broken lives, but ALCAP and American Character Builders are on the front end trying to head off these destructive behaviors before they take root in people’s lives. I am humbled by the trust that the churches of Alabama have put in me. I feel like I am in the center of God’s will for my life and I am excited about accomplishing His plan and purpose for my life and ministry.”
In the future, Godfrey hopes churches will become more involved with this ministry.
“I want people to see ALCAP and American Character Builders as resources to help them make a difference in their own communities for Christ,” he said. “During the legislative session, we send out email alerts and keep the website updated about the status of important bills. For issues related to students and schools, American Character Builders kits help educate students, parents and teachers about the dangers of addictive behaviors and bullying. They can head it off before it becomes a problem if they will take advantage of the resources we have available.”
For more information on ALCAP, call 205-985-9062 or visit www.alcap.com. To find out more about American Character Builders, call 205-985-9529 or visit www.americancharacterbuilders.org.
Sen. Marc Keahey, D-Grove Hill
I have served 13 years in the House of Representatives, and ALCAP has stood at the forefront fighting for families and for Christian principles unlike any organization that is out there in Alabama. ALCAP has kept the legislators informed about issues that would affect the families and churches in this state. They — especially Dan Ireland and Bro. Joe — have both been in the battle. I’ve seen them late at night when we were in the battle trying to protect the families and protect the Christian principles that Alabama is so strong on. Without them fighting the attacks on families and Christian principles, I shudder to think of where Alabama would be today. … They have also been so supportive of the legislators. They have also been there to console legislators who have lost family members. … I thank God every day for them and for what they mean to the state of Alabama. … I would love to see increased funding across the state to support their efforts and hold up their arms. They need the help financially and spiritually. They need the people to come to their aid.
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