I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. After going through a four year graduate degree in Biblical Studies, I am completely convinced of the truth of Scripture. I approach every aspect of life from a biblical worldview. How will this play out if I were to be elected to the Commissioner’s office, you might ask?
I think that is a fair question…

• First, I am thankful to live in a nation that supports religious liberty. I value my own freedom in deciding what I do or do not believe. The flip side of this liberty is that I respect the freedom of others to make their own decisions about what they do or do not believe. The result is that I will share my faith freely with anyone who asks. Scripture says “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1Pe 3:15 NIV) You can rest assured, however, that I will never, in public or private life, try to impose my beliefs upon anyone else.
• Second, Jesus himself said the two greatest commandments were to love God with all our hearts and to love others as ourselves. Furthermore, he said to treat others the way we want to be treated. These are the fundamental guiding principles of my life. They guide my private life, the way I conduct myself in business, and if elected, the way I would conduct myself as your Commissioner. In practical terms, this means that my decisions would be made considering the needs and perspectives of all the citizens of Gilmer County, regardless of their station in life or whether they happen to support me as a candidate.
• Third, I recognize that as a fallible human being, I do not have all the answers, but I know who does. With this in mind, I follow the example of Solomon when he was made king of Israel. His prayer is recorded in 1 Kings 3:9 “Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” (1Ki 3:9 NIV) This is my prayer for myself first as a candidate, and hopefully as your Commissioner. I would encourage you to join me in this prayer for your leaders if you are a person of faith.

Thank you for considering me as a candidate for Commissioner of this great county. I am very optimistic about our future. In fact, with the right leadership, I believe our brightest days are yet to come!