FIELD GUIDE
The Pledge Approach to Faith & Politics
Dr. Joel C. Hunter spent years at the crossroads of faith and politics—leading a megachurch, advising a president, sitting across the table from people who saw the world very differently than he did. This field guide is what he learned there.
It’s not a lecture, and it’s not a list of who to vote for. It’s real stories and honest reflection for anyone tired of choosing between their beliefs and the people they love.
Meet Dr. Hunter
Dr. Joel C. Hunter is Pastor of Community Benefit at Action Church and Chairman of the Central Florida Pledge, a campaign calling residents to treat one another with dignity and respect, especially across disagreements.
After serving 32 years as senior pastor of Northland Church’s 20,000 congregants, he spent five years connecting churches and charities to serve Central Florida’s most vulnerable—work that earned him recognition as Orlando Magazine’s #1 most powerful voice for philanthropy and a six-time honoree on “Orlando’s 50 Most Powerful.”
A nationally recognized advocate for the poor and marginalized, he served as Chairman of Central Florida’s Commission on Homelessness, helped support President George W. Bush’s establishment of the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, and served as a spiritual advisor to President Barack Obama, while in leadership roles of global faith networks representing hundreds of millions of believers.
Neither partisan nor political, Dr. Hunter approaches today’s challenges with a pastoral heart shaped by decades of bridging faith and public life.
The Pledge is about people, not politics.
Every Conversation, Every Post, Every Comment is a Choice
We rarely notice it in the moment, but every word we choose—in conversation, in a post, in a comment—either builds a bridge or a wall. Before we speak, post, or reply, there’s a split second where we decide who we want to be: words that invite, or words built to score a point. Every exchange is a chance to choose which one.