Buckaroo Junction

(From the Iowa Family Political Action Committee)

Des Moines Pastor Stands Up For Children

A Des Moines area grade school art teach was recently placed on leave after she showed a YouTube video depicting, among other things, a painting of two men fondling each other under the heading "Safe Sex."

Pastor Phil Winfield of Grace Church in Des Moines penned a letter to the editor that the Des Moines Register ultimately refused to publish. While the letter did not make it in to the Register, it still serves as a great example of how a pastor ought to engage the culture around him.

Letter to the editor.
Re: recent pornographic video shown at Wright elementary school.

Madam Editor

I am writing this letter to the editor as the pastor of Grace Church, not just as Phil Winfield. More importantly, I am writing this letter to born again believers in Jesus Christ—the Church in Des Moines—not to the Des Moines Public School Board, or to the principal of Wright Elementary, or the teacher guilty of showing pornography to 9-year old children.

Dear Christian,

Nothing gets me fired up more than to see a bunch of Christians all in a lather over the latest infringement on our delicate sensitivities. Whether it is a picture of Jesus in a glass of urine, the State Supreme Court’s decision to allow same-sex marriages, or an elementary school teacher showing porn to our kids, it’s always the same.

Let’s get fired up and write letters to the editor. Let’s go to the next school board meeting and demand they fire this teacher. Let’s hold up signs about God’s judgment coming on America and how America needs to turn or burn. Let’s do all of these things and then let’s go home, cook hot dogs, watch a little television, check whether the Lakers or Suns will win, and live a life of comfort.

Listen to me, Christian – the establishment is counting on it. They know you better than you know yourself! They know from past experience that a little negative news like this will get you all worked up, but in a couple of weeks you will forget all about it. By the middle of July you could care less what the school district is doing…you’ll be on vacation. And by fall, when the school board elections come around, you won’t spend five minutes looking at the school board candidates. There may be a godly man or woman stand up to try to win your vote, but you will be too busy to vote.

So, do you know what will happen? The establishment candidates will win by getting a few hundred votes from the South of Grand neighborhood. And when they take their seats at the first school board meeting, they will gently smile at Nancy Sebring as if to say, “don’t worry, I’ve got your back.” Dr. Sebring will turn and look over at Lindsey Cornwell, the principal at Wright Elementary, and gently smile as if to say, “don’t worry, I’ve got your back.” Ms. Cornwell will take out her phone and write a quick text message to Karen Maresh, the teacher guilty of showing porn to 9-year olds. The text message will simply say, “All is well.”

That’s how it works, Christian. So don’t even waste your time getting upset. Cook your hot dogs, go to your ball games, live life for today and forget about tomorrow.

Or do something about it! Determine right now to become intimately involved in your child’s education. Don’t assume that your school is doing what is best for your child, hold them accountable. Become involved in the PTA. Start monitoring the DMPS Web site and attend board meetings. Educate yourself about how school districts operate and how they are funded. Join organizations like the Iowa Family Policy Center (www.ifpc.org) and become a part of the solution rather than let the establishment always get their way.

Understand this will not be an easy battle. History proves that the establishment is much more patient than the average Christian who gets his feathers in a ruffle once in a while. Christians typically spit and shout for a few minutes and then go back to living their life in blissful ignorance. The establishment knows this and counts on it. Determine to fight the long fight and finish the race. This will not be won with a single school board election or state house seat. This will take years of consistent voting, educating, and organizing to really make a difference.

Do you have it within you? Are you really tired of establishment “experts” telling you porn is art? Are you tired of the establishment educrats looking down their nose at you because they are the experts and they know what is best for your kids?

Do something, or get out of the way.

The ball is in your court, Christian. What are you going to do about it?

Pastor Phil Winfield
Grace Church
Des Moines, IA

This letter was rejected by the register.


This letter was written by a true man of God, the man who was my pastor when we lived in Iowa. I am so proud of him, I can hardly stand it. He is right on absolutely every point.