Why Did James Dobson Resigns From Focus on the Family

A prominent friend and supporter of James Dobson believes Dobson was pushed bated by the new leadership of Focus on the Family, who want the powerhouse evangelical ministry to project a softer image on bug ranging from ballgame to gay marriage to relations with President Obama.

Dobson founded Focus on the Family unit in 1977 and spent the next 25 years building it into the influential Christian conservative grouping it is today.

In February 2009, Dobson stepped downwardly as chairman of the Colorado Springs-based group's lath of directors, subsequently relinquishing his longtime function as president in 2003. But he kept his role of host of the popular Focus radio show, which is reportedly heard by i.five million Americans each twenty-four hour period.

Then, this past November, Dobson said on the testify that the Focus lath had asked him to give up the radio plan in a few months time. Late concluding month, he delivered his final Focus broadcast.

In little-noticed comments from the Nov prove, Dobson seemed troubled by the lath's decision to enquire him to give upwardly the program.

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"[T]the lath of directors voted privately on Midweek — before we got there — to enquire for my resignation, although their request was made with kindness and respect. Nosotros can only approximate the reason for their decision considering frankly I don't fully know," Dobson said. "Only it apparently has to do with the desire for closure on my tenure and the get-go of some other."

Pastor Ken Hutcherson, who leads the Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland, Washington, and describes himself as a longtime friend of Dobson, says he became suspicious when Dobson, 73, announced he would launch his own independent radio show this leap. While the new evidence is non associated with Focus on the Family, it volition be called Family unit Talk with Dr. James Dobson, and center on the same issues Dobson brought to his Focus broadcast.

And Focus — which has been through several rounds of painful layoffs — agreed to donate $1 million to Dobson to start the new show.

"Dr. Dobson gets off the radio in February, and he's starting a new program in May. It merely didn't make sense. Why get off if you don't want to get off?" Hutcherson asked in a telephone interview with TPMmuckraker.

Hutcherson, a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker, is a forcefulness in his ain right. He is best known for his anti-gay activism and the New York Times has described him equally "a rise national star in the globe of blackness evangelical ministers."

Hutcherson says he's talked to both Dobson and Focus president Jim Daly. While he won't say what Dobson views on the thing are — and Dobson's office did not respond to a request for comment — Hutcherson penned a WorldNetDaily column this week writing that, "One affair is for sure, in his humility, Dr. Dobson merely wants to continue to speak the truth on the radio. Apparently, that truth has limited entreatment to the new leadership at Focus."

Asked nigh Hutcherson'due south criticisms, Focus spokeswoman Joanna Brown released this statement:

"Nosotros admire Rev. Hutcherson and the good work he has washed for the cause of Christ and in support of families. He is, of course, entitled to his own opinion almost the work nosotros practise, whether nosotros agree with that opinion or non."

In a Feb. six Wall Street Journal story on the changes at Focus (for which Dobson too declined to comment), Daly said that "he has no use for the sharp personal attacks on politicians employed by Mr. Dobson. 'I don't see evil backside everything.'"

Jim Daly

The story continued:

Mr. Daly said he preferred to build bridges with others. While Mr. Dobson blasted President Barack Obama for "fruitcake" ideas, Mr. Daly praised the president for his devotion to family and final summer attended a White Firm event celebrating fatherhood.

Hutcherson said nigh Daly'south attendance at the Obama event: "The man believes in partial birth ballgame. That's something that never would accept happened if Dr. Dobson were at that place."

To Hutcherson, another example of Focus' new arroyo is its Super Bowl advert featuring Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow. The advertizement was expected to feature a directly anti-abortion message, simply concluded upwards merely telling viewers to "celebrate life."

"I hateful, what did it say?" asks Hutcherson. "You gonna spend $2.v million to say what?"

Whatever the reason for Dobson losing his radio show, information technology's clear that a rebranding — free of Dobson — is underway at Focus.

He is nowhere to be seen on the glossy forepart page of the group's Spider web site. Instead, a big graphic invites visitors to spotter a 4-minute video on "The Focus Story" with President Jim Daly.

Dobson, for his part, said in a statement when resigning from the board last year that, "I of the common errors of founder-presidents is to hold the reins of leadership too long, thereby preventing the next generation from being prepared for executive authority."

(This mail has been edited from its original version.)

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Source: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/did-focus-on-the-family-board-force-dobson-out