The ongoing culture war can often cause believers to despair and lose sight of the actual victories won amid all the difficult and disappointing battles. That is why The Stand is closing out the year by focusing on the goodness of God during 2024. Here are some highlights of how AFA has seen God at work as related to five of the ministry’s core values:
Evangelism and discipleship
Morality
Stewardship
Sanctity of human life
Religious liberty
JANUARY
More than 100,000 students ushered in 2024 by worshiping Jesus at conferences such as Passion (Georgia), Cross Con (Kentucky), and Hearts on Fire (Tennessee). cbn.com
MARCH
UniteBama at the University of Alabama saw hundreds of students profess their faith in Christ; many were later baptized in a fountain. 1819news.com
MAY
Grace Bible Church in Wild Peach, Texas, packed its 100,000th Operation Christmas Child shoebox since beginning its packing ministry in 2014 with 500 boxes and a congregation of about 30. For 2024, the church’s 55 members had a goal of 15,000 boxes. (See The Stand, 11/24.)
Safe Harbor Ohio opened as a residential facility for young women (ages 14-18) rescued from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. (See The Stand, 9/24.)
Joining a growing number of public colleges and universities disassociating from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, the University of North Carolina’s Board of Trustees voted to divert its DEI funding to cover “public safety measures.” usatoday.com
JUNE
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a law requiring every public classroom in the state to post the Ten Commandments. Note: As of press time, this was being challenged legally. apnews.com
Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public instruction, directed all Oklahoma public schools to include Bible instruction in every classroom. afn.net
JULY
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, acknowledging “considerable uncertainty … for the use of chest and genital surgical interventions,” broke from the groupthink of American doctor organizations that advocate such treatment for adolescent gender dysphoria. city-journal.org
The Mississippi House of Representatives honored the life and legacy of AFA Founder Don Wildmon with a resolution highlighting his extensive accomplishments and acknowledging the Wildmon family.
AUGUST
The Disney+ Series Stars Wars: The Acolyte, which featured lesbian space witches, was canceled after its first and only season. onemillionmoms.com hollywoodreporter.com
The U.S. Supreme Court denied the Biden administration’s request to force resistant states to implement expansions to Title IX rules. Ten states had filed suit in lower courts to uphold their own laws against allowing biological men into women’s protected spaces, such as locker rooms, bathrooms, and dorm rooms. foxnews.com
SEPTEMBER
Thirteen Nicaraguan pastors and attorneys affiliated with a Texas-based ministry, Mountain Gateway, were released from prison after being detained in December 2023. They had been charged with money laundering following an “evangelistic event.” christiannews.net
David Lin, a Chinese American pastor, was returned to the U.S. after serving 17 years in a Chinese prison for “contract fraud” – his charge for helping construct a building for an underground church. apnews.com
AFA announces the November release of the documentary Culture Warrior, produced by American Family Studios.
OCTOBER
The Colorado Supreme Court dismissed a case against Jack Phillips, ending a 12-year battle of lawsuits against the Christian baker who refused to bake custom cakes for LGBTQ celebrations. foxnews.com; wng.org
Over 1,000 people attended the fifth annual, spiritually-focused Pray Vote Stand Summit held in Washington, D.C. The Summit’s plenary sessions received over 600,000 views online, and there were 621 registrations for the webcast.
(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the December 2024 print edition of The Stand. Click HERE for a free six-month subscription.)
