Radio Hall of Fame and Commitment to Orthodoxy

September 2008

Dear Friends:

Greetings from Focus on the Family headquarters! Dr. and Mrs. Dobson have only recently returned from Nashville, Tenn., and southern California, where Dr. Dobson spent portions of the summer working on the manuscript for his highly anticipated new book, Bringing Up Girls. Since he's still trying to catch up with all the paperwork and broadcasting responsibilities that accumulated while he was away, I've been given the privilege of writing this month's edition of "Family News."

This assignment is particularly exciting because it gives me the opportunity to share some news with you that Dr. Dobson would be hesitant to mention himself. I'm talking about the fact that this past July, Dr. Dobson and the "Focus on the Family" radio broadcast received the prestigious honor of being nominated to the National Radio Hall of Fame!

The Hall of Fame's mission is to "recognize and showcase contemporary talent from today's diverse programming formats, as well as the pioneers who shaped the medium during its infancy." In being inducted, Dr. Dobson and Focus will join such legendary personalities as Jack Benny, Dick Clark, Rush Limbaugh, Paul Harvey, Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Kate Smith, Walter Winchell and Wolfman Jack, as well as radio programs including the "Grand Ole Opry," "The Shadow," "Your Hit Parade" and "Burns and Allen."

This year marks the first time that inductees were selected through a national online voting process. Many of you who were aware of the nomination cast votes for Dr. Dobson and Focus earlier this year — thank you! As a result of your support, the Focus radio program emerged as the winner over the other nominees in its category, which included our friend Dr. Laura Schlessinger, sportscaster Bob Costas and, yes, even notorious "shock jock" Howard Stern. Ours is the first religious broadcast to receive such an honor in the history of the National Radio Hall of Fame.

It's important to note that this selection not only honors the "Focus on the Family" broadcast but Dr. Dobson. As he said during a staff assembly earlier this year, "Our radio program has not been a solo effort. It has been a symphony performed by more than 10,000 people over the past 32 years. I am indebted to them all."

Dr. Dobson and our broadcasting team will be officially recognized for their significant achievement at a black-tie induction ceremony in Chicago on Nov. 8.

When news of the induction first broke, many of our friends in the pro-family movement responded enthusiastically. In fact, Senators Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate congratulating the "Focus on the Family" radio program for the honor. Here's how a portion of the official proclamation awaiting approval of the 110th Congress reads:

RESOLUTION

Congratulating the Focus on the Family radio program, for its induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Whereas James C. Dobson, Ph.D., is founder and chairman of Focus on the Family;

Whereas the Focus on the Family radio program first aired in 1977 and now is heard through more than 3,000 radio outlets in North America and in 27 languages in over 160 other countries;

Whereas the Focus on the Family radio program has benefited the lives of families and individuals across the United States and around the world;

Whereas the Focus on the Family radio program has been named as a 2008 inductee to the National Radio Hall of Fame; and

Whereas the Focus on the Family radio program is the first faith-based radio program to receive this honor: Now, therefore be it:

RESOLVED, That the Senate congratulates the Focus on the Family radio program, its staff, and its founder and chairman, James Dobson, for their excellence in radio programming and the program’s worthy induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

When Dr. Dobson first began traveling to Washington, D.C., to promote issues of relevance to the American family, he never could have imagined the day would come when elected representatives of the U.S. Senate would be considering a proclamation affirming and saluting this ministry. Unfortunately, the status of the honor now hangs in the balance. That's because an unnamed Democratic senator has placed a "hold" on the resolution, preventing it from getting a vote. So much for bipartisanship!

Yet, when all's said and done, Dr. Dobson's induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame is more a reflection of the longevity and quality of the "Focus on the Family" radio broadcast than it is a commentary on his faith-affirming, pro-family message. (The very fact that Dr. Dobson and Howard Stern could be nominated in the same category proves that a radio personality's "message" was not an issue of paramount importance to those who made the nominations!)

Nevertheless, Dr. Dobson and everyone here at the ministry remain as committed as ever to ensuring that regardless of what recognition and accolades we may receive, the ministry’s guiding principles will remain consistent for as long as the Lord allows our outreach to continue.

Dr. and Mrs. Dobson have both prayed fervently that when they are gone from the scene and Focus on the Family continues without them, the ministry will stay true to those principles. They know it's not about preserving their good names or reputations, because Focus on the Family isn't their ministry. Their concern is that Focus faithfully represents Christ and glorifies His name, because the ministry belongs to Him.

I'm pleased to report that an entire team, overseen by yours truly, has been put together here to ensure that every magazine, radio broadcast, and Web site carrying the Focus on the Family name remains true to this vision.

I've had the privilege of serving at Focus for 25 years, much of that time laboring side-by-side with Dr. Dobson in various roles, from the Director of our Correspondence department to Senior Vice President. I've been impressed with many things about him, but nothing more so than his desire that Focus on the Family honor the Lord in everything it does. Many, many nights I saw him take home boxes of paper to be read, examining every nook and cranny of this ministry. His purpose was to keep it true to its mission and calling. He also wanted to assure that we were still meeting the needs of those who turned to us for help.

During one of our senior staff meetings, I remember Dr. Dobson referring to Pioneer 10, the first small spacecraft sent to the planet Jupiter. He described the tiny jets located on the sides that fired when necessary to keep the craft on its planned trajectory. Any small deviation in the early stages of the journey would have caused it to miss its target by a million miles. Then he drew the analogy to Focus on the Family:

"A ministry such as ours is like that little package of scientific instruments. Any deviation in our ethics, in our core values or in our commitment to people will eventually cause us to miss our target by a million miles. If that should happen, it would have been better that this noble endeavor had never been launched. It is our job to fire the corrective jets that will keep the ministry on course."

Dr. Dobson was referring indirectly to the old American universities that began in the 1700s as institutions wholly dedicated to the cause of Christ but which have veered so far as to be unrecognizable today. "The jets failed to fire," he said. "Let's keep ours operational."

Ever since Dr. Dobson stepped away from his role as President of Focus on the Family (he is still Chairman of the Board of Directors), it's been my primary responsibility as Senior Vice President for Ministry Values to help ensure that the jets fire properly. It's what we call our "commitment to orthodoxy." The reality is, however, that everyone on the staff, the entire Focus team, shares in this responsibility to keep the craft on course.

We begin by introducing the concept of orthodoxy to our new employees during their first-day orientation session. We also conduct two-day "philosophy orientation" classes for all employees in which we revisit our core values, guiding principles and key elements of our history. We require each staff member to attend these "refresher courses" every three years.

The centerpiece of our efforts, however, is what we refer to as our "DOCtrine" meetings (a play on Dr. Dobson's name). Twice a month about 30 staffers — representing our various media outlets and creative departments — gather to discuss emerging developments, hash out new policies, warn of potential landmines, as well as review aspects of our rich heritage as a ministry. Our goal is to minimize errors or deviations on the front end while freeing up the incredible talent and creativity God has brought to Focus to provide relevant, biblically based, family-strengthening advice as we plunge forward in the 21st century. We’re determined to keep our "Pioneer 10" on its planned trajectory.

We've been so blessed by the incredible level of trust that friends like you place in this ministry; we don’t want to do anything to let you down. We take this trust very seriously. It's why every one of Dr. Dobson's monthly newsletters goes through an intensive "fact check" process, to make sure that the information they contain is take-it-to-the-bank reliable. It's why we go to even greater lengths in our normally rigorous editing process with our teen magazines to make sure nothing creeps in that would even inadvertently undermine parental authority. And it's why almost every one of the thousands of resources offered by Focus undergoes a cover-to-cover evaluation by trained staff to ensure compatibility first with a biblical worldview, and then secondly with who we are as a ministry, in tone, style and substance.

No matter where you encounter Focus on the Family — via one of our radio programs, magazines, on the Internet, in our bookstore or at one of our conferences — we want you to receive the reliable, consistent, scripturally sound advice you’ve become accustomed to. May it always be true as long as divine ordination rests upon us.

I'm happy to tell you that Focus' President, Jim Daly, shares this same commitment in the midst of numerous opportunities knocking at our door. He's been very careful not to compromise Focus' mission and identity. It's Jim's vision that we be able to expand our reach to millions of additional families in the United States and to millions more abroad. However, he's made it abundantly clear to the staff that we’ll never reach that goal — at least in any meaningful way — if we abandon the heart of who we are and what God has called us to do.

Please pray for us in this regard. We walk this path with fear and trembling. We certainly don't claim to be perfect, and we know our Adversary would love nothing more than to see us make a mistake that would harm our outreach and, ultimately, damage the cause of Christ. Pray that God would grant us wisdom, discernment and protection, especially as we are given the opportunity to represent Him in secular settings such as the upcoming National Radio Hall of Fame ceremony.

And please let us know how you think we're doing! We depend on the feedback of friends like you to help keep us accountable, and to help us make improvements where they are needed.

Please come see us and take a tour when you can. We're averaging more than 200,000 visitors per year, and people enjoy seeing the campus. We hope you'll bring your kids and grandkids, too. They'll love Whit's End®!

Again, thanks on behalf of Dr. Dobson, Jim Daly and the entire Focus staff for your ongoing support for this ministry. It's especially needed following a long summer during this sluggish economy. Like so many other ministries, we’re struggling to stay on course financially. Your partnership is a divine blessing to us, and we don't take it for granted.

Sincerely,

Diane Passno
Senior Vice President for Ministry Values

A closing note from Dr. James Dobson:

I asked Diane for permission to add a final note to this generous letter. On behalf of Jim Daly, our board and the entire Focus on the Family team, I want to say how much we appreciate the wonderful contribution Diane Passno has made during these past 25 years. She came to us in 1983 when the ministry was in its infancy, then rolled up her sleeves and went to work. She has been a "go-to" person for me and now Jim Daly ever since. We honor her on this anniversary. She and her husband, Paul, moved to Colorado Springs from Glendale, California, when the ministry relocated, at a great personal sacrifice. Paul was a professor of mathematics at Los Angeles Valley College, and he commuted to Colorado Springs almost every week until he retired two years later. Now, that is commitment. Thank you, Diane! We couldn't have kept our Pioneer 10 on its appointed trajectory without you!

If you'd like to congratulate Dr. Dobson and our broadcasting team on the Radio Hall of Fame induction, please visit our Focus on the Family Radio Forum.