For Immediate Release - September 21, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT: Gregg Wooding 972-567-7660, gwooding@iampronline.com

Wake UP! 2023 Conference among first to kick-off 2024 presidential election season, featuring Hon. Michele Bachmann, Hon. Michael Cloud, Bunni Pounds, Kelly Shackelford, Billy Hallowell and more in Dallas, Nov. 3-4

RICHARDSON, Texas – Politics and religion will come together in Dallas this fall at a one-of-a-kind gathering of government and religious leaders, just as the 2024 U.S. presidential election season heats up. Hundreds of people are expected to participate in the two-day event.

Evoking spirited imagery from World War II that birthed what is considered America’s Greatest Generation, the Dallas-area event – bringing together well-known Christian political and faith leaders across denominational lines – will promote prayer, voting, and civic engagement as “the critical mission to awaken the Sleeping Giant,” organizers say.

“Political activity alone will not save America – only the Gospel will,” said organizer Bunni Pounds, whose Christians Engaged organization will host the non-partisan Christian Third Annual Wake UP! Conference at Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas, Nov. 3-4.

“Jesus Christ -- and his Church -- is the only hope for America," said Pounds, a former political consultant for 16 years. “Our goal is to activate, inspire and educate those who walk with Jesus and want to impact the nation outside their churches’ four walls.”

Pounds graduated with a political science degree from Dallas Baptist University before founding her own political consulting company, then in 2018 running for Congress. 

The annual conference, supported in the past by well-known leaders Texas Governor Rick Perry, Allie Beth Stuckey, Dr. Robert Jeffress, Eric Metaxas and evangelical minister James Robison, was launched in 2021 to muster more civic engagement in the faith community.

Calling the Church to ‘Wake Up’

Citing a Barna Study showing that one-third of voters listed religious belief as the top influence in their voting decision, and the Apostle Paul’s challenge in the Bible that “now it is high time to awake out of sleep,” Pounds has a goal to mobilize a million Christians to “pray, vote, and engage" before next year’s presidential election. 

“The Wake UP! Conference – and its program of prayer, education and worship sessions – walks  the fine line between inspiring Christians to get involved in their cities, states, and nation and discipling them to guard their hearts and live authentically in the process,” said Pounds.

She’s authored an upcoming book, Jesus and Politics: One Woman’s Walk with God in a Mudslinging Profession, and a special advanced copy will be available onsite for pre-sale to conference attendees. Describing herself as a missionary to America, Pounds chronicles her 16-year stint in government, politics and campaigns, “living the Christian life extravagantly, even in a hostile environment.”

Hon. Michelle Bachmann, former U.S. presidential candidate and dean of Regent University’s Robertson School of Government, will be a key speaker at Wake UP!

“Christians Engaged is filling a huge hole in the body of Christ,” Bachmann said. “[Pounds’] story should inspire us all to walk daily with Jesus and disciple the nation, one elected official or neighbor at a time.”

Other event speakers include Kelly Shackelford, founder and president of First Liberty Institute; U.S. Congressman Michael Cloud; Billy Hallowell of the Washington Times; Texas Senator Bryan Hughes; Rep. Stephanie Borowicz of Pennsylvania; and Kyle Lance Martin, founder of the evangelistic ministry Time to Revive. 

For more information, visit www.thececonference.org.

MEDIA: Arrange Your Interview with Bunni Pounds, Founder of Christians Engaged

Media Contact: Gregg Wooding, I AM PR, (972) 567-7660, Gregg@iampronline.com

About Christians Engaged

Christians Engaged, a 501(C)(3), was founded by Bunni Pounds, a Bible teacher and political consultant who ran for Congress in 2018. Its mission is to motivate Christians to pray for the nation, vote in every election, and engage in civic education. Since 2020, Christians Engaged has served over 125 churches, activated more than 76,000 people to vote in midterm elections (through its non-partisan communication system), and has educated more than 1,500 people through in-person, Zoom, and on-demand video classes. It has produced myriad free content, including articles, prayer calls and podcasts, to educate the Body of Christ on the importance of their biblical call to America. For information, visit www.Christiansengaged.org.