Ministry, Politics and Policy

The Gianforte Foundation gave two grants to the Ministry to State. The first donation was $1500 in 2019 followed by $2000 in 2020, according to the most recent public records filed with the IRS. In 2019, Greg Gianforte was running for Governor of Montana, was elected in 2020, and began serving as governor in 2021. Just Facts MT was unable to obtain public records to determine if the Foundation continues to grant money to the Ministry to State while Greg Gianforte is serving as Governor.

Who is the Ministry to State and what do they do? According to their website, they have three areas of focus: State Capitals, Washington, D.C., and International. Source: About | Ministry to State

Blog Note: Emphasis added by the author.

WHO WE ARE

Scripture reminds us of many accounts in which God’s people, equipped with the gospel, engaged with those in positions of power. The impact of unleashing the gospel in a government center has enormous potential for the promotion of healthy communities and nations. Ministry to State is advancing the Church’s reach into those government communities.

Ministry to State cares foremost about people, not policy. We believe God’s Word is full of wisdom for anyone seeking to integrate their faith with public service. We aim to create a community of study, prayer, and formation in order to encourage those whom God has called into public service.

Ministry to State has been around for at least a decade and started a blog in 2013, inviting the reader to check back and see what the “Lord is doing…” Blog topics recognized the importance of mentoring the next generation of political leaders. They continue to support an Intern Program. In 2015, a blog about Vocation said: “Corporately, Christians share a common vocation that unites their individual stories into the larger story of what God is doing in the world.” A 2018 clip from Ministry to State website articulates a goal to serve all 50 states. *“It is our hope that Ministry to State in your Capitol can be a refuge for each person who works in a state capitol to navigate the complex world of politics.”*

The State Capitol Ministry currently operates in six state capitals across the United States with a dedicated minister for each state. Their website brings together Christianity and politics to highlight the importance of electing state-level public officials:

State government is a hallmark feature of American politics. Though part of one nation, each state is unique and faces its own set of circumstances and issues. Through its ministry, MTS-State Capitols engages public servants in these different spheres with the universal truth of the gospel, recognizing the plurality of beliefs and doubts in our culture, and considering them in light of the story of historic Christianity. Learn more...

Source: State Capitol Ministry Blog Note: Emphasis added by the author.

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What is happening in Montana? “ “MTS-Montana is a ministry of the Presbyterian Church of America and exists as a means to minister to those serving in the Montana state government through prayer, discipleship, and evangelism.” Rev. Steve Bostrom is the State Capitol Minister in Helena, Mt., and has been ministering since 2014 to elected officials through Ministry to State.

Governor Gianforte is connected to the Ministry to State, through the Gianforte Foundation. Montana’s Ministry to State Rev. Steve Bostrom is also associated with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen and members of the Montana Legislature.

In January 2023, Rev. Bostrom provided the Invocation for Superintendent Arntzen’s Rally for Parental Rights sponsored by the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Two years earlier, when Superintendent Elsie Arntzen took her oath of office, Rev. Bostrom was quoted in a newsclip:
Pastor Steve Bostrom of Helena prayed for the superintendent, children and families. “We remember Peter when he wrote, ‘You were continually straying like sheep, but now you’ve returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls,’” Bostrom said. “This word guardian is also translated, ‘superintendent.’” … He prayed that children be granted “agile and inquisitive minds as they come to learn and care for all creation,” and that teachers be granted “the shepherd’s deep love for all truth.”

Rev. Bostrom’s bio on the Ministry to State website speaks to his relationship with Montana legislators:

“When the Montana Legislature is in session, Steve helps lead a weekly 6:30 AM Bible study for legislators and staff. And, he’s at the Capitol to provide prayer support at committee meetings as well as in the gallery at the stated meetings of the Senate and the House of Representatives. During the session, he and his wife have legislators and their family members, if they are in town, over for a meal and prayer.”

It caught our attention that the 2019 Gianforte Foundation donation was recorded to the Ministry to State located in Charlotte, N.C., and in 2020 to the same entity located in Helena MT. A bit of digging in the Ministry to State website reveals options for giving. The main Support tab says: “*Ministry to State is an officially designated ministry of Mission to North America and affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of America.”* Likewise, the Support button for Montana’s Ministry to State Minister Rev. Steve Bostrom loops to Mission North America of the Presbyterian Church to make a tax-deductible donation. The website also accepts donations from outside the United States.

Below is a snapshot of the Ministry to State mission, raising questions about the separation of church and state and influences on public policy, although MTS states: “Ministry to State cares foremost about people, not policy.”