Being Formed to Lead: How Christian Virtue Shapes Societies
In every generation, Christians have changed the world—not by retreating from culture, but by engaging it with conviction, creativity, and sacrifice. J.P. De Gance argues that defeatism has crept into the modern Church, eroding our confidence in the gospel’s power to transform society. But history tells a different story—one in which believers led movements that healed families, reformed nations, and elevated the human condition.
A Legacy of Holy Disruption
The abolition of slavery. The explosion of literacy. The temperance movement. These were not secular campaigns later co-opted by the Church—they were born from the Church’s deep commitment to righteousness and human dignity.
“It’s through this creative work that we participate in God’s creation and make the Kingdom of God more present.” — J.P. De Gance
In the U.S., Christians launched the Sunday School movement, making the country the most literate on earth by the mid-1800s. They also championed abolition, dismantling the transatlantic slave trade at great personal cost.
But De Gance gives special attention to one often-forgotten success story: the Christian-led temperance movement.
When Vice Was the Norm
In the early 1800s, America was drowning in alcohol. Children drank in the streets. Advertisers targeted toddlers. The average adult consumed a bottle and a half of liquor each week. Alcoholism fueled crime, broken homes, and social despair.
“If slavery was America’s original sin, alcoholism was its original vice.” — J.P. De Gance
Even mainstream institutions promoted addiction. A distillers' lobby urged Congress to supply soldiers with liquor to “steady their nerves.” The culture was not neutral—it was militantly opposed to Christian virtue.
How Christians Changed the Script
Rather than simply protest, believers built something better.
The Anti-Saloon League and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union led the charge. They organized concerts, parades, and social clubs. They offered community—not condemnation. At its height, New York alone had 700 temperance societies. Singing groups, mass-produced literature, and revivals followed.
And it worked.
By the early 1900s, alcohol consumption dropped by 65%. Domestic violence decreased. Families stabilized. Even jails began to empty.
“This success came because Christians championed a fruit of the Spirit: self-control.” — J.P. De Gance
Trusting Him, Shaping Me, Restoring Us
Trusting Him:
God’s Spirit empowers us with more than personal salvation—it equips us for cultural renewal. History affirms that the gospel changes lives and societies when believers act boldly and faithfully.
Shaping Me:
Spiritual formation includes growing in self-control, a fruit often overlooked. When practiced communally, it becomes a countercultural witness that shapes habits, families, and public norms.
Restoring Us:
Christian-led movements offer more than resistance—they offer restoration. Creating alternative communities, celebrating virtue, and enduring hardship for the good of others rebuilds what sin destroys.
How to Respond
- Learn from past Christian reform movements and their strategies
- Teach on cultural engagement, not just personal piety
- Practice and promote the virtue of self-control
- Resist defeatist narratives about culture and faith
- Encourage creative alternatives to today’s dominant norms
The Kingdom Doesn't Retreat
The greatest threat to the gospel is not hostility—it’s hopelessness. But the Church has never been called to surrender. With courage and creativity, Christians can once again lead movements that bless families, renew communities, and reveal the presence of God's Kingdom.
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