Former Congressman Todd Akin is one of the finest men that I know! He maintained his honesty and integrity through 12 years in the Missouri House of Representatives and 12 more years in the United States Congress. Out of 13 personal elections throughout his political career, he won 12 of them, well representing an area just west of St. Louis, MO. My admiration of him is “sky high,” but for far more reasons than just winning elections.
In this radio recording with Todd – and with all the other radio we recorded with him and broadcast through the years – he reveals a new challenge in his life, this one in personal health. One can hear him describe his long “bout” with the “C” word. You can hear him talk about it for yourself.
In the focus of this radio, Congressman Akin shares enlightening insights regarding the “Mayflower Compact,” which for the next four centuries has been so very impacting on our United States form of government. It is difficult to overestimate the positive impact of these Separatists, also called “Pilgrims.” Their influence is incorporated in our Declaration of Independence and our United States Constitution.
In establishing our United States Republic, what were the origins of our concepts of democracy?
As a major source, one needs to look at the landing of the ship, the “Mayflower” … and at the “Mayflower Compact” of 1620, written just before the landing of the Mayflower at Cape Cod. Todd notes that the year 2020 is the 400th anniversary of them both.
When those on the good ship Mayflower came to the “New World,” they were seeking religious liberty and a new life free from religious persecution. Their biblical faith was very important to them. When they were about to disembark the ship upon arrival – having learned that they had been blown off course and that no king prevailed over that area of “New England” – they wrote what has come to be known as the “Mayflower Compact.”
See it below.
Reflecting their faith in the Living God, in less than 200 words, they express reverence and honor four times the name of “GOD:”
- “In the name of God …”
- “… by the grace of God …”
- “… for the glory of God …”
- “… in the Presence of God …”
Additionally – especially important – was this statement included in the Mayflower Compact:
- “… Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith…”
Their expressed purpose is so significant! These followers of Jesus Christ … half of whom died in the winter of 1620 … so directly impacted the concepts of democracy that are included in the governing principles of our Republic, the United States of America!
As Todd points out, the concept of the “divine right of Kings” had been the prevailing mindset of government for most of the existing political kingdoms of the world “for a thousand years.” In his realm where the king was sovereign, he usually was legislative, judicial, and executive ruler … all in one person, the king.
But in the middle of this written Mayflower Compact, they, in effect, said “We as a people – instead of a king — are going to rule ourselves. We, the people, will govern as a group and will be the government of our Plymouth Colony!”
Just over 200 years later, President Abraham Lincoln expressed it well and concisely in his conclusion of his Gettysburg Address a few years after the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg: “— that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Thus the Mayflower Compact included the concept of these strategic words: “ … in the Presence of God and one another, [we] covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony …”
This democratic concept found in the Mayflower Compact is embraced in our Declaration of Independence [1776] and our United States Constitution [1783].
Again, noting their sacrifice, half of the just over 100 that came over on the Mayflower died that first winter. And they clearly did not die in vain.
Helpful articles and videos are available by clicking on www.history.com/topics/mayflower, the source of some of this information.
“The Mayflower Compact, signed by 41 English colonists on the ship Mayflower on November 11, 1620, was the first written framework of government established in what is now the United States … “
The Full text of the Mayflower Compact of 1620 …
“IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet [acceptable] and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. IN WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini; 1620.”
I am so appreciative of my longtime friend Todd Akin who brought me into a much fuller concept or the great impact of the Mayflower Compact. He was victorious in in 12 of the 13 elections in which he was a candidate. But vicious attacks by opponents – and an obliging media virtually daily for weeks on end – took their toll! Through it all he kept his integrity.
In my “Quiet Time” the morning of this writing, I had special thoughts of Todd. He is sound, with a high moral lifestyle, faithful to his wife and family, and of pure, lived-out biblical values — a wonderful role-model. So, when I read in the 11th chapter of the New Testament book of Hebrews — regarding those people in history’s “roll call” of great faith – this phrase jumped out at me. Of them the Bible says “… the world was not worthy of them …” (Hebrews 11:38).
That is a description of the esteemed spiritual man, Todd Akin!
Additional related links in the past …
To hear … “Congressman Todd Akin reveals the role of Jesus-followers in shaping our US Government: ‘Mayflower Compact’”… click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2017/01/14/cong-todd-akin-reveals-the-role-of-jesus-followers-in-shaping-our-us-government-mayflower-compact/
To hear … “Like Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, former Congressman Todd Akin is ‘One of the finest men that I know!’” … click on … www.haroldhendrick.com/2017/02/26/like-ot-prophet-jeremiah-former-congressman-todd-akin-is-one-of-the-finest-men-that-i-know-3
(Years ago, our son David Hendrick served as the Administrative of then Missouri State Representative David Hale. In that capacity, David attended patriotic teaching sessions for the interns there and others, led by statesman Todd Akin, and was impacted by them and Todd’s life.)
To hear … “Outstanding Todd Akin & David Hendrick; regarding the impacting role of 1620 “Mayflower Compact” on USA history … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2018/08/01/outstanding-todd-akin-re-impacting-role-of-1620-mayflower-compact-on-usa-history/
To hear … “With IMB in Russia, son David Hendrick discovered International Mission Board Colleagues Dr. & Mrs. Yi murdered, martyred! … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2017/02/04/with-imb-in-russia-son-david-hendrick-discovered-imb-colleagues-dr-mrs-yi-murdered-martyred/. (The Missouri Pathway article about this story is available by clicking on … http://mbcpathway.com/2017/02/14/years-later-martyrs-memory-lives-on/) … and …
To hear … “Our Son David Hendrick welcomes Khabarovsk, Russian roommate, Pastor/teacher Vladimir Lebedev to USA … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2012/03/09/son-david-hendrick-welcomes-khabarovsk-russian-roommate-pastorteacher-vladimir-lebedev-to-usa/ . Vladimir Lebedev, as of this writing, is a graduate student at Trinity Theological Seminary in the Chicago area. We regularly stay in touch with Vladimir, a very fine man … who so helped our David Hendrick adjust to the bitter winters of Siberia, and the spiritual challenges there in Khabarovsk, in far southeast Russia, near the Sea of Japan.