We thank the Lord that our 2025 Family Forum was our most successful one yet. Our largest crowd yet gathered on September 27 in Lexington to hear Coach Kennedy’s powerful testimony, learn about the upcoming issue battles in the pro-family and pro-life movement, and to celebrate the legislative and legal wins the Lord has blessed us with over the last few years.
Our Forum is designed to educate, encourage, and motivate Christians in Kentucky as we seek to make an impact for God-honoring public policy and serve the Lord faithfully in this important cultural moment. We are incredibly thankful to our nearly 20 speakers and panelists, the large group of state legislators we honored, U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Cameron, and our largest-ever Forum crowd of supporters that filled the room!
Below is a short recap of the Forum’s panel discussions and other highlights from throughout the day (videos will be added soon):
Opening Worship & DevotionAL
We were incredibly blessed to start our day off with worship led by guest musicians Scott Collins and Ron Cox, along with our good ministry friend Greg Williams, president of Love & Lordship. Greg then opened the morning with a timely devotional entitled “The Courage of Christ and His Church.”
Marriage Matters: Why the Next Generation Needs Strong Families
Baxter Boyd (The Family Foundation) led the first panel discussion about the importance of marriage and protecting parental rights while considering the needs and rights of children when making policy decisions. He was joined by Josh Wood (Them Before Us), Lori Kuykendall (Beacon Health), and Angela Minter (Sisters for Life).
The “Marriage Matters” panel brought together experts to discuss the importance of prioritizing children’s rights in shaping family and cultural values. Panelists emphasized the role of education, faith communities, and advocacy in promoting healthy marriages, protecting life, and countering harmful societal trends. The conversation also addressed declining birth and marriage rates, the impact of technology, and the need to reframe policy debates around the well-being of children.
Truth Matters: Advancing Truth & Freedom in Law, Policy, & the Public Square
We were blessed to be joined by Matt Sharp (Alliance Defending Freedom) and Blaine Adamson (Hands on Originals). They discussed Blaine’s case against the Lexington-Fayette Urban Government, where the local government tried to force him to print t-shirts with messages that violated his religious beliefs. Blaine discussed how even the University of Kentucky attempted to retaliate against his business by threatening other vendors who did business with Hands on Original. Thankfully, Blaine won his court battle, protecting his religious liberty and conscience rights.
Additionally, Matt Sharp went over several policies that ADF is working on in Kentucky and discussed legal battles and policy efforts defending religious liberty, free speech, and pro-family values. He highlighted landmark victories at the U.S. Supreme Court and emphasized the importance of state-level advocacy in protecting parental rights, medical conscience, and children’s privacy. The panel encouraged Christians to stand firm in their convictions and trust in God’s faithfulness amid cultural and legal challenges.
Pro-Family Legislators Honored
During the lunch program, our executive director David Walls gave an important ministry update. He reflected on The Family Foundation’s 36-year mission to uphold Biblical values and strengthen Kentucky families through policy, education, and church engagement. He also celebrated key victories over the past several years, including pro-life legislation, protections for girls’ sports, and legal wins defending religious liberty. David emphasized that cultural and civic engagement is not only vital but a form of Christian discipleship, urging believers to boldly live out their faith in every sphere of life.
We are also excited to be able to recognize a large group of Kentucky House and Senate members that attended the Forum. Members who have consistently shown themselves to be family champions in their legislative records received the Steadfast Leadership Award. Additionally, we honored the legislators who were 2025 Family Champions (95% or higher on TFFKY’s legislative scorecard).
Lunch Keynote Address: Coach Joe kennedy
Coach Joe Kennedy gave the keynote address for the Forum Family. He spoke about his powerful testimony, including his path to finding Christ and his ultimate stand for religious liberty in the Kennedy v. Bremerton School District case. The Supreme Court decision in his case has opened the door for religious speech to reenter the public square, in line with how the Founders intended when they crafted the Constitution. This includes efforts to restore Ten Commandments monuments across the nation.
Faith Matters: Making A Kingdom Impact in Your Community and Schools
Jesse Green (The Family Foundation) moderated a panel about the importance of religious liberty and the need to restore faith to public life in America. He was joined by John Stein (LifeWise Academy) and Erin Smith (First Liberty) who both explained what their organizations are doing to promote Christianity and religious liberty in the U.S.
Specifically, John Stein spoke about LifeWise Academy’s mission to bring voluntary Bible classes to public school students during the school day. A recent change in the law (SB 19) has clarified the process to bring programs like LifeWise to schools in Kentucky, and they are seeking to get into as many Kentucky school districts as possible. Erin Smith spoke about First Liberty’s Restoring Faith in America initiative and what Kentucky needs to do to become a stronghold for religious liberty.
Jesse also reminded folks of the hostility that Governor Beshear has shown religious liberty, recounting when the governor sent state police officers to churches on Easter Sunday in 2020 to enforce his tyrannical and unconstitutional ban on church services. Thankfully State Rep. TJ Roberts and several others successfully sued to overturn Beshear’s overreach.
2026 General Assembly Preview
David Walls (The Family Foundation) moderated a panel discussion on the upcoming 2026 legislative session. He was joined by Senator Lindsey Tichenor, Rep. Jason Nemes, and Addia Wuchner (KY Right to Life). They discussed their priorities for next session and how Kentucky can continue to progress in protecting religious liberty, the right to life, and family values.
Specifically, they discussed key legislative priorities for Kentucky’s pro-life and pro-family movement. Topics included stopping abortion pill trafficking, the Women’s Bill of Rights, religious liberty in education, and stopping DEI in K-12 education. The panel emphasized the importance of protecting conscience rights, children’s safety, and foundational moral principles in shaping future policy.
Meet the U.S. Senate Candidates
With Senator Mitch McConnell announcing his retirement and the important 2026 race for his seat kicking into gear, we thought it was important to give our supporters the chance to hear from the candidates in that race. Months before the Forum, we sent out invitations to campaigns, including: Daniel Cameron, Nate Morris, Andy Barr, and Michael Feris.
Of those four candidates, Daniel Cameron was the only one who said that he would be attending the Forum. Cameron spoke about why he entered the Senate race and his vision for the future of Kentucky and the United States. We encourage our supporters to learn about the candidates on our ballot in order to make an informed God-honoring vote in the ballot box. Before the May election, we intend to release a voter guide for the 2026 primary elections, including the U.S. Senate race, U.S. House races, State Senate races, and State House races.
Note: The Family Foundation does not endorse candidates in elections, and this panel was purely for informational purposes.
Your Ongoing Support Makes This All Possible
Thank you to everyone who attended our 2025 Family Forum and have helped make the Kentucky Family Forum the largest annual Christian policy event in Kentucky. Without your strong support of our ministry, we could not do the work to bring pro-family policy discussions to our Commonwealth. If you aren’t connected with The Family Foundation, click here to sign up for important updates about the Commonwealth’s pro-family movement.