We thank the Lord that for our 2026 Family Forum. On October 24, another great crowd gathered in Lexington to hear John Stonestreet speak, learn about the upcoming battles the pro-family movement will fight, and 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 speakers and panelists, the large group of state legislators we honored, and our large 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:
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 Call For Reformation.”
What A Pro-Family Conservative Agenda Should Look Like in 2027
Jesse Green (The Family Foundation) led the first panel discussion about what the legislative agenda for the 2027 General Assembly should look like. He was joined by Cole Cuzick (State Representative-Elect), TJ Roberts (State Representative), and Andrew Cooperrider (The Andrew Cooperrider Show).
This panel brought together Conservative leaders in Kentucky to discuss what a pro-family policy agenda should look like during the 2027 legislative session. Panelists emphasized the importance of strengthening religious liberty protections in our Commonwealth and cutting unnecessary spending.
Historic Opportunity: The Education Freedom Tax Credit and Kentucky Christian Schools
David Walls (The Family Foundation) moderated the second panel to discuss the Education Freedom Tax Credit and how to use that to strengthen the Christian school movement in Kentucky. He was joined by Adam Bowling (Christian Education Network) and TJ Roberts (State Representative).
Because of the One Big Beautiful bill signed into law by President Trump, states have the ability to opt into the Education Freedom Tax Credit program, which allows taxpayers to make a donation to a school of their choice through a scholarship granting organization then receive an up to $1700 dollar for dollar tax reduction in their tax liability. Representative Roberts talked about his role in sponsoring HB 1, which opted Kentucky into this program, and getting it passed. The panel also discussed how this historic opportunity can significantly expand Christian education across the nation through the Christian Education Network.
Christians Engaged: Why Policy & Elections Matters
Justin Warriner (The Family Foundation) moderated our third panel discussion about why Christians should care about policy and elections. . He was joined by Macy Petty Charles (Concerned Women for America) and Debbie Wuthnow (iVoterGuide).
Macy told her story about playing against a man while competing on her high school volleyball team. She explained how the experience led her into the work that she does now as a legislative strategist.
Debbie spoke about her work with iVoterGuide to help people be informed when they go to the voting booth. She also explained what happens when Christians don’t exercise their right to vote.
PRO-FAMILY LEGISLATORS HONORED
During the lunch program, our executive director David Walls gave an important ministry update. He celebrated key victories over the past year, including legislation protecting children from grooming, legislation preventing churches from being tax collectors for the government, and legal wins defending religious liberty and protecting women’s sports. David then outlined a vision for the future, highlighting a number of ministry opportunities such as the Kentucky Christian Education Network and restoring the Ten Commandments to Kentucky public school classrooms.
We were also excited to recognize Kentucky House and Senate members that attended the Forum. These members were honored for being 2026 Family Champions (95% or higher on TFFKY’s legislative scorecard).
Lunch Keynote Address: John Stonestreet
John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview gave the keynote address for the Family Forum. He spoke about engaging the culture with hope. Stonestreet explained that Jesus is Lord and Jesus is risen so there is no reason for Christians to be people of despair. He exhorted believers to recognize what’s good in culture, oppose what’s evil, and restore what’s broken as ministers of reconciliation.
Viable: a pro-life play
We concluded the afternoon with a showing of the pro-life play Viable. It tells the story of a woman named Judy who is burdened by a secret that she had an abortion 30 years ago. Because of this secret, she is hostile toward her husband and their marriage is in jeopardy. That all changes when she receives a visit from an unexpected visitor: the child she aborted. Viable is a story about forgiveness and the redemption of Jesus Christ and we were honored close our Forum with this powerful play.
Your Ongoing Support Makes This All Possible
Thank you to everyone who attended our 2026 Kentucky 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.