Uploaded March 2015 | Updated September 2026, 22 minutes ago
Michael Cromartie, The Gathering 2009
Introduced by Peggy Wehmeyer, religion reporter formerly with ABC
6:10 - Newsweek reporter calls Cromartie re Bristol Palin’s pregnancy, import to 2008 election.
10:00 - Quotes David Brooks NYT column, at length
12:41 - Late 1980s, New Republic reporter (John Meacham, probably) visits Cromartie re story on new religious right.
15:00 - NYT writer, ~1999, calls Cromartie re Southern Baptist Convention “male headship” issue
18:40 - Religious right is the new counterculture.
20:50 - Launch of FAF
22:20 - 2009 call from WaPo reporter re VA Governor’s essay blaming “collapse” of traditional family on gay rights movement, etc.
25:00 - Nina Easton, was at WaPo, now at editor at Fortune, contacted Cromartie re doing story on John Ashcroft’s faith.
27:50 - “Have we had any tangible results from these efforts [FAF] ?” Cromartie cites David Brooks, who had attended 9 FAF conventions, quotes Brooks NYT columns, on religion, at length.
31:00 - Rick Warren at FAF, discusses PEACE Plan.
32:40 - Brooks on Warren’s PEACE Plan
33:40 - Brooks 2003 The Atlantic story inspired by FAF 2003, “secular fundamentalists”
37:20 - Cromartie on National Press Club panel with E.J. Dionne of WaPo.
37:45 - evangelical agenda has expanded - to world hunger, sexual trafficking, religious perecution, etc.
38:40 - Younger evangelicals even more pro-life than parents. More cultural liberal re sexuality & homosexuality.
40:20 - Audience member asks, are evangelicals starting to go into journalism ? Cromartie mentions efforts of Olasky’s World Journalism Institute.
41:00 - Religion reporter of WaPo, ~2004 or 2005, took Cromartie out for coffee and said, “Our very best political reporter is an evangelical - his name is Mike Allen - he’s leaving the Post and he’s going to Time magazine.” Cromartie - “Mike Allen is now with Politico magazine.” WaPo reporter, per Cromartie, told C, “We want to replace him with an evangelical. Can you find me one ?” C - “And said, ‘Allen - right. You need a token, do you ?’ I said, ‘I’ll get right on it.’ “
Mentions Michael Gerson, hired as op-ed writer for WaPo.
42:05 - “I just want to affirm that we ought to have people doing that, infiltrate the world, and to go into these places because these are great opportunities for conversation. And enlightening the conversation.”
45:30 - “The best papers and the best reporters know this is a story they;’re missing, and they need to do better.”
45:45 - Margaret Talbot, ~2002 or 2003, NYT magazine (“now with New Yorker”, mentions Cromartie), wrote a cover story on a homeschooled family in PA, went to C re pegging their Pre-Mill beliefs. (an innocuous example)
Michael Cromartie, The Gathering 2009
Introduced by Peggy Wehmeyer, religion reporter formerly with ABC
6:10 - Newsweek reporter calls Cromartie re Bristol Palin’s pregnancy, import to 2008 election.
10:00 - Quotes David Brooks NYT column, at length
12:41 - Late 1980s, New Republic reporter (John Meacham, probably) visits Cromartie re story on new religious right.
15:00 - NYT writer, ~1999, calls Cromartie re Southern Baptist Convention “male headship” issue
18:40 - Religious right is the new counterculture.
20:50 - Launch of FAF
22:20 - 2009 call from WaPo reporter re VA Governor’s essay blaming “collapse” of traditional family on gay rights movement, etc.
25:00 - Nina Easton, was at WaPo, now at editor at Fortune, contacted Cromartie re doing story on John Ashcroft’s faith.
27:50 - “Have we had any tangible results from these efforts [FAF] ?” Cromartie cites David Brooks, who had attended 9 FAF conventions, quotes Brooks NYT columns, on religion, at length.
31:00 - Rick Warren at FAF, discusses PEACE Plan.
32:40 - Brooks on Warren’s PEACE Plan
33:40 - Brooks 2003 The Atlantic story inspired by FAF 2003, “secular fundamentalists”
37:20 - Cromartie on National Press Club panel with E.J. Dionne of WaPo.
37:45 - evangelical agenda has expanded - to world hunger, sexual trafficking, religious perecution, etc.
38:40 - Younger evangelicals even more pro-life than parents. More cultural liberal re sexuality & homosexuality.
40:20 - Audience member asks, are evangelicals starting to go into journalism ? Cromartie mentions efforts of Olasky’s World Journalism Institute.
41:00 - Religion reporter of WaPo, ~2004 or 2005, took Cromartie out for coffee and said, “Our very best political reporter is an evangelical - his name is Mike Allen - he’s leaving the Post and he’s going to Time magazine.” Cromartie - “Mike Allen is now with Politico magazine.” WaPo reporter, per Cromartie, told C, “We want to replace him with an evangelical. Can you find me one ?” C - “And said, ‘Allen - right. You need a token, do you ?’ I said, ‘I’ll get right on it.’ “
Mentions Michael Gerson, hired as op-ed writer for WaPo.
42:05 - “I just want to affirm that we ought to have people doing that, infiltrate the world, and to go into these places because these are great opportunities for conversation. And enlightening the conversation.”
45:30 - “The best papers and the best reporters know this is a story they;’re missing, and they need to do better.”
45:45 - Margaret Talbot, ~2002 or 2003, NYT magazine (“now with New Yorker”, mentions Cromartie), wrote a cover story on a homeschooled family in PA, went to C re pegging their Pre-Mill beliefs. (an innocuous example)
