Join us in this special edition of Family Talk as we discuss the future of the James Dobson Family Institute with Dr. Bart Brock and Gary Bauer. Discover how the legacy ministry continues to evolve by harnessing the power of digital platforms to reach more families worldwide. We delve into Dr. Dobson’s timeless teachings and their relevance in today’s challenging world, empowering parents and guiding public policy to build stronger societies.
00:00:00 Introduction to Family Talk and the Legacy of Dr. Dobson
You’re listening to Family Talk, the radio broadcasting division of the James Dobson Family Institute. I am that James Dobson, and I’m so pleased that you’ve joined us today.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I’m Roger Marsh, and on the last edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, we began a special conversation about the future of our ministry. Our guests were Dr. Bart Brock, our president and chairman of the board here at the JDFI, and Gary Bauer, senior vice president of public policy here at the Dobson Policy and Culture Center and host of the Defending Faith, Family, and Freedom podcast. We discussed Dr. Dobson’s vision for a ministry that would outlive him and how we are honoring that vision by taking his timeless biblical wisdom to new generations and new geographies through innovative digital platforms. On today’s edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, we’re continuing that discussion, and you’re going to hear Bart Brock explain what we mean when we call the JDFI a dynamic legacy ministry. It’s an exciting vision for how Dr. Dobson’s nearly 50 years of content can reach even more families wherever they are, in whatever format they need, at whatever moment they need it most. So let’s rejoin our conversation right now. Gary Bauer is our guest today here in studio along with Dr. Bart Brock on this special edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. I’m Roger Marsh, Dr. Bart Brock, the president and chairman of the board of the James Dobson Family Institute. Gary Bauer is the senior director of public policy here at the Dobson Policy and Culture Center. Bart, I’ve heard you use this phrase before. I had never heard it before until I heard you use it, but I love it. I mean, absolutely love the way we are describing the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute moving into 2026 and beyond. Because of the fact that Dr. Dobson’s desire was that the JDFI would outlive him, you refer to our ministry now as a dynamic legacy ministry. Can you help us unpack what we mean by that?
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely, because we have this Dr. Dobson content. Oftentimes, it’s in a 25-minute, 30-minute broadcast, or it’s in a specific book, or it’s in a specific article. Now, those same concepts, those same truths are so needed in our world that But they might not be accessible as a 30-minute broadcast, as an entire book, or even a chapter of the book. There may be a piece of it. It might be a 30-second reel. It might be a one-minute broadcast. portion of a feed. It might be in some other type of format. And because of my own background professionally, I knew that sometimes you had to take a product, an idea, etc. The product didn’t change. The idea didn’t change. Just the packaging changed. And now we have that ability to And by doing that, we can get where the people are. And that’s what I’m meaning is it’s dynamic. We can carry forward the very content, the very voice of Dr. Dobson in a dynamic way and not just be static saying we can only repeat what he had done in exactly that format before. I’m so excited about it because another thing I say is that we’re reaching out to new generations and new geographies because that’s what the digital world allows us to do. And we’re working with partners that specialize in this so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We don’t have to become experts in every social media platform, and they change by the day. But we work with partners that enable us to do this, who also believe so strongly in Dr. Dobson’s work and the fact that it’s not just work to put on the shelf. It’s work that can change lives today and make them so much better because it brings them into biblical alignment.
SPEAKER 03 :
We’ve discussed often here on this program, and we were just talking amongst ourselves before we came on the air here, about the need for Dr. Dobson’s content now more than ever. He was timeless back in the 70s when he first hit the radio airwaves. Then the book started happening in the 80s. And we’ve seen this all happen over 50 years. And yet here we are at a time culturally, Gary, where we see society on the whole really scrambling for biblical truth that they didn’t realize they need. Talk about why JDFI is so primed in a perfect position literally to help people who are looking for things they don’t know that they need.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, you know, Roger, it’s almost a providential moment because we’ve all been really deeply concerned about how probably for five or six decades now, particularly in the United States, the country’s been moving away from the God of the Bible. There’s fewer and fewer believers. Church attendance has trended down for many, many years. COVID was a horrible experience because of the loss of so many loved ones. but it also was a real blow against the Christian church in the United States and around the world. Our founding fathers believed we could not preserve our constitutional republic unless our citizens were virtuous. And of course, Christianity is the basis of being virtuous and here we are going into the 250th anniversary of the american republic and just as we’re beginning to go to new levels at jdfi things are beginning to come in studies polling and so forth that something resembling a revival might be taking place We’re seeing students getting baptized on university campuses, the bastion of sort of leftist secular thought. Many, many pastors in the wake of the terrible death of Charlie Kirk are reporting that young people that they’ve never seen before are just walking in to these churches around the country. And we’ve noticed at JDFI that we’re getting more inquiries from people that haven’t been baptized previously part of our family, asking for information about family and about religion and faith. And I’m seeing the same thing in Washington, D.C., which is a very secular city. But there are people in government that are saying to me and others, Gary, I haven’t really spent much time thinking about about religion and what life’s all about. So we believe God is using JDFI for exactly this moment. You know, I’ve told pastors, don’t blow this. You know, when those folks come in that you’ve never seen, don’t give them pap. Give them the truth of the gospel. That’s what Dr. Dobson did his entire life. And that’s what JDFI is doing now. in everything that we put out. And Bart, you have made it so clear, coming from a business background, that this message of faith, family, and freedom is a message that you’re committed to and that JDFI is going to be committed to in every product we put out, every new publication, every radio show that we do.
SPEAKER 02 :
Gary, you mentioned a moment ago about technology and fear of the technology. And I’ve talked to a number of people that are in that place. I recall Jesus leaving the disciples saying, I’m leaving you in the world. You’re not of the world, but you’re in the world. And that’s where we are. And to your point, if we are not there with the truth, then people are searching. And particularly families and parents are searching because they’re dealing with many, many difficult issues. And as I’ve talked with our team, what I’ve realized is that the issues of the day may change, but the family dynamics stay the same. And they have been the same for thousands of years. And that’s the reason that these biblical principles continue to work. And the whole ministry of Dr. Dobson was drawn from those biblical principles. And to go back to something that Roger mentioned just a moment ago, that’s another part of why it is a dynamic legacy, because those principles can be carried forward to new issues that Dr. Dobson himself may never have spoken about, but we know exactly what he would have said because it would have come from the pages of the Bible. And he left us lots of teaching and principles about family dynamics, relationships, about parenting dynamics, and just personal dynamics that we can bring forward to those new issues as they occur.
SPEAKER 03 :
One of the things that I’ve always appreciated, guys, about Dr. Dobson and his ministry is that it isn’t perfect. The fact that he and Shirley were very, very candid about, you know, we’re going through the same struggles you are. I don’t know how many times we’ve heard from people recently who’ve written to us and said, hey, I’m really glad that the JDFI is continuing, that it’s a dynamic legacy. because I feel like Dr. Dobson wrote the strong-willed child for my daughter, you know, or I wrote the dare to discipline for my son. And because of that knack for having the sense of the current with the heart toward the eternal, I think we are in a perfect position to help to equip families with the marriage and parenting issues that they need to have dealt with. But also, we’ve seen quite an uptick in the public policy area, too. Talk about why that is an intricate part of building stronger marriages and families is understanding what’s happening in culture, what’s happening in Washington, D.C. Those are not just a clarion call for us to go mount up arms and go vote or run for office, but rather to say what happens on Capitol Hill does trickle down into families in a big way in modern culture.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, there’s no question about it, Roger. I mean, when you think about the things that Dr. Dobson was committed to and that we all believe in with our heart and soul, those things are affected by what elected politicians do here in Washington. So whether it’s the issue of the sanctity of life, where we all believe that our children should be welcomed into the world, protected by the law, have a seat at the table, and be part of the American family. Well, we can believe that, but it’s government that passes the laws that determine whether that happens or not. Dr. Dobson spent a lot of time a couple years ago, and JDFI was a big part of all this, when there was this parental revolt around the country over what children were being taught in the classroom. And, you know, the Bible says, and we all believe parents get children from God. And we have a godly responsibility to raise those children in the way that God would want us to. And so when parents found out that all across the country in grades as early as first and second grade, schools were being—were teaching children that— things that, quite frankly, I can’t even get detailed about on this radio show because our Christian partners probably wouldn’t allow the show to be on. And Dr. Dobson, JDFI, said to those parents, look, you need to write your congressman and call your congressman because a lot of this stuff is coming from the Department of Education in Washington. And then go to your local school board meeting. Well, when parents took that advice— Big government came down on them lock, stock, and barrel. The previous administration here in Washington labeled those parents domestic terrorists and tried to intimidate them not to exercise their constitutional rights. So Dr. Dobson said this for years and years. We’re in a battle for the heart and minds of our children. And on one side are people that want those children to be raised with secular values. They don’t want them to hear about God. They don’t want religion anywhere in that. And they’re arguing that government has more authority over those children than parents and grandparents do. JDFI is committed to empowering parents and grandparents.
SPEAKER 02 :
Gary, you’re so right. As I look at times of the ministry, and particularly this time after we have lost a legacy founder, Oftentimes people wondered what will be, what will the financial state of the ministry be? And I’m happy to say it’s been strong because of strong friends and is strong because of strong friends of Dr. Dobson. And one of the things we all agree on is we must have impact. The ministry deserves to remain because it has an impact on families. And one of the ways that I see that is exactly what you said, Gary. It is the family that really cannot afford to send anything. It might not be $25. It might be a dime. It might be nothing. But seeing those letters, seeing… The change in families, seeing the change in lives, and I know it so well myself because I grew up in one of those single-parent families. And Dr. Dobson was not active at that point in ministry, but later in my life, he was very active in ministry, and it changed everything. It changed me. It changed my life. It changed my understanding of how to apply biblical principles in my life. And I saw the immense change. My wife and I just hosted some friends over this past weekend. And they talked about exactly what you said. It was a strong-willed child that brought them to know Dr. Dobson’s work and how that strong-willed child is now, 20 years later. And tears were in their eyes as they talked about the difference that it made in their family. And that’s why the ministry must continue. And how can I know that it’s having an impact? is exactly what you just said. It’s those families that may not be able to afford to give, but they can tell us how much impact the ministry has had on them. Those who knew Dr. Dobson personally knew he was all about relationship. And the relationships were important to him because he could feed into them truth. He could feed into them a better way, a better life. And so much of that, as you said, was not because he was perfect, but he had experienced it himself. And he had seen the truth and the power of applying a biblical perspective, of applying biblical wisdom. And for our listeners out there who have been friends for a long time, I want to encourage them. As I look, I’m a metrics-driven guy. I was an accountant by trade, so I pay attention to the numbers. And while I can’t give numbers on a broadcast or program, what I can tell you is that our Instagram reach, our Facebook reach has grown exponentially over the last few months, which gives me the encouragement that we really are getting out there. And as I say, fishing where the fish are, we’re going where the people are. And that goes all the way back. That example is not new to me. That was the example that Jesus gave when he walked on the earth. He went where the people were and he gave them the truth. that they needed at the time that they needed it. And that’s the beauty of digital. Nobody has to wait for a particular hour or a particular minute of the day. They can find this information at any point, day or night, anywhere in the world.
SPEAKER 03 :
It’s a new take on the Great Commission, Bart, when you think about it, because Jesus gave the Great Commission to his 11 remaining disciples and a few people around and said, go into all the world and preach the gospel. And look how Christianity has spread over the past couple of thousand years. In the same way, the people who are benefiting from Dr. Dobson’s ministry can then share that information with other people. And it doesn’t take a film series. It doesn’t take a speaking engagement. It can be something as simple as liking and sharing something that you saw on our Instagram page. that will help spread the message of the James Dobson Family Institute, encourage families, strengthen marriages, stand up for the sanctity of human life. I heard someone the other day say that Dr. Dobson, to him, is being remembered as the William Wilberforce of the pro-life movement because of the fact that he took such a bold stand publicly at a time when Christian leaders weren’t necessarily taking that stand publicly. And how many churches now are engaged in the pro-life movement because of the legacy of Dr. James Dobson? We still have those resources available, too, and it’s truly a dynamic legacy indeed. When you look at the whole puzzle that is the James Dobson Family Institute, what encourages you the most about advancing the dynamic legacy of Dr. James Dobson into 2026 and beyond?
SPEAKER 02 :
Roger, some of the things you mentioned, what really wells up within my soul, what encourages me is that with these new technologies that we have, with the content of nearly 50 years of ministry that we have, there really is no limit. This ministry can be greater than it’s ever been before. And I really believe that’s the dynamic legacy of Dr. Dobson. He will be touching families and helping families well beyond his lifetime, of course, beyond my lifetime, beyond your lifetime. It will be out there because this biblical wisdom has no time limit. It is eternal and it leads to eternity.
SPEAKER 03 :
Gary, I’ll give you the final word in our conversation here. As you remember your friend, Jim Dobson, and the work that you did going back to the Reagan years and on beyond. And I was thinking of you when I was hearing from Danae that she was cleaning out her dad’s desk and opened up the lower desk drawer. And the first thing she found were his handwritten notes in preparation for his interview with President Reagan at the White House that time. And that still meant so much to him. Talk about the moving forward because you’re carrying probably a greater emotional toll than Bart and I are together just because of your deep friendship with him. But you still have that same fire to carry forward these values that you both fought and really bled for over the years.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thanks for the opportunity to address that, Roger. I probably shouldn’t say too much because I’ll get emotional again, but you mentioned the Reagan years. My father was a janitor and part-time truck driver, and he wrestled with alcoholism. I had no right to expect that from that beginning, I would work for Ronald Reagan someday. So that meant a lot to me, that I went to work for two years in the White House, and And was able to sit down with the president and have a seat at the table on all these issues and so forth. But with that in my background, I have to honestly say I don’t think anything has given me as much satisfaction as I have right now working with the James Dobson Family Institute. Because over those years with Dr. Dobson, I know his heart. I know what he cared about. As I said earlier, we were in some brutal battles together. And I know if we could hear from him right now, if he was a guest on the show with us, he would be going, go to it, guys. You know, this is important. This is what I worked for. When I get up every morning, I’ve got a few miles on the tires. When I get up every morning, I’m jumping out of bed because I can’t wait to get in and fight the good fight with the James Dobson Family Institute and be on the team of Bart with you and Roger and the great men and women that have been put together by Dr. Dobson over the years. And to know that out there around America, there are millions of people counting on us to speak for them when they can’t do it themselves. So I just hope God continues to bless us and that people listening to this broadcast will continue to partner with us in these exciting years ahead.
SPEAKER 02 :
And Roger, I just want to add one thing. I’ve said it before, but it resonates so strongly with me that… In a world craving authenticity, there is Dr. Dobson.
SPEAKER 03 :
Beautiful sentiment, Bart. Couldn’t have found a better way to end this time together. Dr. Bart Brock, President and Chairman of the Board of the James Dobson Family Institute. Gary Bauer, Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the JDFI Policy and Culture Center. Gentlemen, thank you so much for your time and for casting the vision for 2026 as we look forward to a dynamic legacy continuing here at the James Dobson Family Institute. Guys, thanks for being with us today. It is such a privilege to hear from Dr. Bart Brock, the president and chairman of the board here at the James Dobson Family Institute and Gary Bauer, senior vice president of public policy here at the JDFI Policy and Culture Center about the future of this ministry. Their passion for reaching families with Dr. Dobson’s biblical wisdom is contagious and I hope you feel it too. Now, if you missed any part of this two-day conversation, you can hear it again online at drjamesdobson.org forward slash family talk. And as you heard today, the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute is committed to carrying Dr. Dobson’s dynamic legacy forward, reaching new generations and new geographies with his timeless biblical wisdom. But we can’t do this work alone. We need partners just like you who believe in this mission as well, who understand that families today need the practical biblical guidance Dr. Dobson spent nearly 50 years providing. And right now, you have an incredible opportunity to multiply your impact. Thanks to the Dr. James Dobson Memorial Matching Grant, every gift to the JDFI will be doubled up to $6 million. And this is going on now through the end of the year. So a $50 donation becomes $100. A $500 donation becomes $1,000. You know, a $100,000 donation becomes $200,000. This is really your chance to be a part of Dr. Dobson’s dynamic legacy to help us put biblical wisdom where families can find it whenever and wherever they need it most. Now you can double your impact today when you give a gift online at drjamesdobson.org forward slash broadcasts. And speaking of broadcasts and that incredible legacy that Dr. Dobson has left, we have put together a collection of the most powerful programs delivered not only in 2025, but all throughout the 15-year history of the JDFI. And they are all part of the six CD set called our 2025 Best of Broadcast Collection. Now, these are conversations from the past 12 months that literally have moved listeners to tears. You’re going to hear Dr. Dobson’s final interviews. As a matter of fact, the collection concludes with the final words Dr. Dobson ever recorded in studio. That alone is worth having this keepsake. And this six CD set is available to anyone, who makes a donation to support the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute this month. It’s a perfect way to have these life-changing programs on hand, either for yourself and your own family library or to share with someone you love. So request your copy of the 2025 Best of Broadcast Collection when you go to drjamesdobson.org. You can also call a member of our constituent care team and they’ll be happy to fulfill your request. That number is 877-732-6825. And if you’d prefer to send your donation through the mail, you can write to us. Our ministry mailing address is Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, the zip code 80949. Well, I’m Roger Marsh, and on behalf of all of us here at the JDFI, thanks so much for listening today. Be sure to join us again next time right here as we kick off our 2025 Best of Broadcast Collection featuring special guests Victor and Eileen Marks. That’s coming your way right here on the next edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, the voice you can still trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
