From Generation to Generation

Reflections on Australian culture warriors past and present:

An earnest young conservative got in touch with me recently, offering his views on how the political conservative movement should proceed. I tried to stay humble, reminding him that I am a relative newcomer to Australia, being here only 36 years. He immediately replied that he was not even that old yet!

But the truth remains, I am an American import. Yes, I have now lived here longer than in America and my five years in Europe. But I still talk funny – or rather, it is you Aussies who have the strange accent. Speaking of which, some years ago I was visiting my hometown in Wisconsin. While at a restaurant, a waitress said, ‘Oh, keep talking – I love your accent’. I replied: ‘But I am from here!’ So I guess I have shifted a bit in the way I speak.

But back to my point: While I was briefly in Australia in late 1981 and early 1982 (with good reason: to marry an Australian!), we finally settled back here in 1989. I have basically been involved in Christian activism and the culture wars that entire time – 36 years all up.

Getting on in years, and slowly approaching four decades of this sort of ministry, I can look back and reflect on many things concerning this period. One thing that I often bear in mind is some of the great champions that were on the scene back then. Many had been fighting the good fight well before I joined them in 1989.

I can list just some of them here (but I feel bad that it is only a partial list, and I apologise now for omitting some other greats):

Bob Santamaria –-National Civic Council
Babette Francis – Endeavour Forum
Margaret Tighe – Right to Life Australia
Fred Nile – Christian Democratic Party
Denise Cameron – Pro-life Victoria
David and Ros Phillips – Family Voice
Dwight Randall and Andrew Lansdown – Life Ministries

I knew all these champions, and worked with them all. Of course most have now moved on in various ways. Some have retired. Some have died. One or two are still standing strong in their work. And various groups were around back then, such as the Australian Family Association (formed in 1980 by the NCC), of which I was the National Secretary for a number of years.

Then and now

In some ways things were more difficult back then for us conservative and Christian activists. For one thing, there were just not that many of us. While today we have so many great warriors doing so much good, back then we were far fewer in number. Today we have so many new faces on the scene, and so many great new groups and organisations involved in all this. But I will speak more to this in a moment.

While today’s mainstream media is even more hostile to faith and family than it was 30 or 40 years ago, at least today we have things like the alternative media. Back then there was no Sky News in Australia and no Fox News in America. Today a conservative Christian can get all sorts of media exposure, not just on things like Sky, but on a zillion other platforms, be it podcasts or YouTube channels or blogsites, and so on. There are now so many ways to get the message out, unlike back then.

Speaking of new technologies and media outlets, often I will tell the newer faces involved in these ministries – especially those who deal with the secular media a lot – that they have it easy today compared to what I had to struggle with. Back then I did many hundreds of radio, TV and newspaper interviews.

The trouble was, I would get a call at say 2pm, telling me a Ch, 10 (or whatever) news crew was coming in 20 minutes to interview me for the 6 o’clock news. At best I had enough time to take a quick look in the mirror to see if I was presentable. I might have to borrow a tie or ask someone to rush out and buy me a razor to trim my beard!

In addition I had to find a suitable spot to do the filming in, often needing to arrange the furniture or stuff on background walls, etc. Most importantly, and if there was still time, I would call my wife real fast, asking for her prayers. She sometimes could maybe call a few others and get them to pray.

All that has changed today of course. Now if the media wants to do the same with a conservative spokesperson, they can simply hop on Facebook and the like and inform a zillion folks within seconds about it and ask for prayer. ‘It’s not fair,’ I have told folks like Lyle Shelton, ‘You got it easy today!’

And with basically onside and supportive shows and hosts on places like Sky News each evening, a conservative crusader can go on one of these programs and get full support from the host, and from most other guests that might also be on. Easy peasy!

Back in my day I was almost always the sole, token conservative voice, and a typical discussion or debate consisted of me being pitted against a hostile host and 2, 3, or 4 hostile guests. It was never a fair fight, and it always took a lot of prayer and God’s grace to get through it unscathed!

But the main thing I want to emphasise here is this: Even though the older guard is now quickly disappearing from the scene, with so many just too old to really keep going, God is not leaving himself without a witness. I just wrote the other day about two friends, both around 80 years of age, who have still been standing strong, although one of them is really having to give up most of his activities. See here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2025/05/20/unsung-heroes-for-the-kingdom/

So while the warriors of the past are becoming fewer and fewer, the good thing is, they ARE being replaced by new blood. And I am so greatly encouraged by all the newer Christian faces out there, especially in terms of the culture wars, Christian activism, and fighters for Christ and the Kingdom.

While my colleagues and I are aging, it is so very heartening to know that many newcomers are on the scene, standing strong in these areas. All I can do is cheer them on, pray for them, and tell them to be encouraged and keep working. Their reward in the Lord is NOT in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). We need them. I trust you are also praying for these champions as well.

And I won’t even dare to start mentioning who they are. There are just so many of them. Most are Christians, while some are not. But most were not around when I started working here decades ago. I could get discouraged when I see my old fellow warriors winding down, but with so many who were not even on the scene 5 or 10 years ago now coming along, I can really take heart.

Knowing that the past labours, activities and ministries were not in vain and that newcomers keep appearing to take over the work of past champs and keep it alive should encourage us all. I know it heartens me greatly. Yes, some of the older organisations are no more, and some of the new generation is coming along with brand new ministries and organisations. But the much-needed work keeps on going. That is great news.

As far as my own ministry – CultureWatch – goes, the future is not fully certain. I certainly plan to keep on going until I no longer can. I insist on burning out and not rusting out. But at some point the work will come to an end, unless there is a way for others to keep it continuing. See my thoughts about this matter here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2025/05/01/on-passing-the-baton/

Both Scripture and church history show us that when one generation of workers for the Kingdom moves on, they are often replaced by another generation. That might involve making use of new wineskins and the like, but the main thing is that the work keeps going ahead and bearing fruit.

Closing thoughts

Over a hundred years ago the well-known Christian hymn was penned: Will the Circle Be Unbroken? While it deals with believers soon seeing past family members in heaven, the inter-generational emphasis can be applied to what I am discussing here. The first verse says this:

There are loved ones in the glory

Whose dear forms you often miss.

When you close your earthly story,

Will you join them in their bliss?

Will the circle be unbroken

By and by, by and by?

Is a better home awaiting

In the sky, in the sky?

In terms of keeping the circle unbroken, an Australian friend of mine, who is around the same age, and who also lost his wife to cancer very close to when I lost mine, has been very active in church planting and Christian movements. He has penned a number of books on this, the first one of which, Movements That Changed the World, I did a review of some years ago. I concluded my review this way:

The book closes with a reminder of what things were like when Jesus was last with his disciples. In the upper room with the 12 Jesus told them of their one task: to make disciples of all nations. The command to go was all they had at their disposal.

 

He did not leave them with a large bank account, instruction manuals, flow charts, church growth conferences or three-year plans. He left them with his own example, and he left them with the Holy Spirit. And with those gifts from the risen Christ they went on to turn their world upside down. https://billmuehlenberg.com/2009/07/28/a-review-of-movements-that-changed-the-world-by-steve-addison/

In terms of Christian activism, culture wars and the like, it is the same. We have Jesus as our ultimate guide and example. But we also have the example of past believers who led the way. My generation of activists is getting on in years. Many have already gone to glory. So it is hoped that we left some sort of foundation for the next generation to work with and keep adding to.

Lord, bless this new generation and grant them your success.

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