Interview: Michele Bachmann on Faith, Family
Considered a Tea Party favorite, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) continues to garner positive reactions from conservative voters as she touts her pro-life stance and vows to repeal Obamacare.
The 55-year-old has yet to announce her candidacy for U.S. president but is expected to later this month.
Bachmann was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and presently serves on the Financial Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She also chairs the House Tea Party Caucus. Before becoming a member of Congress, she served in the Minnesota State Senate. She is a graduate of Winona State University and Oral Roberts University.
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In a brief interview with The Christian Post, Bachmann discussed two issues that are near and dear to her heart – faith and family. She is married to Dr. Marcus Bachmann, a clinical therapist, and is mother to Lucas, Harrison, Elisa, Caroline, and Sophia.
CP: I understand you converted to Christianity as a teenager. Can you share more about that experience?
Bachmann: I was born into a Christian family and brought up in a Lutheran church. My faith has been the center point of my life, really, since I was a child, but at 16 years of age, I fully surrendered my life over to Christ. At that point, as a teenager, I began to grasp the concept of Christ’s true love and forgiveness.
CP: Are there any ministries, authors, or individuals who have contributed to your spiritual growth?
Bachmann: First of all, I would point to the teachings of Jesus Christ and to the Old and New Testaments. Furthermore, when my husband and I were in college we were influenced by Dr. Francis Schaeffer’s “How Should We Then Live?” He was one of the greatest philosophers of the last century. I also enjoy listening to Ravi Zacharias.
CP: You’ve been a stay-at-home mom and a working mom – a high-profile one at that. How do you juggle your current schedule and your responsibilities as a wife and mother of five?
Bachmann: I have to give credit to my loving and supportive husband of nearly 33 years, Marcus, through whom God has blessed me. I knew before I married Marcus that he would make a wonderful father, and he is. For the most part, we make our decisions, together as a couple and as a family, through prayer. We’ve made life decisions, from going to school, to starting a business, and to raising children after thought and prayer.
CP: You and your husband, Marcus, were foster parents for years. Did your Christian faith play a role in making the decision to assume that responsibility?
Bachmann: Yes, most certainly. We have broken hearts for at-risk kids. We were juggling toddlers already at home, but we saw another couple at church who were foster parents and we asked ourselves whether we could open our home and our hearts to foster children as well.
We never set out to take in 23 children, but children continued to need homes, so we continued to open our home to them.
Many children in the foster care system are often in the midst of a family challenge. Marcus and I sought to assist families during difficult times. We aren’t perfect people, nor are we a perfect family, but these children didn’t expect us to be either. They needed a loving home and care, and we tried our best every single day.
CP: You must be a strong proponent of Christian higher education, given that your law degree is from the former Oral Roberts University O.W. Coburn law school. Why did you choose that institution?
Bachmann: I am very supportive of Christian education, and it was my husband who actually encouraged me, as we were discussing law school options, to choose a Christian institution, and I agreed.
CP: If you choose to not pursue the presidency, what would you think about a Sarah Palin attempt?
Bachmann: Governor Palin is a friend and I know if she runs she will bring a unique background to the field.
