James Dobson to Launch New Project After Ministry Departure

By Eric Young, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, January 02, 2010

Though Dr. James C. Dobson will be leaving Focus on the Family at the end of next month to make room for new leadership, the prominent conservative leader intends to continue in his pro-family efforts through a new project set to launch in March.

Presently called JCD's Family Forum, the soon-to-be James Dobson on the Family will be much like Dobson's radio program on Focus on the Family, which deals with marriage, child-rearing, family finances, medical and psychological concerns, national issues, the sanctity of human life, and the Gospel.

While some may wonder why Dobson doesn't simply stay at FOTF if he intends to continue broadcasting, the ministry leader explained this past week that he's felt since the turn of the century that there was a need for him to begin passing along the leadership of FOTF to a younger generation.

"Many founders and presidents of organizations make the mistake of staying too long, eventually dying and leaving their institutions leaderless. To avoid that pitfall, I have sensed that the Lord would have me hand the reins of Focus to gifted successors who would carry on the work of the past three decades," he explained.

As a result, Dobson stepped down as president of FOTF in 2003 and resigned as chairman of the board in February 2009.

Leading the organization as president and chief executive officer now is 49-year-old Jim Daly, who assumed the presidency of Focus on the Family in 2005 after 16 years with the ministry.

Despite the move away from Focus on the Family's helm, Dobson made it very clear that he can't simply retire, sit back and watch while the nation "is facing a crisis that threatens its very existence."

"[T]he institution of the family continues to be in deplorable condition, and children are growing up in a culture that often twists and warps their young minds," he expressed Tuesday.

"We are in a moral decline of shocking dimensions," he added.

Under the circumstances, Dobson felt it was important to move forward with a new effort while also encouraging his supporters to continue preserve and strengthen the significant and valuable work of Focus on the Family, which he says "must not be allowed to languish in the days to come."

For his new venture, Dobson is expecting a budget of about two million dollars and has been encouraging supporters to give generously as they had in helping grow Focus on the Family.

The new 30-minute radio program will be hosted by Dobson and his son, Ryan, and will be carried daily on "numerous" stations.

"Please be prayer for us as we take this step," Dobson said before concluding his Dec. 28 letter to supporters.