Keith Richardson's Christian Testimony

Pastor Keith Richardson U.S. House of Representatives Pennsylvania District 5

1. When and how did you become Christian?

Keith Richardson: "I became a Christian 35 years ago. I was reading a Gideon New Testament placed in my home, and became curious to learn who Jesus was. As I read the Scriptures, and read the Gideon information, I called on Christ to forgive me of my sins and bring me into His kingdom."

2. How did becoming Christian change you?

Keith Richardson: "It radically changed everything about my life. I am a pastor today, proclaiming the same gospel which I received 35 years ago."

3. How would you describe your relationship with Jesus today?

Keith Richardson: "I am completely surrendered to Christ and seek to be conformed to His will."

4. In the past 12 months, how many minutes have you spent in prayer with Jesus daily?

Keith Richardson: "I seek to “pray without ceasing,” and so minutes are hard to calculate, but I would have a good conscience to say that I pray above an hour each day."

5. In the past 12 months, how many minutes of Bible-reading have you averaged daily?

Keith Richardson: "I read and meditate upon the Scriptures daily. I would estimate I spend 30-60 minutes daily in intensive Bible study."

6. In the past 12 months, what percentage of your income have you returned to God?

Keith Richardson: "To answer this publicly would not be in keeping with Jesus’ teaching to not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing in such matters. I will say only that I believe the tithe is just a beginning point for Christians who wish to be 'cheerful givers'."

7. In the past 12 months, how many non-Christians have you told why Jesus died?

Keith Richardson: "Many."

8. In the past 12 months, how many church services have you attended?

Keith Richardson: "Over 100."

9. Which church do you attend and what is its website address?

Keith Richardson: "I pastor First Baptist Church of Clarion, PA."

10. What has been your greatest failure as a Christian?

Keith Richardson: "I endure the same struggle that Paul describes in Romans 7."

11. What is the greatest challenge you face today as a Christian?

Keith Richardson: "Seeking a seat in Congress when I am so happy as a pastor!"

12. Which gift(s) has the Holy Spirit given to you, and what fruits has it borne?

Keith Richardson: "I believe the most prominent gifts of God’s Spirit are teaching and encouragement. I use both of these consistently in my pastoral ministry."

13. Do you believe Jesus is God or the Son of God?

Keith Richardson: "He is God in the flesh."

14. Do you believe Jesus was born to a virgin, died and rose from the dead?

Keith Richardson: "Yes."

15. Do you believe Jesus ascended to God the Father and will return riding on clouds?

Keith Richardson: "Yes."

16. Do you believe heaven and hell are places that really exist?

Keith Richardson: "Yes."

17. By what criteria do you believe people go to heaven or hell?

Keith Richardson: "It is by grace that we are saved through faith, and even that is the gift of God, lest any man should boast."

18. How many of which book(s) do you believe to be inspired by God & without error?

Keith Richardson: "66."

19. The beliefs of which well-known Christian leader alive today resemble your beliefs?

Keith Richardson: "John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, John Piper."

20. Which well-known Christian leader who lived in the past 1900 years do you admire and why?

Keith Richardson: "John Calvin and Martin Luther. Against fierce opposition and the threat of persecution even to death, they stood for the truth of the gospel and were used of God to reform their entire societies and cultures."

21. Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe abortion should be permitted?

Keith Richardson: "Only in cases in which the mother’s life is immediately threatened."

22. What is your position on same sex marriage?

Keith Richardson: "I oppose them, and will seek a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman."

23. What is your position on prayers and Bible studies in schools, and why?

Keith Richardson: "Voluntary prayers and Bible studies should be permitted in schools, according to the conscience of the student, though not mandated by the State."

24. If (re-)elected, what will you seek to do about (Internet) pornography and the violence in the media, and how?

Keith Richardson: "I primarily support market-driven technological solutions (like V-chips) to these problems because of concerns that religious freedom of speech could be compromised by governmental encroachments of the First Amendment."

25. If (re-)elected, what will you seek to do about our health care system, and how?

Keith Richardson: "I believe that free-market solutions are available, such as providing individuals with the same tax benefits as corporations for purchasing private health insurance, and allowing insurers to compete across state lines, would make healthcare more affordable for more people. I oppose nationalized healthcare."

26. If (re-)elected, what will you seek to do about poverty and corporate greed & how?

Keith Richardson: "The best way to reduce poverty is to create an environment that allows the poor to work their way into the middle class, and then allowing them to keep more of what they earn. Thus, income tax rates should be reduced for individuals and corporate rates should be reduced to make us more competitive and keep more jobs here in the US. We must also use monetary policy to curb inflation and control our spending to maintain a strong dollar. Inflation and dollar erosion have more detrimental impact on the poor."

27. If (re-)elected, what will you seek to achieve in Iraq and Afghanistan, and how?

Keith Richardson: "I would seek to achieve nothing short of victory. Tactical decisions such as when to increase, draw down, or withdraw troops, must be left to tactical commanders who know the situation on the ground and know what is required to achieve victory. Such decisions should not be left to the shifting tides of politics and to the chaos of bureaucrats in Washington."

28. If (re-)elected, what will you seek to achieve in Iran and North Korea, and how?

Keith Richardson: "I would use every diplomatic means available to keep Iran and North Korea from nuclear proliferation."

29. What other issue is a key priority for your constituents and how will you resolve it?

Keith Richardson: "My constituents want a government that is pro-life, pro-family, and pro-growth. They want government to be smaller, taxes to be lower, and our federal government to live within its means. That means no new forms of taxation like tolling I-80. I would do everything that can be done at the federal level, and work with officials at the state level, to stop this boondoggle."

30. What qualifies you as the best person to represent your constituents?

Keith Richardson: "I am a lawyer turned pastor. I not only studied and practice law, I taught Constitutional Law. I gave up a successful law practice to pastor a small country church. I have been married 27 years. We have nine children, seven of whom are adopted from abusive and neglectful backgrounds, and four of whom are “special needs’ kids. As a Christian, I have not only been speaking out on pro-life and pro-family issues all of my adult life, I’ve practiced what I preached. I have the experience, the background, and the vision to move us back toward the godly values that shaped us as a nation. I have a proven track record as a true social and fiscal conservative. You will not find a stronger voice for the values that we share."

Keith Richardson
Seeking US House of Rep., Pennsylvania-5

For more information about Keith Richardson, please visit KeithRichardson.com.