November 15, 2025 A.D.

I encourage everyone to make this year's Thanksgiving week about more than shopping, sports, or time off. The very foundation of our nation’s form of government is rooted in the history and meaning behind this holiday, and we must be intentional about remembering - and restoring - its spirit in our public life.

One of the most effective ways to subvert a nation is to control what is taught its schools. In history classrooms across America, the Pilgrims - our European ancestors traditionally associated with the first Thanksgiving - are often portrayed negatively. These first Christian families who braved a perilous journey crossing the Atlantic establishing a settlement on the east coast of America are frequently misrepresented or their motives maligned.

Ask the average student why the Pilgrims came to America and you’ll likely hear “religious freedom” or “to take land from the natives.” Few are taught that Pilgrims had gained religious freedom twelve years earlier, in 1608, when they fled England for Holland to escape the extreme persecution from a tyrannical King James I.

The Pilgrims specifically stated their purpose for coming to America in the Mayflower Compact, the first governing document drafted on this continent:

“…for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith…”

The Pilgrims came to America to establish a commonwealth dedicated to glorifying God and advancing the Christian faith. The hardships of their first brutal winter, which claimed half of the lives of these early settlers, would have driven away a people of weaker constitution. Yet, through God’s providential care the community rebounded the next year in a way that affirmed their faith in the One who led them to this new land. This story and the harvest celebration that followed form the basis of America's Thanksgiving holiday.

Dr. Paul Jehle of the Plymouth Rock Foundation has written an excellent article summarizing that story and its significance. I encourage you to share The Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving with your family and friends during your Thanksgiving gathering this year.

With a heart of gratitude to God,

Ricardo Davis
State Chairman