Reality TV Audience Elects Evangelical as America's 'President'
by Allie Martin
October 19, 2004
(AgapePress) - An outspoken Christian has won ShowTime's American Candidate mock presidential race, raking in a prize of $200,000 and an opportunity to give a televised speech about the issues he believes are important to the nation.Park Gillespie is a public school teacher and evangelical Christian from North Carolina. Not long ago he was one of three finalists out of an original group of ten people on ShowTime's American Candidate, a TV show featuring ordinary Americans who campaigned for viewers' votes in a mock presidential race. After each episode, members of the television audience could call in and cast their ballot for their favorite candidate. (See earlier story)
Gillespie's last remaining opponent was a Democrat, a woman who works for a progressive 527 political group. She was a popular candidate, but ultimately, Gillespie garnered the most votes. Yet what the successful "American Candidate" feels he has really won, he says, is a platform to witness for Christ. "I've had a chance to do some speaking recently," he notes, "and I guess maybe you could say I've been able to have a larger classroom and able to have a dialogue with a lot more people."
The North Carolina teacher is excited about that. "I'm excited about the doors that have opened there," he explains, "of going into the secular and the Christian communities. And really, for the Christian, there is no secular community. Both communities are intricately linked because we're to be in the world, not of it. We're to be salt and light. We're to engage the culture. And I'm having a chance to move in and out of both situations and speak truth."
From his suddenly expanded platform, Gillespie encourages believers to see that they can make an impact on society from wherever God has placed them. He asserts, "Everyone, no matter where anybody who's listening to this is at, [needs to] realize that God, before the foundation of the universe was laid, foreordained that they would be in the job they're in, dealing with the people they're dealing with, and that they would have an influence."
Everyone has to realize, the "American Candidate" says, "that, no matter where we are at, that's a holy calling, and we better be serious about that and realize the clock is ticking. We're not always going to be here. We'd better carry the light credibly."
