Here are edited excerpts of my interview with Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family, and the author of Stronger (David C. Cook, 2010). Daly became the organization’s president in 2005 after 16 years with the ministry, succeeding founder James Dobson.

The reputation of Focus on the Family seems to be changing. For a while journalists made it seem to be an essentially political organization.

Our budget has always been roughly 90 percent toward the bread and butter, marriage and parenting issues, and 10 percent toward policy. That really hasn’t changed. What has changed is how we address the issues in terms of tone. . .

Everything I’m trying to do at Focus on the Family is to win the culture. I’m most concerned about our expression of the gospel preventing somebody from coming to the conclusion that Christ is who He said He was. I’m not saying that was the case before, but I am saying that as a Christian I want to make sure that my words, my rhetoric, my fervor for truth are balanced with God’s grace.

As we talk about various issues, how do we get to the root, which is a lack of faith in God, and the solution, which is Christ?

You have to demonstrate the love of Christ. That’s the important thing. It’s not a means to an end: It has to be the reason. So, at Focus on the Family, we’re trying to stay true to the principles and reach people through the love of Christ, by doing the Orphan Care Initiative and helping with ultrasound machines. We have to be the gospel in action. If we’re just going to be rhetorical, I think we lose, because the other side is much better at it.

Your Orphan Care Initiative is bearing fruit. . . .

Probably 2½ years ago we started the Wait No More Campaign. It was really born out of my heart to do something with foster kids who are available for adoption. Just in Colorado we had 850 kids in foster care waiting to be adopted. In the last two years, we’ve knocked that down to 350. Five hundred kids have been adopted in the program. Before, the most that the state had ever adopted in a given year, I think, was about 80 children.

Some journalists are observing that success. . . .

One of the guys who’s been very antagonistic toward Focus on the Family was impressed with Wait No More. He said, “I just want to know more about what you’re doing.” We talked about it, and he said, “You know, we have carpet-bombed Focus on the Family for 17 years, and I would like to start writing articles that are more favorable.”

The ultrasound initiative is designed to help crisis pregnancy centers. . . .

That started in 2006 or 2007. We’ve placed about 515 ultrasound machines. The great news about this is that technology is on our side. Ultrasound has allowed us to look at the development of the human being—and the culture is beginning to say, “Wait a minute, abortion feels immoral.” We don’t need to pound anybody over the head with it. Let’s ride science and technology and allow people to come to that conclusion.

We’re winning the younger generation on abortion, at least in theory. What about same-sex marriage?

We’re losing on that one, especially among the 20- and 30-somethings

Listen to Marvin Olasky’s complete interview with Jim Daly. [Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]

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