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[Basil Fishbone]

Movin' to Montana...  Key Oath Keepers leadership people are also moving to Montana.  

Basil


Subject: The Hardest Decision Of My Life by Chuck Baldwin, August 31, 2010
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 16:06:47 -0500
From: chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com


The Hardest Decision Of My Life

By Chuck Baldwin

August 31, 2010

Archived column: http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?p=2209

Last Sunday, August 29, 2010, was the hardest day of my life. Even
when my father made me promise that I would preach his funeral (which
I did--twice: once in Indiana where he lived, and again in Florida
where I live and where he is buried), that was not as difficult and
gut wrenching as what I had to do last Sunday. Last Sunday, I retired
as the pastor of the church that my wife and I founded 35 years ago:
the Crossroad Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida.

Think of it: all of my adult life (after college) has been spent
pastoring this wonderful congregation. And the people that I spoke to
this past Sunday evening are, without a doubt, the finest group of
people I have ever known. They are my friends. Many of them I had led
to Christ, or were saved under my preaching. Some have stood with me
for twenty years; some for over thirty years. My vocabulary is too
limited to express the love and appreciation I have for these
wonderful people! They stood by me through thick and thin. Even when
God opened the door for me to run for President of the United States
on the Constitution Party ticket, they stood by me. They stood by me
when enemies attacked me; they stood by me when friends forsook me.

And last Sunday evening, I had to tell them that, after 35 years as
their shepherd, God had led me to leave them. I can tell you, tears
flowed like rivers; and I believe my family and I cried more than
anyone.

When I was 18 years old, I told the Lord that I would do anything He
wanted me to do; I would be anything He wanted me to be; and I would
go anywhere He wanted me to go. And I mean that today as much as I did
then. Therefore, the only thing that could move me from the pulpit of
Crossroad Church was a clear and definite call and leading from God.
35 years ago, that call led my wife and me to Pensacola, Florida.
Today that call has led us to the Flathead Valley of Montana, some
2,500 miles away.

Therefore, within the next few weeks, my entire family will be moving
to the Kalispell area of the great State of Montana. By my family, I
mean my wife and I, my daughter and her husband and their 3 children,
my oldest son and his wife and their 3 boys, my youngest son and his
wife and their one child, and my wife's mother and her husband. That's
5 families and 17 people. Yes, my grown children and their spouses
have felt the same calling. We are not only a family; we are a team.
And we are headed to Montana.

God has led us to the conviction that Montana (along with other
Mountain states) is going to be the tip of the spear in the freedom
fight; and we believe God wants us to be part of that fight. We plan
to start a new ministry where I can preach and my family can sing and
minister (you should hear them sing!). Once we get established and can
raise the funds, I definitely plan to livestream my messages on the
Internet as we have been doing at Crossroad for the past year and a
half. And if God opens the door, I will not rule out a run for State
office. Yes, the freedom message is both spiritual and political; and
I am afraid of neither!

For years, people have been asking me, "Chuck, what can we do?" Well,
this is what God has led my family and me to do. We are convinced that
the only way freedom has a chance to survive in these States united is
to recapture the spirit of liberty--one State at a time. (To continue
to focus on Washington, D.C., is a waste of time and energy!) And God
has led us to the conclusion that Montana (and nearby states) is the
place where freedom-minded patriots have a fighting chance to prevail.
Instead of telling you what to do, my family and I are showing you
what we believe we should do.

Is this move going to be easy? Are you kidding? We all know what the
housing market is like. We are experiencing the effects of this
depressed economy just like everyone else. Like everyone else, we all
have homes to sell or rent, and my two sons and son-in-law have
businesses to either sell or relocate. Without a doubt, this will be
the hardest move of our entire lives. We are leaving dear friends
behind; my children and their children are leaving their hometown and
school chums; we are trading a warm weather climate for a cold one;
and we are leaving the church that we have loved and served for over
three decades. In many ways, we feel like modern-day Pilgrims, looking
for a land of liberty.

Over the past two years, I have traveled more than 60,000 miles from
coast to coast and border to border. I have met and talked with
Americans from sea to shining sea. I have seen the states where real
freedom is virtually nonexistent. And I have seen the states where the
love of liberty still burns bright. And I (and my family) believe that
there are more freedom-minded people (per capita and per square mile)
in Montana than, perhaps, in any other State in the union.

So, after much prayer (and I mean much!), we believe God is calling
us to partner with those freedom-minded souls in The Treasure State.
Back in the 1880s, Montana experienced a gold rush. I believe that in
the 2010s, Montana is going to experience a FREEDOM RUSH. And for us,
the rush is on!

So, this Sunday, September 5, 2010, I will preach my last two
messages at Crossroad Baptist Church. Already, my dear friend and
ardent patriot, Wallace Nichols, of Birmingham, Alabama, has accepted
the call to be Crossroad's new pastor. And I know that this dear
congregation is under very capable leadership. In fact, I fully expect
the church to grow substantially under his ministry. And when that
happens, no one will rejoice more than my family and I.

Yes, I will continue to write this column; but while we are in the
process of moving (maybe 6 weeks or more), they will not be written
quite as often. I will attempt (with the help of a small but dedicated
staff) to produce at least one column a week (instead of two). Yes, my
web site, ChuckBaldwinLive.com will be maintained. And, yes, people
will still be able to support us via the website during this
transition.

My website is located at:

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/

To donate via online contributions, go to:

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?page_id=19

Yes, last Sunday was the hardest day of my life, but there will be
many hard and difficult days ahead for the Baldwin family. Each of us
is aware of that. We are not nave. We know we are headed for a
fight; we know it won't be easy. But we also know that freedom is
worth fighting for, and if Washington, D.C., is freedom's greatest
threat (and it is), then defiant, liberty-loving states are freedom's
greatest allies. I've been preaching that for several years now. I
guess it's time that I started practicing it. Therefore, Montana, here
we come!

*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these
editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be
made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?page_id=19

(c) Chuck Baldwin



NOTE TO THE READER:

Chuck Baldwin is a syndicated columnist, radio broadcaster, author, and
pastor dedicated to preserving the historic principles upon which America
was founded. He was the 2008 Presidential candidate for the Constitution
Party. He and his wife, Connie, have been married for 37 years and have 3
children and 7 grandchildren. See Chuck's complete bio at:

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?page_id=6
ª

[gaurdduck]

Heading to the same area as me? Whoa. Too weird.

[Basil Fishbone]

http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin617.htm

 THE PILGRIM SPIRIT

By Chuck Baldwin
September 29, 2010
NewsWithViews.com

Ever since God called Abram out of Ur, God's people have always possessed
a "Pilgrim Spirit." Think of it: Abram was called by God to leave the only
country and home he had ever known, his family and friends, and his culture
and way of life. To make matters worse, he did not even know where he was
going. And, of course, Abraham is known as the "Father of the Faithful."
Virtually all of God's children since Abraham have possessed an innate
pilgrim spirit. ...

...In fact, it is that same pilgrim spirit, that same spirit of liberty that
has invaded the hearts of my family and I, and has led us to take our own
pilgrimage to the Flathead Valley of Montana (the area around Kalispell, to
be exact). Our move to Montana should be mostly complete by the end of next
month.

Now, people should know we are not moving to Montana to create a "theocracy"
or to attempt to abuse or misuse the Natural Law rights of men to worship or
not worship as they see fit. We certainly plan to be faithful to the Gospel,
but the acceptance or rejection of that message is left to the individual
free will and volition of every person: this is a God-given right that I
would personally defend to the bitter end! Furthermore, I certainly am not
qualified to even pretend to be the Holy Spirit in another man's heart and
life.

We are certainly not gong to Montana to attempt to use government to force
people to do anything! My deeply-held conviction is that government's only
legitimate function is to protect the right of free men and women to make
decisions and choices for themselves, consistent with the principles and
precepts of America's Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and our
State and US constitutions. ...<snip>...

[Basil Fishbone]

http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin627.htm

MONTANA UPDATE



By Chuck Baldwin
December 9, 2010
NewsWithViews.com

After several weeks of moving and settling in, many readers have been writing me asking for an update on our move to the Flathead Valley of Montana. First, let me say, we love it here! The scenery is spectacular, especially now that winter has arrived. What the snow does to the landscape in this mountainous region is breathtaking! Driving through the mountains is like driving through Narnia. I have never seen such beauty.

As for the climate, it is not near as cold as people made it out to be. Coming from a warm weather State like Florida, one must learn how to dress in a cold weather State like Montana, of course. We have quickly learned to layer our clothing--and wear the right type of clothing. That is for sure. But in all honesty, I’ve felt colder in the Southeast than I often do here. Obviously, the cold weather lasts longer here, but the dry climate moderates the cold temperatures to a great degree. What I’m saying is, the cold weather of Western Montana is no big deal!

But the greater treasure of the Treasure State is its people. We love the people here in the Flathead Valley! As I have said before, it is my studied opinion that there are perhaps more freedom-loving people (taken on the whole) in this area than in any area of the country. Our living among the people of the Flathead only confirms my estimation. And even better is the fact that more and more patriots are moving to this area all the time. ...<snip>...

[Basil Fishbone]

A WOMAN'S WORLD

Chuck Baldwin goes to Montana

http://www.belgrade-news.com/opinion/columnists/columnist_two/article_867452f6-190c-11e0-a147-001cc4c03286.html


Posted: Wednesday, January 5, 2011 6:00 am

Chuck Baldwin goes to Montana By Izzy Lyman The Belgrade News | 0 comments

What could have been, if only Americans were less predisposed to career politicians.

In 2008 Chuck Baldwin, author, pastor, and broadcaster, was nominated as the presidential candidate for the third largest political party in the United States — the Constitution Party.

If Baldwin had become the leader of the Free World, he would have appointed Ron Paul as Secretary of the Treasury; there would be no ObamaCare; our borders would have been secured; and NAFTA and CAFTA would have been a thing of the past-a.

In short, Baldwin is the classic, history-respecting Christian constitutionalist, who has more in common with John Adams than John McCain. But Baldwin, age 58, has hardly retired from the fray. His Rocky Mountain West adventure has just begun.

After 35 years as pastor (and founder) of the Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, he, his wife, in-laws, children and grandchildren decided to move to Kila late last year. He explained, in a series of columns, that he was drawn to Montana not for the recreation nor the vistas nor the opportunity to hobnob with transplants from California nor the short summers.  ...<snip>...

[brian stewart]

I've been following baldwins move to kalispell. Since then I've checked sites about property and weather. I've checked sites for jobs. I would like to make the move but since I'm not independently wealthy it might have to wait. If anyone one this site would like to message me with what they like about living in montana I would appreciate it.

[gaurdduck]

The Kalispell area is expensive as far as land is concerned. I did find some land near the river (Flathead River) and the possibility of a home on stilts is being considered. It's 40+/- acres in a flood zone for $37k. I'm going to have a look this spring. Other than that, the cheapest land is mining claims. Further from town, the land can be as cheap as $200 an acre (you had to buy x number of acres though). The reason Kalispell is expensive is the proximity to 2 major rivers, several ponds, the largest natural lake in the western US, 8 major parks and 12+ ski resorts. To Lolo National Park alone, there are 8,000,000 guests a year.

[Basil Fishbone]

There is no Lolo National Park.  Glacier National Park is local to Kalispell, and it received about 2.2 million visitors last year.  Yellowstone, south of Bozeman,  gets a few more than that.  There may be 12 ski resorts in western Montana, but around Kalispell, there are, I believe, two.

Towns more toward central Montana will have cheaper land and housing, but not many jobs.  Mining claims will tend to be highly inaccessible, particularly in the Winter.

[gaurdduck]

My bad, it's Lolo National Forest.

It exists, I just goofed the name a bit.

[Basil Fishbone]

Yep. I figured that was where you got it.  Thankfully, the Lolo NF does not receive 8,000,000 visitors a year ! - nor does Glacier. :)  As they say, "If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot 'em?"

[brian stewart]

Thanks for the tips  if time and money would permit I'd like to spend a few weeks checking things out but good grief that would prob just be enough time to get confused. It would be a leap of faith for me to move my family out west. I'm gonna need a sign. Ohio has its problems but at least I have lots of like minded friends if it hits the fan. I don't know...just want to have options.

[Basil Fishbone]

A lot of useful information for those considering a move to Montana is archived here:

http://www.montana-alliance-for-liberty.org/

[brian stewart]

WOW Granite county has a population density of 2 per sq mile...thats what im talking about!  thats a far cry from being 5 min from walmart.

[Basil Fishbone]

Granite county has a sizeable contingent of freedomistas.  The Justice of the Peace is a friend of mine. The Sheriff is an Oath Keeper.

A lot of that country is mountainous with no easy access and likely owned by the Forest Circus, thus the really low average population density.  People live in Philipsburg, Drummond, a few smaller communities and rural subdivisions, and isolated ranches.

[Klapton Isgod]

Are the MAL Forums dead on purpose?  I tried to register there a year or so ago, but got no response.