Family Talk

Dr. James Dobson: You're listening to Family Talk, the Radio Broadcasting Division of the James Dobson Family Institute. I am that James Dobson, and I'm so pleased that you've joined us today.

Roger Marsh: Well, welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I'm Roger Marsh. Happy election day 2026 to you and your family. You know, real change in any community begins with people. Laws and policies may shape a nation, but as Ralph and Danielle Drollinger have found out, they believe that lasting influence begins much deeper. It begins in the heart. Today we are returning to Dr. Dobson's conversation with Ralph and Danielle, the co-founders of Capital Ministries. In part one, we heard how their individual journeys of faith eventually brought them together with a vision for reaching men and women serving in government.

And today here on this election day, the conversation will turn to what the ministry looks like in action, bringing in-depth Bible teaching to public servants and encouraging Christians to pray for those who carry the tremendous responsibility of leadership, especially those men and women who will be elected to office later today. Now, this is a fascinating look at faith, public service, and the calling Ralph and Danielle believe God placed on each of their lives. So, let's listen in as Dr. James Dobson talks with Ralph and Danielle Drollinger of Capital Ministries on today's edition of Family Talk.

Dr. James Dobson: Well, Ralph and Danielle, we were talking about something very exciting at the end of the program, and that has to do with the spread of Capital Ministries, your ministry, which is really Bible study and devotions for people in Congress and now in the White House. I think you said there are 11 members of the White House cabinet really. I mean, the Lord is blessing it. You're in the house of representatives. You're in the the Senate and in 42 states across the country. And you also told me when we were in my office a few minutes ago that your international and many countries are in.

Ralph Drollinger: Yeah, we have about 24 federal capitals overseas.

Dr. James Dobson: How do you explain this? You guys started with nothing. You don't look like a wealthy man. Where did the resources come to do all this?

Ralph Drollinger: The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit. Well, you know all those fundraising principles and money follows ministry. And Bill Bright used to tell me big visions inflame the hearts of men. So, we've always found that God's work done in God's way does not lack for God's support. So, we just keep pioneering, pushing the envelope, and then we watch him grow our budget accordingly. It's just amazing and we're we're not in debt. We never have been, but we never have a whole lot of extra. I'm sure it's like that I'm sure it's like that for you.

Dr. James Dobson: I understand that. I understand that. Now, assure me that you're not giving what we call thin soup to these people. Are you really giving them the unexpurgated gospel of Jesus Christ? You're not editing it. You're giving the word of God to these folks.

Ralph Drollinger: Yeah, I have a seminary background of exegetical precision is the seminary that I went to taught me to really think in terms of the Great Commission Jesus says, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And Paul went in book of Acts, he addresses the Ephesian elders who come down to the port city of Miletus to visit him while he's hurrying back to Jerusalem. He says, elders, I did not shrink. He started the Ephesian Church, spent three years there. He says, I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. And so those two passages really inform my ministry philosophy that I need to be about the blocking and tackling every week of preparing a high protein diet, word of God that's not only exegetically drilled down deep, but has a custom application to the life of a public servant.

And you know, when you do those two things, there's not a whole lot of stuff out there like it. And so we just came out for instance with 52 my Bible studies. I write 52 eight page Bible studies per year. I have done that for

Dr. James Dobson: One a week. I'm holding one of them in my hand. It's unbelievable that you get that done.

Ralph Drollinger: So, it's c a p m i n short for Capital Ministries capmin.org is where you can subscribe and get through your email every week or through our app the actual Bible study that I'm going to be teaching in DC that week. And actually these to tell you the truth are supplication to what I teach when they're there together. So, when they're there together, we open the word and right now we're in the second chapter of James. We've been in James now for a year. We spent two years in the Sermon on the Mount prior to that.

Dr. James Dobson: You find hunger there? Is there hunger in the leadership?

Ralph Drollinger: Yeah. Oh, absolutely. The fact that they'll sit there and let me teach without interrupting me and hopefully, you know, I have something to say that I didn't say last week. So, I have to do my homework and be prepared because they want a high protein diet. And the high protein diet builds spiritual musculature. So, I'm all about expositing the word of God week in and week out, which is a tremendous tremendously disciplined life to do that.

Dr. James Dobson: You allow them to ask you questions?

Ralph Drollinger: No, not at all.

Danielle Drollinger: Yes.

Ralph Drollinger: Please and please don't interrupt me, Dr. Dobson. No, I uh we have

Dr. James Dobson: You sound like a Bruin, man.

Ralph Drollinger: It's called typical Trojans. They're always interrupting me.

Dr. James Dobson: Danielle, what's your role in this?

Danielle Drollinger: A lot of administration and a lot there's a lot of new members that are women that Ralph would have no way of really intimately knowing and counseling and helping with them. And I'm able to do that. Um we have quite a few women in all three of the Bible studies.

Dr. James Dobson: Yeah. Are you thrilled with what's taking place?

Danielle Drollinger: I love it. I there's nothing better than watching a member actually digesting the word that you bring from the kitchen unadulterated. You know, here's here's the meal.

Dr. James Dobson: Yeah. Unexpurgated.

Danielle Drollinger: There you go. That's a good word.

Dr. James Dobson: I know Bruin's going to understand that.

Danielle Drollinger: We didn't know that word, right.

Ralph Drollinger: See if you're using it right.

Danielle Drollinger: And to watch them eat that meal and then implement it in their life. There's nothing like that. I mean, we can expect men and women in office to vote right if they reject the author of the book that we live by. You just can't. You have to start at the heart of the matter, which is the heart of the man and the heart of the woman. Good laws come from good hearts. Bad laws come from bad hearts.

Ralph Drollinger: That 's right. And you know, the word of God says of itself that it's living and active. And do we really believe that? If we really believe that it's living and active, then to write out a Bible study that not only we look at when we're all together in our respective physical Bible studies, but we can hand these out to thousands of other people and we walk the halls every week and hand it out to 150 offices that ask for it within the Senate and the house.

Dr. James Dobson: Do you really you deliver them yourself?

Ralph Drollinger: Yeah. Yeah, and then we deliver them electronically too. And I think in our worldwide ministry, we have over 50,000 people that read them in five different languages. We just started an Arabic translation because of all places Capital Ministries is going to Iraq because there's a pastor there that wants to be the ministry leader for Capital Ministries in Baghdad because he's got all these parliamentarians in his church. And that's a long story, another radio program.

Dr. James Dobson: You've got four editions here that you brought. And uh this is really a compilation of these weekly

Ralph Drollinger: Right.

Dr. James Dobson: Bible study of

Ralph Drollinger: So, of the Bible studies I write every week for the members, I've chosen 52 my favorite that I think are most pertinent to Christian worldview development and put them in a four volume tome called Oaks in Office. And we hope that this becomes materials that a local layman in his own city would use to disciple a couple city council members.

Dr. James Dobson: How do they get it?

Ralph Drollinger: They go to capmin.org capmin.org and they can order it there or they can go to Amazon or Barnes and Noble. But I think you'll find them scintillating. Do you know that word?

Dr. James Dobson: I I work on that one.

Ralph Drollinger: But they're very much drilled down exegetically deep, but have a custom application to the specific life of a public servant. And so I'm hoping God will use these to make disciples in city government ministries throughout the nation, which America sorely needs because most of the guys in DC come from state capitals. And most of the guys in state capitals come from local city government. There's 40,000 incorporated cities in America. Virtually none have outposts for Christ. And so we're trying to utilize Oaks in Office as the fodder to develop disciples amongst the political people group as they emerge and start in their career path.

Dr. James Dobson: Danielle, you proud of this man?

Danielle Drollinger: Oh, so proud. It's just it's really fun to be in ministry with him and see what the Lord's doing by

Dr. James Dobson: Do you uh speak or meet with women's groups?

Danielle Drollinger: You know, I haven't that much because we're traveling back and forth every week across the country.

Dr. James Dobson: That's not an excuse. You're good at it. Why wouldn't you do it?

Danielle Drollinger: Oh, I don't feel so good at it. Um but maybe maybe someday I'd like that.

Ralph Drollinger: We have been so busy with the start of all these ministries throughout the world that it's just been consuming.

Dr. James Dobson: I don't know how you do it really. I don't.

Danielle Drollinger: Yeah, when your husband says, oh honey, this weekend we're going to Ecuador. You know, what do you do?

Ralph Drollinger: We just we just started a new ministry in Ecuador.

Danielle Drollinger: Yeah.

Ralph Drollinger: And the American ambassador who's a believer is helping us with that. We've got a great Ecuadorian ministry leader and the assistant to the speaker, the equivalent in their parliamentary system of their speaker. She's a strong believer and she just asked our ministry leader to come in and start a ministry in the capital with all the members.

Danielle Drollinger: Yeah.

Ralph Drollinger: So, we're seeing that happen all over the world.

Dr. James Dobson: How about Romania? You told me you

Ralph Drollinger: Yeah, we're in Romania. We're in Ukraine. We're about to start in Latvia. Uh we have a new guy that we're bringing into the EU. He's going to be the ministry leader in Brussels. And one week out of the month they meet in Strasbourg, France. So, you got to be agile and he's going to develop ministry amongst the 26 nation EU Parliament in Brussels. And from there be our regional director to start ministries in all the Western European federal capitals.

Dr. James Dobson: God is doing something here.

Ralph Drollinger: Oh, it's just wonderful. I we can't keep up with it. But you know what it really gets you up in the morning just like I know you and your ministry, it just so invigorates you when you're doing what God's called you to do. There's nothing better, is there?

Dr. James Dobson: There really isn't. There's no greater thrill than winning somebody to Christ or helping to restore a family, a marriage, helping with parenthood. But what you all are saying is that um there is something going on here in the United States that we have not seen before. But it it has an international flavor to it. You know, to have the senior person, the secretary of these departments of government uh I've never seen anything like that happen before. These are very very busy people.

Ralph Drollinger: And well, we meet at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday mornings because they hardly sleep. You know, you get to that level, you're probably this way too. You don't sleep a lot when you have a lot of responsibility. And I think it's a Holy Spirit enablement. And so we see members coming to the cabinet Bible study 15 minutes early. They'll get there if we're not set up and we have to because of ethics, we have to serve them with Capital Ministries, China and silverware and Capital Ministries buys all the food because we don't want government support. We don't want to use the staff of the government to do that even before hours of employment.

And so we we have to confine to ethics, but we find if we're not set up in time, they're there before we're set up because they just want to fellowship with one another. But it's an interesting dimension. It's more so with the White House cabinet than even the Senate or the House. And that's because the White House cabinet because a lot of their confirmations in their department heads haven't occurred because of stoppages in the in the the Senate. They're the only believer in their whole department. And so the only time they get solace from one another from other believers is at the cabinet White House Bible study.

So, they show up early just to fellowship with one another. And it's sometimes we have to kind of kick them out and tell them to go to work because they really enjoy one another's company.

Dr. James Dobson: Well, I'm I'm going to ask you a provocative question. Without being overtly political about it, uh talk about what you 're seeing with President Trump. Uh you think he's growing spiritually and he is just take a run at that without

Ralph Drollinger: I do. Well, you know, I I don't want to divulge pastoral confidentiality, but he writes me back notes on my Bible studies quite often.

Dr. James Dobson: Does he really

Ralph Drollinger: And they're they're really great notes of encouragement to me. And he says, I really enjoyed this Bible study. And this happened to be one I remembered. I'm it's called are you a try-traditionalist or a pentatraditionalist? And I won't go to that. That's a whole another half hour. But basically he likes the pentatraditional view of God's

Dr. James Dobson: Does he know that word?

Ralph Drollinger: He does now. I can teach it to you too, even though you're from USC. I think you'll you'll catch on. But anyway, basically relates to how God mediates his reign through five institutions today. One being government, one being the church, one being the family. You're familiar with that. One being commerce and the other being marriage. And I can go into that, but I have a whole Bible study on that. And it really helps. If I can only teach one Bible study for one hour to a person, especially the president, it would be that Bible study.

And Trump wrote me back on that one saying how much he likes it because it helps you to think clearly through difficult issues.

Dr. James Dobson: Uh I would like you all to give me and give us your vision best case for America.

Ralph Drollinger: Wow. You want to go first, Danielle?

Dr. James Dobson: You ever been asked that question before?

Danielle Drollinger: No, no one has.

Dr. James Dobson: Well, I bet you've thought about it.

Danielle Drollinger: To see men and women disciples in Christ running for office at every level um and that seasoning their institutions, you know, whether it be the state level, the county level, the city level or or government at the highest levels.

Ralph Drollinger: I would add to that a quote that I think codifies the answer to that in my heart. Earl Rodmacher, the past president of Western Theological Seminary in Portland, Oregon, a good Baptist school seminary up there, he once said and I've always remembered this from my college days, right actions begin with right thinking and right thinking begins with thinking right about God. So, how can you expect right actions in terms of the course of a nation unless your nation's leaders think right? And how can you expect them to think right if they don't know the word of God?

And we're in a biblically illiterate America, increasingly so. And so if we don't get our best Bible teachers on the campuses rubbing shoulders with not only our president, but our up and coming political leaders, it's all for naught. Making America great again will soon be reversed. If there has to be a spiritual dimension to this and it comes through the church doing its job of teaching the word of God to political leaders. And so that's what Capital Ministries is all about.

Dr. James Dobson: You and Danielle were talking earlier about the your views on the Apostle Paul's ministries. Speak to that.

Ralph Drollinger: Well, it's interesting when you survey the book of Acts that first of all when the Apostle Paul was ordained by Christ for ministry or converted in Acts and I would call it the the Damascus Road experience, Acts chapter nine. It's interesting to see that he blinds Jesus blinds Saul. And then he sends a surrogate messenger named Ananias to go to Saul to explain why he's been physically blinded. And in Acts 9:15 Jesus says, go Ananias, for he Saul is a chosen instrument of mine to declare my glory before the house of Israel and kings and the Gentile nations.

So, if you pick up on that one specificity of Basiliscus in the Greek, kings and you trace that forward from Acts nine, you see that Paul basically on the three missionary journeys goes to Capital Cities. 14 of the 18 cities that he planted churches in on the three missionary journeys were Capital Cities. And Luke who's writing the book of Acts recording all this of the 14 individual conversions that are recorded in the book of Acts, nine of them are politically related people.

Dr. James Dobson: Really.

Ralph Drollinger: Yeah. And if that's not enough, who is Luke writing Acts two and who does Luke write the Gospel of Luke two to most excellent Theophilus? And we know from our Greek uh Theophilus that basically most excellent in the Greek means a political leader. So, he's writing Luke and Acts to convert one political leader to Christ. And if you do a word count because Luke is kind of a doctor who's long-winded, not that all doctors are long-winded. He basically if you take a word count of Luke and Acts together, it's one third of the total word count of the New Testament.

So, you could reason that one third of the total New Testament word count is written to influence one political leader to come to Christ. And so I say theologically that the key to the Great Commission, the key even as it says in 1 Timothy two, how are you going to have a nation that's really on the right track? It's to convert political leaders and to build them in Christ like

Dr. James Dobson: And to pray for those in authority over us.

Ralph Drollinger: That's right. First of all then which is first of importance Timothy, Pastor Timothy is that you pray prayers. And we know from verse four evangelistic prayers for kings and those who are in authority so that and this is called the hena clause in the Greek. If you pray evangelistically for political leaders in order that the hena clause you may live a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. And that's a here and now promise. If you want to make America great again, the biblical formula is to evangelize political leaders because God's word promises us that if we evangelize and disciple political leaders, which Paul Acts 9:15 was called to do and we see him carry out that calling in the preceding chapters of the book of Acts, then that's the way you create a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity in the here and now.

Dr. James Dobson: What do you say to the pastors out there who say politics is dirty and it's we have the separation of church and state and I really don't want anything to do with what happens in politics or those political leaders and uh how do you link what you just said with this aversion

Ralph Drollinger: Yeah. I would say this. Well, Mr. Pastor out there if you just heard what I said, that is that Paul was evangelizing political leaders. Why in the world are you not doing so also? The key to your city's future, the key to our state's future, the key to our national future is for you to start discipling political leaders. And that's what 1 Timothy two 1 through four says is the key to a successful nation. And of course that has nothing to do with the eternal ramifications of God's kingdom, which we're all about primarily. But if you want effect for the here and now, then be about getting outside the walls of your church and go down to City Hall, find a couple City Council guys that you can win to Christ and start maturing them in the faith.

And then buy Oaks in Office, which will give you probably two years of really good Bible studies specifically related to them to mature them in Christ.

Dr. James Dobson: Uh the one of the most important things Martin Luther King wrote was letters from a Birmingham jail sent to government in essence, you know. So, there's something a little weird about this unwillingness to be influential in the culture and

Ralph Drollinger: Yes. Yeah. Well, even look to parallel to Philippians, you know. At the end of Philippians, Paul he says it's a prison epistle. He's gone up the peninsula of modern day Italy. And we know from Acts to to witness to Caesar. Caesar doesn't come to Christ, but the other people of Caesar's household did. He says the brethren of Caesar's household greets you also. So, he was about his Acts 9:15 commissioning to the end where he's reaching kings and those who are in authority.

Danielle Drollinger: And Dr. Dobson, I would challenge pastors to read through the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, and look at the heart of God when it comes to kings. It's consistent all the way through. Yes.

Dr. James Dobson: Yeah. He sets them up, doesn't he?

Ralph Drollinger: Give your website where people can contact you or help you or get these weekly Bible studies. Yes. Yeah, they can get these Bible studies and pray and not only study for your own edification, but pray that these would be adhered to by the life of our public servants throughout the nation. And it's at capmin.org. That's capmin short for Capital Ministries capmin.org. That's all the address you need.

Dr. James Dobson: God be with you guys.

Ralph Drollinger: Thank you.

Danielle Drollinger: Thank you, Dr. Dobson.

Ralph Drollinger: Well, what a timely conversation on a day when millions of Americans are making important decisions about the future of our nation, our communities, our states, and the country on the whole. You've been listening to Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk where we have featured the conclusion of Dr. Dobson's conversation with Ralph and Danielle Drollinger, co-founders of Capital Ministries. Now, if you missed any part of today's conversation, remember you can always listen to it again online. You can even share the program with a friend as well. Go to drjamesdobson.org or jdfi.org. Those websites are one and the same and you can find the audio there.

Now, throughout today's program, Ralph and Danielle emphasized the importance for praying for those who serve in positions of authority. And here on this election day 2026 we want to encourage you to do exactly that. As people all across the country head to the polls, be sure to pray for our nation, pray for wisdom and discernment for every voter, and pray that those entrusted with leadership will seek wisdom, exercise integrity, and recognize the tremendous responsibility that they have been given. More importantly, remember that our hope is ultimately not found in any political party and he candidate or any election result.

Our hope is found in God who remains sovereign regardless of what will happen all around us. And by the way, if you'd like a a quick primer on why it's so important for us as believers to steward our vote on election day, check out the free ebook from the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. It's called Voting and the Church, Why Christians Engage the Public Square. You can download a free copy. It's only 10 pages. It's very easy to use and it's very user-friendly and we'll be happy to get it to you today just in time for election day 2026.

You can download your copy of the ebook Voting and the Church, Why Christians Engage the Public Square when you go to drjamesdobson.org. The Family Talk broadcast comes to you each and every day as a result of the generosity of friends like you who believe as we do in religious freedom, respect for the American founding, and righteousness in our culture. This is the work that God has called us to do here at the JDFI and we can't carry it forward without you. Your donation of any amount helps keep biblical truth on the air and in the hearts of families from coast to coast.

Remember you can give a gift over the phone when you speak with a member of our constituent care team. That number is 877 732 6825. That's 877 732 6825. You can also give a gift online. Our secure website is drjamesdobson.org. That's drjamesdobson.org or if it's easier, just use those initials jdfi.org. That'll get you to the exact same website. Well, I'm Roger Marsh and from all of us here at Family Talk and the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, thanks so much for joining us today. Please continue to pray for our country and for those who serve it.

And may that commitment to prayer continue well beyond this election day. Now, be sure to join us again next time right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk, the voice you trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.