Audio of Rep. Michele Bachmann's Prayer for Controversial Ministry

Listen to Congresswoman utter a fervent prayer for a controversial ministry that brings extremist, church-based ideology into public schools. What is "You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide Ministry" that Bachmann prayed for? From a comment on the Investigating Teen Challenge blog. At one point a member of the teen boys staff had tried to expose them to an alleged cult that he helped create with other area christians (and by christians i mean businessmen). The name is you can run but you cannot hide ministries. They advocate sexist, homophobic, & and radical messages about Jesus. They also have offshoot ministries to address more specific "issues". Hmmmm... wonder who those "businessmen" are? Here's an article by Jeff Fecke from the Minnesota Monitor (now MnIndy) about the YCRBYCH Ministry: A local Minnesota youth ministry believes that the pope is the devil, that attention deficit disorder, depression and alcoholism are myths, and that their organization is involved in a spiritual war for the soul of America. Support for those positions drew many Republican luminaries to the Minneapolis Hyatt on Saturday to honor You Can Run But You Cannot Hide. Former Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore and Julie Quist, vice president of the conservative group EdWatch and the wife of former GOP gubernatorial candidate Allen Quist, all spoke at the group's third annual fundraising dinner, and all strongly supported the ministry, which uses bait-and-switch tactics to preach its offbeat brand of conservative Christianity in public schools. Kiffmeyer, who served as a master of ceremonies for the event, praised the work of You Can Run But You Cannot Hide and the group's leader, Bradlee Dean. "They're not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, and their country, to preach it, and using that exercise of their freedom," she said. "When you've got folks like this going right into that educational system, don't let them stand alone." Moore, who was removed from his position after placing a granite monument of the Ten Commandments in the Alabama Supreme Court building and then defying a federal court order to remove it, said the stakes were clear. "We need to learn our history and our heritage. We need to take a stand like Brad [Dean] did in taking God back into our public schools," he said. "We're in a war today," Moore added, "and I don't care if you're white or black, whether you're young or old, whether you're male or female, every one of you children here remember this: We are fighting a spiritual war in America today. A war in which they're trying to take away our basic right to acknowledge the God who created us, and we have to take a stand." Former Shorewood Mayor Tom Dahlberg also praised the group, saying, "The people of this ministry have the distinction of being kicked out of several high schools, and even one whole town, escorted by the cops. And let me tell you that when I heard that story, I knew I had to get involved." The group has been assailed in a number of states, including Arkansas, Iowa and Wisconsin, for signing on as an anti-drug motivational group and then preaching its conservative Christian message in front of mandatory school assemblies. Here is an account of a YCRBYCH assembly conducted by KKMS radio personality Bradlee Dean: The music was so loud a concerned staffer distributed literature detailing the threat of permanent damage to children's hearing ability, including that of about 135 7th and 8th graders bused in from the middle school. Assembly rules waived... Some students and teachers walked out.  High School principal David Childers intervened when two teachers ordered students to return to the assembly and allowed them, and others, to leave. Following the musical assault, lead speaker Bradlee Dean, founder of Minneapolis-based YCRBYCH, spoke about his life as a reformed cocaine addict.  Speaking at a blistering pace while writhing from one foot to the other, Dean shouted about homosexuality, abortion, divorce, single-parent families, liberal politicians, the news media, gun control, the Kennedy assassination, creationism, Christianity and the sanctity of virginity. Dean said pornography increased by 97 percent when Bill Clinton was President and opined that "blaming Columbine on guns is like blaming spoons for Rosie O'Donnell being fat." After two hours in the gym, the boys, girls and faculty were divided into separate groups. Dean faced immediate opposition from some of the teachers corralled in the EAST lab.  Teachers' initial comments included: "This is propaganda;" "I was completely offended;" "Faith based nonsense;" and “You shouldn't even be here." One teacher asked Dean what the "Jesus song had to do with drug awareness?"  He responded, "There is nothing in our Constitution or founding documents about separation of church and state," and characterized evolution as just a theory. English teacher Cathy Remenar explained the difference between evolution and creationism, saying "one is scientific theory and one is religious theory," and added that it is the school's obligation to teach the former but not the latter. Dean sped into a rap about the need for more corporal punishment and too much free speech and permissiveness in schools, adding that Dr. Benjamin Spock's son committed suicide. Leftovers? In the girls' assembly, Amy Deitchler walked out when a female YCRBYCH staffer told the young ladies they would be serving "leftovers" to their husbands if they lost their virginity before marrying a "God fearing man." Walk-out Kristen Cuypers, said, "They're selling us propaganda.  I don't think I should be told how God affects my life."  Allyson Pokrzywinski, a junior, said, 'I don't think this is legal.  This is a violation of our rights.  I believe in separation of church and state."  Ashley Smith said, "They're trying to create fear by stereotyping." ...... Easy pickings... The men and women in black drove a $100,000 rig out of town after the revival.  They're banking on receiving $2,700 for the three-hour rave to be paid by the Eureka Springs School District with federal funds distributed by the Arkansas Department of Education. The YCRBYCH web site makes no mention of the group's ideological bent but does list its corporate sponsors.  Among the corporations with local ties are Best Western, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Super 8 Motel and Holiday Inn. According to a June 16, 2001 article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press covering reaction to a YCRBYCH assembly, more than 60 parents petitioned their school board "to investigate possible malfeasance by an administration that turned the other cheek while Dean humiliated our children." More accounts of the assemblies in this Minnesota Monitor article. The website for YCRBYCH is down, but there is another website that hosts a download of the Bachmann speech given at a YCRBYCH event just before she was elected to Congress (we'll have full audio soon).