Nearly half a century ago, a modest Bible study in a Dallas country club sparked a movement dedicated to this mission: empowering Christians to amplify their faith.

Roaring Lambs Ministries (RLM) seeks to raise up roaring lambs, namely, those who boldly share their faith and proclaim the name of Christ. Spearheaded by Garry Kinder in 1980, the ministry has grown from intimate workshops to broad outreach, equipping Christians to share their testimony with clarity and courage. Its crowning tradition, the Roaring Lambs Hall of Fame, celebrates those who have run the race with enduring faithfulness. Some prominent names who have been honored in the past include Oliver North, Tom Landry, Truett Cathy, Mary Kay Ash, John Wooden, Lisa Beamer, and Zig Ziglar — to name a few.

This year, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins joins their ranks.

In an exclusive interview with The Washington Stand, RLM Executive Director Donna Skell shared deeper insight into both the ministry as well as the reason Perkins was chosen as this year’s honoree. “I was just very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time,” she reflected. “It was a local pastor and a local businessman who decided they wanted to start a Bible study that would meet at the country club in Dallas. Their mission was to reach what they called the ‘up and outers’ — people who had been successful in life but didn’t have a relationship with the Lord.” For these two men, the goal was to “expose the word to people in the business world.”

From those humble beginnings, RLM evolved into a beacon for bold faith. Skell noted, “We have a gathering, our Hall of Fame gathering, where we honor men and women who are so exemplary of sharing their faith and honoring the Lord verbally out in the open, unashamed. All of our past honorees are listed, and it’s quite an impressive list of wonderful men and women [who] really deserve to be recognized for their bold faith.” And Tony Perkins, she said, “fits right in there.”

“He’s certainly vocal about his faith,” she added, noting that Perkins is evidently a “man that God has blessed with an extra sense of energy and determination and willpower to just keep on going. He is a man after God’s heart, and when we have nominations, his name was nominated.” Perkins was chosen to be honored for this year’s Hall of Fame “based on who he is and his obedience to the Lord for doing what the Lord has called him to do.”

Skell acknowledged, “What he’s doing is not easy. He’s taking a stand and, as we saw with Charlie Kirk, when you take a stand, there’s always a risk. And yet, that hasn’t deterred him from speaking boldly and speaking the truth and being unashamed of the Bible” — all of which are “the prerequisites of being a roaring lamb. He fits the bill perfectly — in excess.”

The Hall of Fame, Skell explained, isn’t just recognition — it’s inspiration. She explained how Kinder, who founded RLM, intentionally did not select young people to honor in the Hall of Fame. Why not? “Because he felt like they hadn’t lived through some pressures and hard times,” and Kinder wanted to honor only those who had weathered life’s trials while remaining steadfast.

“When I look at the list of honorees that we’ve been able to honor over the years,” she continued, “it literally blows my mind that we were able to contact them, and they agreed, and they all showed up in person. And as a result, I think they were really blessed by the honor. You know, nobody wants to seek honor for themselves, but when honor is given, it’s a blessing to the person it’s given to. And we just want to bless Tony with this honor of taking time out and recognizing who he is because of his commitment to Jesus Christ, and then what he’s been able to do in the world because of that.”

After the ceremony, Perkins told The Washington Stand, “I am very grateful to Roaring Lambs for the ministry in promoting the word of God beyond the walls of the church. It was an honor to be nominated for this recognition by General Vernon Lewis, a true American Patriot.”

Lewis told TWS that the admiration was mutual. “Tony is special,” he said. “He influences people in powerful positions. He makes a difference for Jesus where it really counts.”

As for RLM, Skell is pleased to see how far the movement has come. From a handful of Bible study attendees to banquets of over a thousand, she stated, RLM’s growth is a testament to God’s faithfulness. “We don’t take any credit,” Skell insisted, but “Tony is in good company in the Roaring Lambs Hall of Fame.”