Simi Valley, California, is most famous for being the home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. If you’ve never seen the beauty of the area firsthand, just recall scenes from “Little House on the Prairie — as they filmed the show in the valley.
I’m beginning a new series of interviews with Christians who have worked to take “Jesus into the Public Square” by running for local elected office. Many of these people attended Issachar Training workshops — campaign and election training sessions for Christian pastors who are considering a run for public office.
Some will win and some will lose. Organizing for a Christian return to the public square will involve both hard work and also wearing out the knees of our pants in prayer.
I caught up with Simi Valley resident Raymond Cruz this week and talked to him about his involvement with campaigning for local office and his prison ministry too.
Tell me about your background. You’ve worn several hats during your life. Describe that for us.
I used to be a corporate banker in New York. Then we moved out here to Southern California. The bank bought out another, and I wound up out of work. I went into nonprofit consulting, and then during the last 20 years, I went back to school for my mediation certification. And I got my pastoral and counseling credentials too. Then, about three years ago, I was ordained as a pastor.
Now I work with an organization called Awana Lifeline. Awana is part of that organization out of Chicago that does children’s ministries. But Awana Lifeline does jail ministry. We take the gospel inside the jails. I am a counselor for inmates who are preparing to leave and get out. I work with what is called “re-entry ministry” — helping them leave jail with the hope that they don’t go back. Obviously, this work is a big change from corporate banking.
You currently serve on the California Republican Party’s Central Committee for Ventura County, an elected position within the GOP. What does that involve?
California is broken up into 55 counties. In Ventura County, we have the GOP committee made up of four representatives in each of 11 cities. I am from District Four, Simi Valley.
As part of our responsibilities, we help other candidates that are running for public office with their campaigns and with fundraising. We call or we vet the candidates. Some we are able to say, “You’re going to have the support of the Republican party,” and others, “You’re not going to get it” or “We will support you, but this is what we’re going to recommend that you do.”
So, that’s what I’m doing right now. I ran for this seat and I’m in my sixth year, or the third term, on the Central Committee.
Prior to that, I ran for school board a couple of times. I lost my first campaign by about 700 votes. The second time I lost by 300 votes. I got close but no cigar.
I attended two American Renewal Project events in recent years — one in Las Vegas and one here in Southern California. And I’ve known Rob McCoy (pastor and member of Thousand Oaks City Council, just down the road from Simi Valley) — and David Lane too.
What are your thoughts on pastors running for local office?
I think one of our biggest responsibilities is to not separate church from state. This has always been my feeling, my conviction. I was always convinced of this and then converted to run for public office. Rob McCoy helped me do that, telling me, “You should run for school board.”
I was a school teacher before I became a corporate banker. And my wife is an educator. She works for the Simi Valley School District. So, I thought that I could make a difference in education.
What practical counsel or encouragement would you give to another pastor who’s considering more involvement in the public square?
I would definitely encourage them to get involved with local politics. As Christians, we simply have to become more involved. We owe it to our fellow citizens, our fellow residents, our constituents — to lead by example. To lead by prayer. To get the Bible back into the schools. The get back to conservative ideals. It is our belief that our country was based on biblical principles.
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