'Sanctuary city' leader Scott Beard announces run for Abilene City Council Place 4

From the time he was in high school, Scott Beard said he was interested in the process of government.

"It's always been in my blood," he said.

Now, Beard, who pastors Fountaingate Fellowship, plans to put that early love to the test, throwing his name into contention for Place 4 on the Abilene City Council.

Beard's name recently has been in the news, specifically as a leader of the effort to make Abilene a "sanctuary city for the unborn." A proposed ordinance went before voters earlier this month, passing with 53% of the vote.

More:Voters declare Abilene to be a 'sanctuary city' with ordinance passage

His announcement follows that of Brian Yates, who also is seeking the Place 4 seat being vacated by Weldon Hurt.

Hurt announced Monday for mayor.

No one yet has filed for Place 3, currently held by Donna Albus.

With a good team behind him at his church and his children now grown, Beard, 63, said he now has freedom to take part in city government.

"There's an excitement in my heart about it," he said. "... We can all sit back and complain about things we see all day long, but at the end of the day, at some point, if you feel called to do it, then step out in faith and do it."

Beard said that faith may or may not translate into a win for him.

"Sometimes, the Lord has you do things in obedience just to test your obedience," he said. "... Obviously, I want to win. But I do feel like it's something I need to be obedient and do."

Solitary endeavor

Beard said the sanctuary city effort wasn't meant to be a run-up to his own political campaign.

"The primary motivation there was saving babies," he said of the ordinance that further criminalizes abortion in the city limits.

Beard said he was worried potential announcements by other candidates might force him to move up his own and give the appearance of "riding the coattails" of the sanctuary city vote.

"It was a wonderful win," he said. "But this is absolutely separate from that."

Beard said he has a love of the city that gives him a passion to see Abilene prosper.

He manages a church with a budget of more than $1 million per year, a 12-member staff and multiple buildings, grown from 60 to around 800 members.

Beard also has helped establish a group focused on "unifying the body of Christ," 1-Kingdom, now with 50 member churches.

He regularly engages in conflict management and counseling and has a business degree from Texas Tech University.

And Beard recently established a political action committee, Project Destiny Abilene, to spearhead the sanctuary city effort.

"And pastors have to have kind of thick skin," he said, perhaps a necessary skill in the current political climate.

Community standards

Beard's primary goal, he said, is "establishing a set of community standards that reflect the culture of a conservative city."

"We have a lot of folks that would deny this, but our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles," Beard said. "... And I'm going to hold true to that in terms of who I am as a believer, not just a pastor but as someone that loves the Lord, that sees the word of God as a moral absolute. That's a huge thing in my heart. I want to see our city blessed, I want to see our city prosper."

Beard said there are other parts of the puzzle he understands are part of city government.

Those include a need for solid infrastructure, including water and roads, as well as the "business side of what has to happen in a city."

Beard said his business degree would help in those endeavors, as well as his work running his church, including managing growth, building buildings and running capital funding campaigns.

Encouraging entrepreneurial spirit in the city by making Abilene a "business-first" community, while keeping future tax increases in check is also important, Beard said.

"I would be fiscally conservative, obviously," he said. "A growing tax base benefits us all."

Beard also wanted to maintain and grow the city's support of Dyess Air Force Base, while looking at ways to make the community attractive for younger residents to make their homes here and raise families.

"I want to be progressive in that sense," Beard said.

Standing firm

Beard said he doesn't plan to compromise who he is, and who God has made him, to try to appease everyone - mostly because he knows he can't please everyone.

But he does love people, he said, and that's not going to change if he takes public office.

"I don't want to make enemies out of anybody," he said, while understanding that some of his stances might alienate some.

"I wouldn't run for this office if I thought that I would have to in any way compromise who I am," Beard said.

But Beard said he never tries to burn bridges with people.

"If they decide to burn their half of the bridge, it's up to them," he said.

The community's friendly atmosphere is a big draw, he said, and he wants to work to to see it attract more businesses, more opportunities and more growth.

Those who love Abilene see it has a genuine charm and appeal, Beard said.

"I just want us to get better and better," he said. "I'm excited about the growth. I'm excited about the things we're seeing. ... I just want to see it continue."

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: 'Sanctuary city' leader Scott Beard announces run for council Place 4