Archive profile summary
Religious-political organization founded by Pat Robertson in 1989 that became a major 1990s vehicle for voter guides, grassroots organizing and evangelical participation in Republican politics.
Why this entry is in the archive
A major 1990s bridge between evangelical organizing, voter mobilization and Republican politics.
Origins
The Christian Coalition grew out of Robertson’s post-1988 political network and quickly became a major evangelical organizing institution.
Ralph Reed era
Ralph Reed served as executive director from 1989 to 1997 and became closely identified with the organization’s grassroots and voter-mobilization strategy.
Political role
The organization distributed voter guides and organized religious conservatives around elections, helping institutionalize a recurring evangelical electoral constituency.
Evidence limits
Voter mobilization is not evidence that churches, voters or allied groups were centrally controlled by the Coalition.
Government investigations and tax-status controversies should be described through specific records rather than generalized as proof of illegal political activity.
Timeline
- Christian Coalition forms
Pat Robertson founds the Christian Coalition; Ralph Reed becomes its first executive director and helps build a national voter-mobilization network.
Relationship records
Pat Robertson → Christian Coalition
Founder and president · 1989
Evidence status: documented
Ralph Reed → Christian Coalition
Executive director · 1989–1997
Evidence status: documented