RSG Dean Michele Bachmann Talks
Vision, Truth & the Power of Saying Yes
Michele Bachmann never planned on becoming dean of an esteemed school of higher education. But like any successful marriage proposal, when asked if she would accept the position of dean of the Robertson School of Government for Regent University, her answer was a resounding yes.
In fact, throughout Bachmann’s distinguished career as a federal tax litigation attorney, former U.S. Congresswoman (and first Republican woman from Minnesota elected to the House of Representatives), a founding member of the congressional Tea Party Caucus, and Republican presidential nominee, her plan has always been this:
Say yes.
“My career plan has essentially been saying yes to the leading of the Holy Spirit,” shares Bachmann. “I came to know Christ when I was 16 years of age, and since that time, through His still, small voice, He has called me into various adventures. I’ve said yes, by faith, and at each turn, the door of opportunity has been something that I couldn’t have designed or imagined. That lifelong journey has now brought me to Regent University and the opportunity to serve as dean of the Robertson School of Government.”
Since assuming her new role in January, Bachmann has big plans for the Robertson School of Government, including supporting Chancellor M.G. “Pat” Robertson’s vision of matriculating 300,000 graduates from Regent University.
“My plan is to build on the already excellent foundation laid at the Robertson School of Government and focus on training tens of thousands of men and women in the effective biblical truths of government to change not only America but nations around the world with biblical leadership. If we truly want to change the world, governance is a powerful tool to do that.”
“At the Robertson School of Government, we maintain fidelity to principles of success and principles that work. Those are the principles espoused in the Bible, chief among which is equal protection under the law.”
Michele Bachmann
Dean, Robertson School of Government
It’s a tall order—but one that Bachmann seems to have been preparing for since her very first pivotal leadership role: becoming a mother to five biological children and 23 foster children.
“I think that profound experience of being a mother is what led me to want to be involved in politics,” shares Bachmann. “I didn’t have a personal interest in politics, but when I saw what the influence of the public school was on the choices that my children would have in their future, I became quite concerned.”
In addition to Bachmann’s early passion for education reform, earning her Juris Doctor degree from Oral Roberts University (whose law library and students transferred to Regent Law in 1986) was equally impactful.
“That truly changed the course and direction of my life,” she says. “Until Regent, I had never encountered learning from a biblical worldview. We were taught the black letter law the same as any other law school, but what was unique about Regent was the fact that students were also taught the timeless truths of what the Bible teaches.”
As the Robertson School of Government’s dean, Bachmann is committed to sharing those same timeless truths with current and future world leaders.
“Regent offers students a significant, competitive advantage to their peers in the marketplace,” states Bachmann. “Why? Because our academic excellence is so high, and our parallel focus is on the practical application of eternal biblical truths. For 5,000 years of recorded human history, these timeless truths have worked every time. That’s a pretty good record.”
Now more than ever, according to Bachmann, the world needs to hear those truths.
In March, Bachmann and the Robertson School of Government hosted a virtual conference on election integrity featuring nationally renowned speakers and expert panelists such as Dr. Ben Carson, Mark Steyn, Eric Metaxas, Secretary Jay Ashcroft, and others.
With close to 60,000 viewer impressions nationwide the day of the event, this public conference discussed the importance of freedom of speech and election integrity in a representative democracy, as well as addressed rising concerns around election irregularities, voter fraud and the future of America’s electoral process.
“There’s really no other industry that is encountering more change today than American governance,” Bachmann says. “We live in a postmodern world where truth and law are taught as relative, where all subjects are taught as relative knowledge, and there is a belief that all people should not be equal under the law. This is dangerous ground because of the uncertainty that thinking creates. Let alone, inequality under the law is antithetical to American tradition and thought.”
She adds, “At the Robertson School of Government, we maintain fidelity to principles of success and principles that work. Those are the principles espoused in the Bible, chief among which is equal protection under the law.”
These very principles have served Bachmann well through a storied career that has taken her from activist mom to serving in state and federal government, to ultimately serving in international settings at the United Nations and speaking to kings, crown princes, prime ministers, and presidents around the world.
Today, she is championing future Christian leaders to follow in her footsteps—that is, to experience the miracle-working power of God and to ultimately change nations with the transformative power of the Gospel.
“I pray every day for God to speak to the brightest minds in America, calling them to attend the Robertson School of Government, to learn from our godly, brilliant, practical faculty, then go out and apply those godly principles to change their world,” says Bachmann.
To successfully do that, says Bachmann, they’ll have to tackle what she believes is the singular problem in governance across the globe: corruption.
“Corruption emanates from the heart of sinful man, but we have the anecdote to that,” she shares. “Only changed hearts and changed lives revolutionized by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit can challenge and corral corruption.”
And who better to carry that message to the world than the tens of thousands of Regent students who will leave equipped with a biblical understanding of governance and apply those principles for the betterment of people’s lives and happiness.
Adds Bachmann, “There is an even greater need to expand our ranks of people who know what is true, who will speak what is true, and who will act within the safeguarded limitations of what is true because that leads to the betterment of society—and ultimately—the betterment, happiness and redemption of mankind.”
Are you called to join the ranks of our alumni who are Christian leaders changing the world? To learn more about the programs offered through Regent’s Robertson School of Government, visit regent.edu/rsg.
The Robertson School of Government is an institutional member of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) and the American Political Science Association (APSA). Students learn from prominent faculty members and practitioners and participate in meaningful internships in Washington, D.C.; and across the country. Over 1,100 alumni occupy strategic positions in state/national legislatures, the White House, local/state government, and the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services.
