MEET OUR SPEAKERS!
Joseph Backholm
Joseph Backholm is Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at Family Research Council. He combines extensive legal, political, and policy experience with a love for the way biblical truth cultivates human flourishing.
Previously, Mr. Backholm served as legal counsel and Director of What Would You Say? at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview where he developed and launched a growing platform that creates short, animated videos answering common questions about faith and culture. His YouTube career began as a self-identified "6'5 Chinese Woman" in a series of YouTube videos exploring the logic of gender identity.
He served as a legislative attorney for three years and spent 10 years as the President and General Counsel of the Family Policy Institute of Washington in Washington State where he managed educational, legislative, and electoral operations on behalf of life, marriage, religious freedom, and parental rights. He led three ballot initiatives on marriage and gender privacy.
He is a Washington State native who loves travel, sports, and whatever his kids are into. Joseph received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and his law degree from Seattle University. He and his wife Brook have four children.
Previously, Mr. Backholm served as legal counsel and Director of What Would You Say? at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview where he developed and launched a growing platform that creates short, animated videos answering common questions about faith and culture. His YouTube career began as a self-identified "6'5 Chinese Woman" in a series of YouTube videos exploring the logic of gender identity.
He served as a legislative attorney for three years and spent 10 years as the President and General Counsel of the Family Policy Institute of Washington in Washington State where he managed educational, legislative, and electoral operations on behalf of life, marriage, religious freedom, and parental rights. He led three ballot initiatives on marriage and gender privacy.
He is a Washington State native who loves travel, sports, and whatever his kids are into. Joseph received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and his law degree from Seattle University. He and his wife Brook have four children.
David Closson
David Closson serves as the Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council where he researches, writes, and speaks about life, human sexuality, religious liberty, and related issues from a biblical worldview. He is the author of FRC's Biblical Worldview Series, which seeks to help Christians and Christian leaders apply the teachings of the Bible to difficult moral questions.
David's work has appeared at Fox News, Real Clear Politics, National Review, The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Decision Magazine, WORLD Opinions, The Gospel Coalition, Townhall, and Christian Post. He is the author of the forthcoming book Life After Roe: Equipping Christians in the Fight for Life Today (B&H Academic, 2025) and is the co-author of Male and Female He Created Them: A Study on Identity, Sexuality, and Marriage (Christian Focus, 2023). David is a regular guest on Washington Watch, FRC's national television and radio program heard on over 800 stations in forty-eight states.
While in seminary, David served as a Teaching Assistant and as an assistant to the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Seminary. He has also served as a Program Leader for Covenant Journey, leading trips to Israel designed to strengthen Christian college students in their faith through an experiential journey of biblical and modern Israel. David has served on staff or as an ordained deacon at churches in Florida and Kentucky. He also interned for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Since 2024, David has served as a Fellow for Human Dignity and Public Policy at the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Currently, David is a Ph.D. candidate in Christian Ethics at Southwestern Seminary. David is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.) and the University of Central Florida (B.A., political science, cum laude).
David lives in the Washington, D.C. area and is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
David's work has appeared at Fox News, Real Clear Politics, National Review, The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Decision Magazine, WORLD Opinions, The Gospel Coalition, Townhall, and Christian Post. He is the author of the forthcoming book Life After Roe: Equipping Christians in the Fight for Life Today (B&H Academic, 2025) and is the co-author of Male and Female He Created Them: A Study on Identity, Sexuality, and Marriage (Christian Focus, 2023). David is a regular guest on Washington Watch, FRC's national television and radio program heard on over 800 stations in forty-eight states.
While in seminary, David served as a Teaching Assistant and as an assistant to the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Seminary. He has also served as a Program Leader for Covenant Journey, leading trips to Israel designed to strengthen Christian college students in their faith through an experiential journey of biblical and modern Israel. David has served on staff or as an ordained deacon at churches in Florida and Kentucky. He also interned for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Since 2024, David has served as a Fellow for Human Dignity and Public Policy at the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Currently, David is a Ph.D. candidate in Christian Ethics at Southwestern Seminary. David is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.) and the University of Central Florida (B.A., political science, cum laude).
David lives in the Washington, D.C. area and is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
