Congressman Jody Hice, Founder
Jody was born in Atlanta and grew up in Tucker where he ran track and played football at Tucker High School. Jody graduated from Asbury College. He earned his master’s degree from Southwestern Seminary and his doctorate in ministry from Luther Rice Seminary. For nearly 25 years he served churches in Barrow, Gwinnett, Taylor, and Walton counties. He has also served as a professor at Luther Rice Seminary.
In 2003 Jody was thrust into the public arena when the ACLU sued the Barrow County Board of Commissioners to force the removal of a Ten Commandments display from the courthouse. Viewing this as an attack upon the freedom of religious expression and upon the cultural and spiritual heritage of our nation, Jody founded Ten Commandments – Georgia, Inc. to assist in supporting the county’s legal defense. Shortly thereafter, Jody established Let Freedom Ring (now The Culture and Values Network) to defend constitutional liberty.
In September 2008 – and in years since Dr. Hice joined with thirty-two other pastors across the nation in challenging an IRS code that he considers an attack upon religious liberty. The IRS threatened churches with loss of tax-exempt status and with criminal sanctions if political issues were addressed from the pulpit. Hice took his bold stand by formally endorsing a candidate in a Sunday message and sending a copy of it to the IRS. The IRS backed down.
As a pastor, Dr. Jody Hice was a leader of the annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday movement sponsored by the Alliance Defending Freedom. This yearly event challenges the “Johnson Amendment” to the IRS tax code which censors what pastors can and cannot say from the pulpit. Just last year over 1,600 pastors nationwide participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday. As a congressman, Jody introduced legislation to abolish the “Johnson Amendment.” Through his leadership in this battle with the IRS, Dr. Hice has shown himself to be a proven fighter for our constitutional rights and protector of our freedom of speech.
Jody is a member of the NRA, Gun Owners of America, Georgia Sports Shooting Association, Georgia Gun Owners, and Georgia Carry. He is an ardent advocate of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
Jody and Dee Dee Hice were married in 1983 and raised their two daughters in Walton County. Jody and Dee Dee now reside in Greensboro, Georgia and love spending time with their four grandchildren.
In 2014 Jody Hice was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to serve Georgia’s 10th congressional district. His focus in Washington is repealing Obamacare, securing our borders, rebuilding our military to keep Americans safe, and overhauling our nation’s tax code.