Charlotte Pence Bond has had a front-row seat to some of the most significant political moments in recent memory.
Bond, the eldest daughter of former Vice President Mike Pence and former second lady Karen Pence, has watched her parents navigate the ups, downs, and in-betweens of political life. She saw her father serve in Congress and as governor of Indiana before ascending to the second most powerful position in the world.
That experience has undoubtedly been unique. But despite growing up in a public and political family, Bond recently told CBN’s “Faith vs. Culture” all of it was pretty routine and described her upbringing as “normal.”
“I don’t know that it was that weird to me,” she said. “When it’s all you know, it’s just all you know.”
Bond, who openly shared her Christian faith, spoke about witnessing her father and mother live out their beliefs in open and authentic ways, which helped positively shape and inform her faith walk.
Watch Pence share her faith, upbringing, and more:
“My parents have always lived out their faith,” she said, calling them “good role models.” “Their faith, in general, is just so evident always … there was no anxiety about anything.”
Bond specifically spoke of her parents’ approach to political campaigns, explaining how they rely on God to navigate the uncertainty that comes with elections. While many people seek power, wealth, fame, and riches above all else, Bond said this isn’t her parents’ approach to life.
In fact, former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, have a saying they revere — a clarion call for all of his political campaigns: “we’re not going to flap.”
The roots of this inspiration came before Pence’s 2000 congressional race when the couple observed hawks flying in the sky and noticed they were “just letting the wind carry them.”
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“When they [were deciding whether to run for] Congress in 2000 … we were in Colorado, and they saw these two hawks flying, and my dad and mom were trying to make this decision,” Bond said. “My mom said, ‘Well, if we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it like these hawks.'”
Karen Pence continued, “We’re going to do it like the two hawks with no flapping, and if God’s going to lift us to a position, He’s going to do it, but we’re not going to flap to get there.'”
Bond said this lesson has become prevalent throughout their family and political teams. The Pences, she said, wait for God’s direction before taking action.
“Always with my parents is this idea: if God is calling you to something … whatever you’re being called to, just rely on God,” she said. “And don’t try to get there by means that are not right.”
Bond said her parents raised her and her siblings not to be afraid to ask questions and to own their beliefs.
The Pences showed their children authentic faith and encouraged them to embrace it and let them come to those conclusions independently. Watch Pence share her faith journey here.
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