MERRILLVILLE, Ind. -- A pair of retired United Methodist ministers who have been vocal opponents of gambling say they plan to step down as leaders of the Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.
The Rev. John Wolf, 85, a Valparaiso resident who founded the group 11 years ago, and its vice president, the Rev. Richard Hamilton, 76, of Indianapolis, plan to leave by the end of the year.
"It's time for a new generation to take over," Wolf told the Post-Tribune of Merrillville in a story Monday.
Wolf said he and Hamilton, who has worked on the anti-gambling crusade for the past six years, are waiting to make a formal announcement about their departure until the United Methodist Church announces a replacement for Bishop Woodie White. That announcement is expected this coming weekend.
"We don't pretend this little group that John's headed has been a powerhouse, but it's kept the issue alive," Hamilton said. "We've made a mark."
Wolf began the Indiana chapter of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling in 1993, amid the voter referendums called for by the casino boat gambling law, which passed the same year.
By the end of 1993, four counties had rejected casino gambling: Porter, Dearborn, Clark and Floyd. Referendums were approved in three cities in Lake County, in LaPorte County and in several counties along the Ohio River in southern Indiana. In fewer than two years, 10 casino boats plied Indiana waters.
In the years since, it has been an increasingly uphill battle for Wolf. Despite the pronouncements by Gov. Frank O'Bannon and Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton that they did not favor expansion of gambling, the Indiana General Assembly expanded access to the casinos by removing a requirement that they cruise.
Even after he and Hamilton step down, Wolf said he will continue to fight for funds to run a comprehensive study into the impact of casino gambling on the state.
"The next generation is going to have to give a new perspective, now that we have had casinos around for more than 10 years," Wolf said.
"I don't think it (the group) will move on in exactly the same form," Hamilton said. "None of us knows what that will be."
Indy Star
The Rev. John Wolf, 85, a Valparaiso resident who founded the group 11 years ago, and its vice president, the Rev. Richard Hamilton, 76, of Indianapolis, plan to leave by the end of the year.
"It's time for a new generation to take over," Wolf told the Post-Tribune of Merrillville in a story Monday.
Wolf said he and Hamilton, who has worked on the anti-gambling crusade for the past six years, are waiting to make a formal announcement about their departure until the United Methodist Church announces a replacement for Bishop Woodie White. That announcement is expected this coming weekend.
"We don't pretend this little group that John's headed has been a powerhouse, but it's kept the issue alive," Hamilton said. "We've made a mark."
Wolf began the Indiana chapter of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling in 1993, amid the voter referendums called for by the casino boat gambling law, which passed the same year.
By the end of 1993, four counties had rejected casino gambling: Porter, Dearborn, Clark and Floyd. Referendums were approved in three cities in Lake County, in LaPorte County and in several counties along the Ohio River in southern Indiana. In fewer than two years, 10 casino boats plied Indiana waters.
In the years since, it has been an increasingly uphill battle for Wolf. Despite the pronouncements by Gov. Frank O'Bannon and Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton that they did not favor expansion of gambling, the Indiana General Assembly expanded access to the casinos by removing a requirement that they cruise.
Even after he and Hamilton step down, Wolf said he will continue to fight for funds to run a comprehensive study into the impact of casino gambling on the state.
"The next generation is going to have to give a new perspective, now that we have had casinos around for more than 10 years," Wolf said.
"I don't think it (the group) will move on in exactly the same form," Hamilton said. "None of us knows what that will be."
Indy Star
