A nonpartisan initiative called Our Church Votes hopes to motivate evangelical Christians to vote in this year’s elections.
“We are trying to reach every church,” CEO Jason Yates stated. “We are trying to call every church in America that follows Christ, that believes the Bible is true. We’re asking each and every church to engage their congregation and to hold at least one voter registration drive before the elections to encourage and equip the attendees, the members of their church, to be a part of this process.”
Our Church Votes, which is an initiative of My Faith Votes, a non-partisan movement that encourages Christians in America to vote in every election, says that in 2016, more than 25 million Christians chose not to vote. By focusing on their faith in 2020, Yates wants all these inactive Christians, along with active ones, to exercise their right to vote with the principles of Jesus in mind
READ: Current party platforms of Democrats and Republicans
“We recognize that as Christians, God gives us passions and pursuits that may lead people one way or the other, but what we are calling people to do is to vote not right/left, donkey/elephant, but the lamb and to think about what Jesus’ principles are,” he said.
The Our Church Votes initiative was created specifically for pastors and other church leaders to help them engage with their congregations about the political process and reflect on how they can bring their faith to bear on it in a non-partisan way.
“Elections are happening,” Yates said. “It’s on everyone’s mind. They hear about it, so how can we help church leadership engage their congregations and encourage them and do it in a way that points to Jesus and nothing else?”
This election cycle, Yates wants Christians to think of their political participation as adding salt and light to the process.
“We’re called to be an influence in our culture, in our society,” he said. “I often talk about the verse Galatians 6:10 that says as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, especially those in the faith. and I describe our opportunity to vote is an opportunity to do good. It’s not the good that the world necessarily knows or believes, but it’s a good of who we serve.”
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
