Southern Baptist leaders are urging Christians to vote responsibly in the upcoming national elections.
Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear referenced apostle Paul to underscore the importance of voting. Greear is the pastor of multi-site The Summit Church headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.
"In Paul's day, ultimate authority resided in the emperor, so Paul could only pray for government leaders to act justly (1 Timothy 2:1-4) and encourage those leaders, whenever he had the opportunity, to think biblically about their roles," Greear told Baptist Press, mentioning Acts 25:10-11 and Romans 13:1-4. "In the United States, however, 'we the people' sit in the ruler's chair, and bear ultimate responsibility for how authority is used.
"... In our system of government, if we fail to be informed, and to vote, we are every bit as negligent as would have been a governor in Paul's day who spent all his time in leisure and never attended to the matters of state," said Greear.
National Voter Registration Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Tuesday of September and about 20,000 volunteers in all 50 states participate in a "day of civic unity" and "an opportunity to set aside differences and celebrate our democracy." The volunteers focus on registering voters, helping them receive election reminders and learn about early and mail-in voting.
In 2018, the most recent nationwide elections, just 49% of registered adults cast a vote, according to the U.S. Census. In 2019, National Voter Registration Day volunteers registered more than 473,700 citizens who may not have registered without their assistance. According to their website, the effort has amassed more than 3 million voter registrations since its founding in 2012.
Other members of the SBC Executive Committee extolled the necessity of voter participation from Christians. These included SBC Executive Committee Chairman Rolland Slade, SBC Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd, and Marshal Ausberry, SBC first vice president and president of the National African American Fellowship of the SBC (NAAF).
Slade, pastor of Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon, Calif., told Baptist Press that Christians should consult biblical values before they make their voice heard.
"Rushing into the ballot booth at the last minute is not being a responsible voter. We need to take time to read and study the issues, statements and compare them to what the Word of God says," he said. "We know in doing so, that there will be areas that will fall far from alignment and [other areas] that will be closer. Voting is a precious privilege that we must take seriously."
Ronnie Floyd, Senior Pastor of Cross Church, a multi-campus church in Northwest Arkansas explained that the involvement of Christians in the electoral process is essential.
"Since the founding of our republic, Christians have been active in American government, shaping our Constitution and federal institutions and opposing moral wrong," Floyd said. "Our worldview shapes everything we do, including how we approach our citizenship. It is important that we take seriously our right to vote and stay informed about the issues that our country faces today."
The election season has been marred by social unrest, ignited by the murder of George Floyd and worsened by a global COVID-19 pandemic that has killed about 200,000 Americans. Marshal Ausberry, who leads a fellowship of 4,000 African American congregations, enjoined Christians to "not get discouraged with all the vitriol," but to "stay focused and vote."
"Voting is a way to influence the direction of the nation," Ausberry said. "Even if your candidate does not win, your vote makes a statement that lets the winner know that there are a significant number who think differently and their views must be considered."
Ausberry also reminded churchgoers and Americans that "it is a wonderful opportunity to live in a nation where your vote is not a rubber stamp."
