“Political, Not Partisan”

POSTER/FLYER – CHURCH BULLETIN INSERT

The In the Loop Ministry Group and the Dismantling Racism Team Kick Off the Vote our Values (VoV) Postcard Campaign on Sunday, September 8th .

Have you heard about the election coming up on Tuesday, November 5th ? Unless we’ve been hiding under a pile of rocks, we hear little else in a presidential year. This one is no different! In fact, it seems more contentious than most. Some say that people of faith should stay out of the political arena at all costs. ITL and DRT join the PCUSA in calling on you to think differently about our faithful responsibility to engage in civic participation. In fact, it’s in the Book of Order. We are called to participate in the ministry of Christ’s church by “living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural and social relationships of life.” (G-1.0304). We are called to be political, not partisan.

As recently as 2018’s “Honest Patriotism,” the General Assembly has weighed in on “our church’s long commitments to active civic engagement, responsible citizenship and prophetic witness, believing these commitments to be rooted in our faithful response to God’s call to be stewards of Creation” and a witness to “the corrosion of democratic institutions.”

According to “Honest Patriotism,” Presbyterians confess they, like other citizens of the United States, have paid “scant attention” to the voices of people of color, to women and LGBTQ persons.

“When we see such marginalization of voices in our congregations, we must correct it,” the document states. “When we see such marginalization of voices in our civic life, we must combat it.”

In 2008, the 218th  General Assembly approved “Lift Every Voice: Democracy, Voting Rights and Electoral Reform.” That study points out “the variety of constraints that continue to be imposed on African Americans, other persons of color, and poorer and working class citizens of all races (such as purged voter rolls, disproportionate levels of felon disenfranchisement, higher percentages of challenged voters, unproven allegations of fraud and practical obstacles to poll access).”

“The ‘good news,’” the paper states, “is that what we do for the least powerful among us politically benefits us all, opening our political system’s access to the God at work in the experience and voices among new citizens, the young, the poor and increasingly aging voters, with fewer economic resources to spare and more needs. We do not need to let poverty and fear-based thinking paralyze our democracy any further.”

Since 2022, ITL and DRT have called the presbytery’s churches to action to address our “neighbors” who are the targets of voter suppression and disenfranchisement. Our message is a non-partisan GOTV (Get Out the Vote) message. In 2022, 9 churches sent over 3,000 hand-written postcards to Black voters in Virginia. During the Congressional Primary elections in May 2024, 17 churches and the ITL youth group sent 2,800 postcards. Our goal for the general election is to send 5,000 postcards. We know we can meet that goal if even more of our churches and friends take action.

You Can Help By:

• Participating in the campaign kickoff on Vote our Values Sunday on September 8th.
• Offering prayers for a peaceful and just election during Sunday worship and during your personal prayer life. Prayers can be found here.
• Bulletin inserts can be downloaded here.
• Appointing a Team Captain to recruit volunteers from your congregation.
• Making a goal for how many postcards your congregation will write.
• Email voteourvalues@gmail.com to sign up. Include your Team Captains contact information (name, email and phone number), and the number of postcards you are reserving.
• Attending the brief training Zoom on September 10th (the session will be recorded if you can’t attend). Understanding the rules and instructions – and following them precisely – is extremely important.
• Picking up packets at the Gathering on September 14th at Korean United Presbyterian Church (1501 N Rolling Rd, Catonsville, MD), or at the VoV Headquarters at Knox Presbyterian Church (1300 N. Eden St., Baltimore, MD). The church is open Tuesday – Saturday, 9 am – 1 pm.Please call ahead to plan for pick up, (410) 385-0900.
• Mailing postcards during the assigned mailing window in your packet.

Presbyterian Church USA Election Center

https://www.votervoice.net/PCUSA/ElectionCenter
This page serves as a one-stop place for you to update your voter registration, get to know your
current policymakers, and learn about candidates running for upcoming elections in the United
States. 

The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness has launched an online video series, Prepare for the
Polls, to help members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and other interested voters prepare
for the general election in November.