By Sharon Kirkpatrick Felton & CBF Communications

CBF’s Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice and Leadership Initiative (McCall Initiative) in collaboration with CBF Advocacy invites you, your church or a small group to participate in its first advocacy campaign focused on voter rights. The goal of the campaign is for 50 Baptist churches to participate in encouraging and equipping those historically left out and facing challenges to vote. 

CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley encourages congregations to participate.  

“Because so many of our congregations are already places where people come together who do not think in the same way, vote in the same way or hold exactly the same convictions, we are uniquely suited to use our voices and our influences to interrupt the destructive, divisive and paralyzing partisanship that is breaking the fabric of our communities,” Baxley said.  

Since 2021, there have been over 40 states that have cumulatively 322 restrictions passed or pending that limit voter participation. The voter restrictions disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), college students, seniors, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated and the LGBTQ+ community.  

This current campaign aims not to seek legislative changes, but to ensure all are equipped to meet the standard to vote and are given the opportunity to have their voice counted. 

Baxley reminds us of Jeremiah’s famous instructions to the exiles in Babylon that they “work for the welfare of the community” to which they were being sent. (Jeremiah 29:7). Making sure all people in our communities can express convictions is a way of working for the well-being of our communities.  

The McCall Initiative is partnering with nonpartisan voting rights organizations to assist our CBF churches to engage in voter rights work. There are opportunities to engage at various levels and in a multitude of ways. The opportunities will range from phone banking, letter writing, data entry, providing voter identification assistance and so much more. Whether you choose to partner with one of the identified groups or have your own partner organization, we’d like to know who you are working with on this campaign. 

“So many of our congregations are already places where people come together who do not think in the same way, vote in the same way, or hold exactly the same convictions,” Baxley said. “We are uniquely suited to use our voices and our influences to interrupt the destructive, divisive and paralyzing partisanship that is breaking the fabric of our communities.” 

Our Baptist heritage was born out of freedom. As Baptists, let’s come together to ensure every person has the freedom to determine their leadership and how their community should work. All of us are created in God’s image and all should be afforded the opportunity to cast their vote without restrictions because of their race, economic standing, zip code or party affiliation. 

Learn more here to access information about various partner organizations. Choose the organization you wish to work with or let us know of another group you are partnering with. 
 
After completing the form, get started by connecting with your partner organization. We will follow up to see if you have any other questions. We will follow up to see if you have any other questions and are available to provide further assistance. 

Thank you for joining us in this campaign to ensure that all citizens are equipped to exercise their right to vote! 

“Loving our neighbor means treating them with worth and dignity. Loving our neighbor works for the best interest of all. Loving our neighbor means making sure everyone has the right and the opportunity to vote. Loving our neighbor means making a just world for all of God’s children, not just those who ae privileged.” Matthew 22:36-40 

“Let us march on ballot boxes, until somehow we will be able to develop that day when [all people] will have food and material necessities for their bodies, freedom and dignity for their spirits, education and culture for their minds.”—Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Our God Is Marching On,” March 25, 1965.

Rev. Sharon Kirkpatrick Felton serves as Congregational Advocacy Manager for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Learn more about at http://www.cbf.net/votingrights.