By Paul Baxley

As this Election Day begins, I invite all Cooperative Baptists to join me in a time of prayer for our nation. Just as the Prophet Jeremiah called the Israelites to work for the well-being of the communities to which they had been sent into exile and pray to the Lord on their behalf, so we are called to work for the well-being of our communities and pray for the nation in which we live. Surely, we must pray for the end of political violence and hate, and for a season of healing and renewal in our communities and in our nation. 

 As we pray, can we celebrate that so many have already cast votes in this election and pray that all of our fellow citizens will be able to exercise their consciences without coercion, fear or hindrance? This is not merely a matter of law, but for us Baptists, it should be a reflection of our deep and lasting commitment to religious liberty for all. 

 As we pray, can we pray for an end pulverizing partisanship that has consumed our nation for too long? As congregations, can we offer a witness to a more excellent way? Still the overwhelming majority of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship congregations are marked by a political and theological diversity. We are still places where people come together in worship and mission who do not always think the same way or vote the same way, and yet in our lives we find ways to offer a witness to Christ’s love. Are our congregations called to a unique witness in this moment? Can our Cooperative Baptist family offer our nation a more compelling, unmistakably Christian, authentically Baptist approach to difference? 

 May we use our prayers, our words, and our actions in ways that lead to healing, reconciliation and just and genuine peace for the sake of Christ and his mission in this world. 

Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley is Executive Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship