Voting Day
Photo Courtesy of Greg Weeks.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – United Methodist bishops based in the United States today issued a statement on Faith and Democracy, calling on the people of The United Methodist Church to support voter registration and encourage people to vote in the November 3 elections.
Council of Bishops President Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey made it clear that the statement is not a statement of or from the Council of Bishops but is a conciliar statement by United Methodist Bishops living in the United States.
“We are not speaking FOR the church, but TO the church, in this context. In our journey toward dismantling racism, a core practice is the history of voter suppression and the encouragement of the right to vote. We seek to ground this in our tradition and in the present moment,” said Bishop Harvey.
The statement noted that the U.S. was undergoing a national crisis precipitated by COVID-19 pandemic and racism, and the economic consequences of both.
“In these crises we are reminded that our religious faith and our nation’s principles support elections that faithfully reflect the will of the American people. Our faith in God who created all people in the divine image, and our hope that our nation can live into the aspirations of our founding ideals, lead us to pledge ourselves to the fullest expansion of this right to vote,” the statement said.
Here is the bishops' statement:
A Crisis of Faith and Democracy
A statement by United Methodist Bishops in the United States
Signatures below
October 12, 2020
The right of every citizen to vote in the United States is under attack, and with it, the foundation of American democracy and the sacred worth of all persons. We call United Methodists to vote and to protect free and fair elections and peaceful transfer of power.
A faithful retelling of the story of Methodism in America and the history of The United States must consider the influence of each on the other. They came into being alongside one another, and similarities in development of the two are undeniable. The narrative includes noble ideals and shameful actions, astonishing opportunity and disturbing discrimination, ethical vision and moral failure.
Our church and our nation are both democratic institutions. Through a system of conferences, from the local church to a global assembly, Methodists discuss, debate, and vote in order to discern the will of God. The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church affirm that we “hold governments responsible for the protection of the rights of the people to free and fair elections.” (BOOK OF DISCIPLINE, ¶164).
As Bishops of The United Methodist Church who reside in The United States, we affirm our democratic institutions. However, we believe that the democratic processes of our country are under great threat. This is particularly evident in the reality of widespread initiatives to obstruct voter registration and to suppress voters from casting their ballots with confidence they will be accurately counted.
The right to vote is rooted in a commitment to the value of all persons, created in the image of God as individuals of sacred worth. This belief in the sacredness of humanity is a foundational principle of many religious traditions present in the American body politic.
The legacy of injustice told in civil rights museums across our country is one of suppression of the vote. And the legacy of white supremacy and privilege continues. At times this suppression has been overt, as when one was required to own property or be a white male to vote. At other times it is more nuanced, as in moving or eliminating polling places, or in sowing confusion over early voting or voting by mail. Such actions undermine the people’s confidence that voting matters. And in some instances, where the people have affirmed the right to vote for convicted felons who have served their sentences, state legislatures and governor’s offices have sought to overturn the will of the people in order to suppress the vote.
Efforts by our government or elected officials to suppress the freedom to cast ballots violate the high principles upon which our nation was founded. By contrast, these high principles are affirmed and realized when elected officials and government entities promote, defend, and guarantee the unfettered right of all citizens to choose our leaders in free and fair elections.
The greatest hallmark of a democratic institution is the peaceful transfer of power once the will of the people has been established. This model of democracy has existed within our country for over 220 years. It is incumbent upon those who participate in democratic processes not only to ensure each citizen’s right to cast their ballot, but to respect the result of those ballots once counted. When we resist this aspect of our democratic franchise, we undermine the whole and corrupt the foundation of our republic.
We are in a moment of national crisis as we navigate two viruses, COVID and Racism, and suffer the economic consequences of both. In these crises we are reminded that our religious faith and our nation’s principles support elections that faithfully reflect the will of the American people. Our faith in God who created all people in the divine image, and our hope that our nation can live into the aspirations of our founding ideals, lead us to pledge ourselves to the fullest expansion of this right to vote.
To that end we call upon the people of the United Methodist Church to use their influence in their states, legislative districts, and local precincts to enable voter registration and to encourage elected officials to provide the resources necessary to support the fullest possible participation in November’s elections. This would include the provision of an adequate number of accessible polling sites and the support of an efficient process of counting mail-in ballots. Our identity as a democracy requires no less.
Affirmed by the following United Methodist Bishops in the United States:
Bishop David Alan Bard, Michigan Area
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, New York Area
Bishop Ken Carder, Retired
Bishop Kenneth Carter, Florida Area
Bishop Ray Chamberlain, Retired
Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher, Retired
Bishop Charles N. Crutchfield, Retired
Bishop Sally Dyck, Chicago Area
Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar, Boston Area
Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, Washington Area
Bishop Elias Galvan, Retired
Bishop Larry Goodpaster, Retired
Bishop William Boyd Grove, Retired
Bishop Grant Hagiya, Los Angeles Area
Bishop Laurie Haller, Iowa Area
Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, Louisiana Area
Bishop Susan Hassinger, Retired
Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, North Georgia Area
Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata, Phoenix Area
Bishop Janice Huie, Retired
Bishop Alfred Johnson, Retired
Bishop Peggy A. Johnson, Philadelphia Area
Bishop Scott Jones, Houston Area
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, Wisconsin Area
Bishop Charlene P. Kammerer, Retired
Bishop Paul L. Leeland, Charlotte Area
Bishop Richard C Looney, Retired
Bishop John M. (Mike) Lowry, Fort Worth Area
Bishop Ernest Lyght, Retired
Bishop Tracy S. Malone, Ohio East Area
Bishop Joel Martinez, Retired
Bishop Marcus Matthews, Retired
Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey, Retired
Bishop Michael McKee, Dallas Area
Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, Pittsburgh Area
Bishop Sue Morrison, Retired
Bishop Fritz Mutti, Retired
Bishop Karen Oliveto, Mountain Sky Area
Bishop Bruce R. Ough, Dakotas-Minnesota Area
Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, Ohio West Area
Bishop Jeremiah Park, Harrisburg Area
Bishop Joseph Pennel, Retired
Bishop Sharon Rader, Retired
Bishop Ruben Saenz, Great Plains Area
Bishop Robert Schnase, San Antonio Area
Bishop John Schol, Greater New Jersey Area
Bishop Ann Sherer-Simpson, Retired
Bishop Dan E. Solomon, Retired
Bishop Elaine Stanovsky, Greater Northwest Area
Bishop Forrest Stith, Retired
Bishop James E. Swanson, Mississippi Area
Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, Raleigh Area
Bishop Peter Weaver, Retired
Bishop Woodie White, Retired
Bishop Richard B. Wilke, Retired
Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., Retired
Bishop Joe A. Wilson, Retired
The Rev. Dr. Maidstone Mulenga serves as communicators director for the Council of Bishops.