(Micah 6:8)

As a public church called to witness to God’s love for all God has created, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) affirms the importance of participation in society by all people, including people of faith. The ELCA social statement, The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, which guides our public speech and ethical actions, commits us to “work with and on behalf of the poor, the powerless, and those who suffer, using [this church’s] power and influence with political and economic decision-making bodies to develop and advocate policies that seek to advance justice, peace and the care of creation.”

Scripture reveals God’s presence in all realms of life, including political life. This church understands government as a means through which God can work to preserve creation and build a more peaceful and just social order in a sinful world. The electoral process is one way in which we live out our affirmation of baptism to “serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus,” and “to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.”

An important part of faithful civic engagement is abiding by the law: any participation by churches in the electoral process must be strictly nonpartisan, transparent, and legal. Following and engaging with the issues that come up during the electoral process is an excellent way to get to know our local and global neighbors and their concerns, and become better equipped to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God through our actions in the public square.

Our Christian faith compels us to attend to the world through the lens of our relationship to God and to one another. As a public church, we have a responsibility to step outside our comfort zones and challenge ourselves to address issues that affect families, communities, and neighbors throughout the world. As a church body, the ELCA uses its prophetic voice boldly to address important political, social, and economic issues that affect local and global communities. This work grows out of our theological understanding of God at work in the world and is articulated in the social statements of this church, which you can find at www.elca.org/socialstatements on the Web.

The issues addressed on this web page grow out of these social statements and can be raised with candidates in all forums. Each community will have its own particular issues of concern beyond those on the national and global scale, of course, which require careful thought. These issue briefs are intended to be a resource for us as we engage in conversation, Bible study, reflection on Lutheran theology, and discussion of the ELCA social statements, as well as our personal, prayerful discernment about how we will vote.

It is my hope that this information will be a useful tool as you and your congregation wrestle with faithful responses to difficult issues in this election cycle and those to come. Remember that voting is the first step towards faithful civic participation; many more opportunities to use your voice on behalf of those in need are available at www.elca.org/advocacy.