The Cost of the Franchise

Let us not forget what it cost. The right to vote was not given to our ancestors—it was extracted from a reluctant nation through blood, sacrifice, and unyielding faith. Medgar Evers. Fannie Lou Hamer. John Lewis. Martin Luther King Jr. They did not march so we could stay home on Election Day.

The Pastoral Mandate

As pastors, we are called to equip the saints for every good work. In a democracy, civic participation is a good work. When we fail to encourage our people to vote, we are not being neutral—we are being negligent. We are stewards of a legacy that was paid for in blood.

So I charge you, pastor: register your people. Educate your people. Pray for your people. And lead them to the polls. Not as Democrats or Republicans, but as citizens of a nation and citizens of the Kingdom, exercising the freedom that God provided through the sacrifice of those who came before us.

"Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." — Jeremiah 29:7