Collective Presence
Justice Statement on Voting
(Galatians 6:2, Proverbs 31:8–9, and Luke 10:1)
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Across generations and across every place our people have gathered to pray, to heal, and to rise again, we have learned this truth: democracy is a spiritual practice. Voting is one of the ways we incarnate our faith in public life. It is how we honor the ancestors who could not vote, and how we protect the children who will inherit what we choose.
Scripture teaches us that “we are to bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). In this season, that burden-bearing looks like helping one another reach the ballot box — offering clarity, companionship, and courage. It looks like showing up even when we are tired, and helping someone else show up when they are unsure.
We remember the wisdom of Proverbs: “Speak out for those who cannot speak… defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8–9). Voting is one of the ways we speak out. It is one of the ways we defend. It is one of the ways we ensure that the voices of the vulnerable are not erased from the public square.
And we remember that Jesus sent the disciples two by two (Luke 10:1). Not alone. Not isolated. But in companionship, solidarity, and shared purpose. So we say to our communities, with the authority of our history and the tenderness of our calling:
- Show up. And bring a friend.
- Bring someone who is unsure.
- Bring someone who is tired.
- Bring someone who has never voted before.
Walk together. Stand together. Witness together.
Because voting is not only a civic duty — it is a communal ritual of liberation.
- Every ballot cast is a prayer for the world we long for.
- Every vote is a declaration that our voices matter.
- Every shared trip to the polls is a reminder that we are not alone.
As the Council of Elders of Metropolitan Community Churches, we affirm that participating in elections is a nonpartisan act of moral responsibility. We do not speak for parties — we speak for people. We speak for the dignity of every body, every family, every beloved community striving for safety, justice, and flourishing.
Let us vote with clarity. Let us vote with courage. Let us vote with the unshakeable conviction that our collective presence can bend the arc toward justice.
And let us go together — one body, one people, one hope — bringing a friend, a neighbor, a beloved along the way. May it be so! A’ho, Ashe, and Amen.
In Peace, the MCC Council of Elders:
Elder Hattie Alexander-Key
Rev. Elder Mark Byrd
Rev. Elder Nokuthula Dhladhla
Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston
Elder Velma Garcia
Rev. Elder Rich Hendricks
Rev. Elder Aaron Miller
Rev. Elder Elaine Saralegui Caraballo
Rev. Elder Stuart Sutherland
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