Rector's Note: When churches are civic neighbors-5.28.26

Churches are not simply places of prayer and worship. On any given day at St. Peter’s you’ll find preschool parents bringing kids to or from Kid View, community members visiting the food pantry or Community Fridge, volunteers assembling meals in the kitchen, people attending recovery groups. Those are the places where the community and the church come together. We’re a neighbor, and part of being a neighbor is taking an interest in what is happening in your community.

That’s another way of saying that as church we participate in civil society, opening our spaces to efforts that reflect our values of social engagement, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, and care for vulnerable people. Sometimes that can look rather political, especially in these times when caring for our neighbors is impacted by public policies, government funding, legal action and executive orders.

By law congregations of faith are restricted from being partisan – we can’t tell you whom to vote for. But these days we have a particular responsibility to look out for the wellbeing of our neighbors, because we are affected by the governmental policies of the township, county, state and country we are in. Because we too are among the governed.

That’s one of the reasons why churches in the United States have a long and sometimes contentious history of being voting places, according to an article by Peter Manseau,  Lilly Endowment Curator of American Religious History at the National Museum of American History.

 He notes that Paul Revere cast the church bell at the Congregational meetinghouse in Castine, Maine, which rang not only for church services but to call people to vote as well.

“Along with schools, libraries, rec centers, and other private and public institutions, thousands of churches (and a growing number of synagogues and mosques) serve as polling places across the country. In some areas, churches account for half of all available voting sites,” Manseau writes.

St. Peter’s is among them. I find it quite moving to arrive on voting days and see our neighbors making their way into our parish hall for this important civic ritual, which helps shape our democracy on all levels. .  I like it even better when we are selling pies and coffee. And, I hope that those who come experience the values we work to express as a church community.

Over the last few months, in conversations led by parishioners Mark and Donna Evans, parishioners and community members have been asking the question of how we can be engaged in faithful civil action, how we as a church can be a civic neighbor, formed by the Gospel. Out of these discussions has come a commitment to focus on three areas that participants have held dear: protecting our immigrant neighbors, safeguarding voting rights, and engaging in activities that strengthen community and build hope. At last night’s meeting, ideas continued to bubble in each of these areas. Keep watching the newsletter for ways to engage.

And if you’d like to enter the ongoing conversation contact Mark Evans at markcarverevans@gmail.com to learn more.