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September 6, 2024
Amid a deeply divided election cycle rife with “social conflict and political division,” a group of evangelical Christians has released a treatise outlining a series of “Christian convictions.”
Titled the “Confession of Evangelical Conviction,” the proclamation details several ideals signatories wish to adhere to cemented biblical pursuits they hope to highlight amid the ever-elevated debate and consternation ricocheting throughout the political sphere. The Signatories
Signatories include people like rapper Lecrae and a wide collection of pastors and Christian educators, including Russell Moore, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today. Ekemini Uwan, the controversial host of the recent Evangelicals for Harris meeting that made headlines, is also on the list.
Some endorsers of the declaration, like Moore, have been critical in recent years of former president Donald Trump and widespread evangelical support for his candidacy, though the document names neither Trump nor his rival Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Several individuals who signed on expressed in direct statements shared with CBN News a need to elevate the Gospel above political affiliations. Phil Vischer, creator of Christian kids show VeggieTales, not only signed but also created an animated video to coincide with the declaration’s release.
The short video encourages people to “vote with love, not fear.” Vischer’s cartoon, which will be part of a series aimed at each of the pillars in the declaration, is being paired with a Bible study, worship album, and other resources. What’s in the Confession?
As for “Confession of Evangelical Conviction,” the document is comprised of seven specific pillars of faith, with the first reading: “We give our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone.”
“We affirm that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the only head of the Church (Colossians 1:18),” the explanation for that point reads. “No political ideology or earthly authority can claim the authority that belongs to Christ (Philippians 2:9-11). We reaffirm our dedication to his Gospel which stands apart from any partisan agenda. God is clear that he will not share his glory with any other (Isaiah 42:8).”
It continues, “Our worship belongs to him alone (Exodus 20:3-4), because our true hope is not in any party, leader, movement, or nation, but in the promise of Christ’s return when he will renew the world and reign over all things (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).”
The statement goes on to reject the notion that “a Christian’s loyalty should belong to any political party,” pushing back on the notion that faith and partisanship should be intertwined.
The second point in the “Confession of Evangelical Conviction” proclaims, “We will lead with love not fear,” and pushes back on the use of “anger or terror” and violence, appealing to Christians to instead follow Jesus’ example of loving others.
The other pillars read as follows: THREE: We submit to the truth of Scripture. FOUR: We believe the Gospel heals every worldly division. FIVE: We are committed to the prophetic mission of the Church. SIX: We value every person as created in God’s image. SEVEN: We recognize godly leaders by their character.
Various explanations are given under each additional pillar, with signatories decrying lies and encouraging people to speak the “truth in love.” The document also decries the “misuse of holy Scripture to sanction a single political agenda, provoke hatred, or sow social divisions.”
“We believe that using God’s name to promote misinformation or lies for personal or political gain is bearing his name in vain (Exodus 20:7),” the document continues.
One of the most intriguing sections in the proclamation focuses on a difficult conundrum Christians sometimes face a struggle over how deeply to engage in the political realm. While some opt out entirely, others fully immerse themselves in the political, appealing to their faith to seek social change.
The document calls for a balance in this arena.
“We reject both the call for the Church to withdraw from societal issues out of fear of political contamination, as well as any attempt to distort the Church into a mere vehicle of political or social power,” it reads.
The document’s final pillar, which focuses on character, says leaders will be evaluated based on the “fruit of their character and not merely their promises or political success.”
“We reject the lie that a leader’s power, popularity, or political effectiveness is confirmation of God’s favor, or that Christians are permitted to ignore the teachings of Christ to protect themselves with worldly power,” it reads.
The premise of the movement, according to those behind “Confession of Evangelical Conviction,” is to spark revival. What Are Signatories Saying?
“As Americans and evangelicals, we are called by God in this time and place to faithfully contend as citizens for the policies and candidates we believe best reflect the will of God,” Christian academic and English professor Karen Swallow Prior said in a statement given to CBN News. “Yet, we must do so with the recognition that this time and this place, along with our callings as citizens, are all secondary to our witness within a church body which is eternal and universal.”
She continued, “If we fail to contend for our politics in a way that displays the fruit of the Spirit or fails to display our faith by our love for one another, then we fail to represent Christ.”
Others like the Rev. Dr. Gabriel and Rev. Jeanette Salguero, president and vice-president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NALEC), echoed this sentiment.
“We signed this confession because it echoes the heartbeat of our Latino evangelical communitiesa call to return to the Gospel that transcends partisanship and polarization,” they said. “In a time of deep divisions, this call to worship and renewal reminds us that our ultimate allegiance is to Christ alone, and it was inspiring to see such a strong response from across our communities. It shows the deep hunger for unity, healing, and justice that can only be found in Jesus.” Political Frustrations
While neither Trump nor Harris are mentioned by name in the confession and while political parties aren’t invoked frustrations over the connection between conservative politics and evangelicalism were clear in some statements issued to CBN News.
“Evangelicalism should be about the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the good news that Christ died for all and that one day, He will establish a new heavens and earth void of all sin, suffering, pain, and death,” Raymond Chang, a pastor and the president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative, said. “Unfortunately, institutional evangelicalism has been long co-opted to be a partisan movement tethered to the far right.”
He continued, “No party fully aligns with Jesus. Study after study shows the syncretism between right-wing politics and evangelicalism so much so that those who don’t profess Jesus now identify as evangelicals because of its partisan political commitments.”
Chang described himself as a “political independent” who has voted “red, blue, and third party” based on policies and politicians’ character.
Dr. Napp Nazworth, executive director of the American Values Coalition, also lamented the idea that evangelical identity has, in his view, been turned “into a test of political loyalty rather than a shared Christian tradition grounded in Jesus’ saving grace.”
Nazworth hoped the document could send a message to people outside the church.
“I hope the confession will show those outside of our religious tradition that the forces associating evangelical Christianity with a fear-based authoritarian cult-of-personality political movement do not represent us or the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.
It should be noted that each individual who signed the proclamation did so in his or her individual capacity. You can read the confession and full list of signatories here.
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