Nation

The leadership at All Saints, a church with a long history of progressive activism, decided that opening the building to the public and parishioners was “a way for them to be in community."

The pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, once co-pastored by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., now faces incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler in a runoff election in Georgia.

Americans voting on Election Day are exhausted from constant crises, uneasy because of volatile political divisions, and anxious about what will happen next. This includes many Christians on either side of the political divide.

In their final sermons before Election Day, some of the country’s most prominent Christian pastors urged their listeners on Sunday (Nov. 1) to vote, even as they defended the propriety of addressing politics from the pulpit.

Some churches are planning vigils and services this year around All Saints’ Day, the traditional Christian day of remembrance. The various services are remembering people who have died in the past year, especially those who have died from COVID-19.

A group of evangelical leaders has issued and signed a letter calling for believers to be peacemakers, elevating their identities in Christ above societal divisions. A network known as The Matthew 5:9 Fellowship initiated the letter.

Several groups are encouraging clergy to serve as chaplains at polling places. Clergy can be on hand to pass out snacks to voters waiting in long lines, maybe a poncho if it starts to rain. They could also play a role amid the rancorous tenor of national politics and concerns about voter intimidation and even violence.

Jerry Falwell Jr. has sued Liberty University, alleging the evangelical school founded by his late pastor father damaged his reputation after he resigned as president and chancellor in August amid a series of scandals.

Both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden count endorsements from well-known faith leaders. But for clergy members who try to tackle thorny moral matters without overtly backing a candidate, the campaign has tested their ability to reconcile religious values and politics.

More than 1,000 clergy members, religious scholars, and other faith-based advocates have signed onto a unique statement that supports a comprehensive path to “a free and fair election” and urges leaders to heed the verdict of “legitimate election results” regardless of who wins in November.