Brockton clergy to encourage the faithful to vote
Alex Bloom
Church leaders to stress the importance of voting as part of Brockton Interfaith Community initiative
Twenty church leaders from around the area are joining together to encourage churchgoers to head to the polls in September and November.
Members of the Brockton Interfaith Community will stress the importance of voting to their different congregations during services on Saturday and Sunday.
The focus on election participation will continue throughout the fall as church leaders will be asking their members to fill out voting pledge cards and checking in with them to find out if they follow through in both the Sept. 6 primary election and the Nov. 6 general election.
Participating members in the effort include a variety of faiths like Messiah Baptist Church, Temple Beth Emunah, Eglise Evangelique Haitian, and First Lutheran.
Brockton Interfaith Community Executive Director Janine Carreiro-Young stressed that members could all agree on the importance of voting and taking an active role in political systems.
"It's really thinking about that each of our faiths in different ways call us to protect the needy, call us to be supportive of each other, call us to hold public officials accountable," Carreiro-Young said.
In a letter signed by the 20 area clergy, the church leaders agree that their religions call them to "treasure every life" using things like nutrition, shelter, safety and equal protection under the law.
"Today, God is continuing to speak, and is calling us as both clergy and accountable citizens to use the tool of our representative government as one means to extend God's justice to all people," the letter states.
Pastor Andre F. Paul of Eglise Evangelique Haitian said he will stress the importance of voting to his congregation of about 50 members throughout the next few months.
"We live in the community, we are part of the community, so voting is an important point for anyone who has this right to put it in action," said Paul, whose church is located at 752 Oak St.
He said he intends to help his congregation understand the rights and duties behind voting. As some of them are newcomers to the country, a few aren't aware of when or where to vote.
"If you put more stress on people, they will notice that that day is set aside to go do their duty," Paul said.
Rev. Michael Walker, of Messiah Baptist Church, 80 Legion Parkway, said voting is only a minor step in the path of creating positive change in society.
"We have to look at the world as it is, the world as it should be and look at the public arena and how do we help and struggle for a just society," he said.
Walker said church members need to speak up in the upcoming political debate so that their beliefs and messages are not co-opted or misused.
"Are we involved? Yes, but we need to be more involved because we have a distinctive voice that's rarely heard," Walker said.
Alex Bloom may be reached at abloom@enterprisenews.com.
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