JEFFERSON CITY—The Christian Life Commission (CLC) of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) is embarking on an aggressive voter registration campaign that seeks to produce more of a biblical worldview on all levels of government.
“Estimates are there are 100,000 Christians in Missouri who are not registered to vote,” said CLC Chairman David Krueger, pastor, First Baptist Church, Linn. “Obviously some of those are Missouri Baptists. Our job is to encourage Missouri Baptists to be involved in the political process of choosing our leaders.”
Krueger credited a pair of CLC commissioners, Bev Ehlen of The Way Baptist Church, Warrenton, and Tammie Andrews of First Baptist Church, Kearney, for having both the vision and the motivation to launch this current campaign. Packets are being mailed out this week to every Missouri Baptist church and could be arriving as soon as Memorial Day. The 2,025 packets contain 12 pieces of information, Krueger said. The primary election is Aug. 7; the general election is Nov. 6.
It is the second major project by the CLC this year. The first was the Worldview Conference on March 29 on Christian responsibility in citizenship. The emphasis in both projects is that 2012 is an election year.
“The church could change the course of America if we just voted,” he said.
Local Missouri Baptist churches are being encouraged to register every church member age 18 and older to vote. “Every Missouri Baptist a voter” is the slogan of the CLC effort.
“We need to exercise the right that we have as Americans to be part of the political process,” Krueger said.
Included in the packet is a copy of House Joint Resolution 2, which was passed in 2011 and will appear on either the August or November ballot. It is a prayer amendment that protects religious freedom in public places. Rep. Mike McGhee, R-Odessa and a member of First Baptist Church, Odessa, sponsored this resolution which the CLC supports.
Plans are also being made to ask the MBC Executive Board at its July meeting to declare Oct. 7 to be “A Day of Repentance and Humiliation before the Lord.” This is the Sunday before the last opportunity to register to vote in the November election. Krueger said the request going before the board will likely be in the form of a resolution.