From endorsements and fundraising to voter registration efforts, church leaders nationwide are taking action to ensure the VP becomes president.
By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware
In-person churchgoers had probably returned home on Sunday when the news erupted that President Joe Biden would not only decline to pursue a second term but had also endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, for president.
The unexpected timing did not deter church leaders around the country from assembling on Zoom to declare their singular support for Harris, send letters of support to their political representatives, and offer their dollars to fund her campaign.
Biden’s decision came as a surprise because, despite his recent bout with COVID-19, he had announced his July 22 return to the campaign trail. But as the tide turned with his announcement, the Black community rallied immediately to secure his seat for Harris — someone it could depend on to hear its voice.
“The best way to preserve President Biden’s legacy is to continue fighting for his agenda,” Rev. Al Sharpton wrote in a guest essay for the New York Times. “Kamala Harris is our best hope for that. Black America and all Democrats must stand behind her in this moment because of what is at stake for the future of this nation.”
Sharpton began his statement with a list of accomplishments that comprise the Biden Administration’s legacy.
“His fierce commitment to delivering on promises has made him an incredibly effective president in just one term. He made a pledge during the campaign to select the first female vice president. He did. He vowed to Representative Jim Clyburn that he would put a Black woman on the Supreme Court. He delivered us Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson,” Sharpton wrote. “He promised me executive action on police accountability. I stood alongside him and the family of George Floyd as he signed an executive order to strengthen accountability in federal law enforcement agencies.”
Bishop Joel R. Peebles sent a letter to the membership of Global United Fellowship, for which he is the presiding prelate. He called for daily prayer and a weekly fast in light of the“seismic shifts in American politics, which have led to significant instability within our national systems and international standing.”
Peebles noted, “The withdrawal of one candidate and an assassination attempt on another have caused considerable consternation.”
Peebles also wrote, “We are believers with a powerful mandate from Christ to be the source of light, fire, and salt to the earth. The planet needs our collaborative gifts focused on providing clarity, healing, and salvation to a world suffering from ambiguity.”
He also encouraged churches to be proactive in voter registration and participation and to hold meetings allowing community members to hear from and better understand their legislative representatives.
“What people want is an America that is as good as its promises,” he wrote, adding the words of the late Rep. Barbara Jordan of Texas.
Bishop Jerome L. Williams, the presiding prelate of Changing Hearts International Fellowship, addressed his membership with similar intentionality, calling for a fast, daily prayer, and the promotion of voter engagement.
“This nation must see us reflect the righteousness of God and stand on biblical principles and standards while speaking truth to prophetic power,” he wrote in a letter.
“Let us remain the gatekeepers of integrity, justice and peace. Let us be the ignition for end-time revival to break out in our country. We have a clarion call to evangelize and win souls in times like these like never before.”
