Election Toolkit provides resources for congregations, individuals * Presiding Bishop’s message text in English, Spanish with video subtitled

“Voting and participation in our government is a way of participating in our common life,” Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry said in a video election message. “And that is a Christian obligation. Indeed, we who follow in the Way of Jesus of Nazareth are summoned to participate actively as reflections of our faith in the civil process.”

The Presiding Bishop’s video election message is here. The video is closed-captioned and is subtitled in Spanish. The text of the Presiding Bishop’s message in English and Spanish is located at the end of this note.

The video is ideal for conversation, adult forums and group gatherings, Sunday School, youth groups, conventions, and meetings, etc.

Election Toolkit and resources

The Episcopal Church online toolkit with webpage outlines how individual Episcopalians and congregations can participate in the electoral process through nonpartisan activities. Among the possible non-partisan activities offered are: engaging young adults who are eligible to vote for the first time; hosting a candidate forum; advocating for voting rights legislation; and hosting Get Out The Vote campaigns. Through the Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN), information is also available on an important initiative, the Episcopal Pledge to Vote

Election engagement resources, including the downloadable Episcopal Election Engagement Toolkit, are available here.

Bulletin inserts are available here.

A Facebook/Twitter social media campaign highlighting: state-by-state registration deadlines; information on voting rights; ways to support civil discourse; and historical fun facts of Episcopal political engagement through the centuries of our country. Facebook here and Twitter here



Hashtag #EpiscopaliansVote

The Presiding Bishop’s message in English follows:

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

Election Message

This November we will gather together as a nation to vote not only to elect a new president but to elect governmental leaders on a variety of levels.

We are blessed. We are blessed as a nation to be able to do so as citizens of this country. This is a right, an obligation, and a duty. And indeed the right and the privilege to be able to vote is something that was won through an American revolution. Something that was won even more through civil rights and women’s suffrage. A right and a privilege that was won for all. So I encourage you to please go and vote. Vote your conscience. Vote your perspective. But vote.

But it’s not just simply a civil obligation and duty. Voting and participation in our government is a way of participating in our common life. And that is a Christian obligation. Indeed, we who follow in the Way of Jesus of Nazareth are summoned to participate actively as reflections of our faith in the civil process.

In the thirteenth chapter of Romans, sometimes a chapter that is debated among scholars and among Christians, St. Paul reminds us that we have a duty and an obligation to participate in the process of government, “For that is how our common life is ordered and structured.” And at one point he actually says, “For the same reason,” going on, he’s expanding, he says, “For the same reason you also pay taxes for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with everything.” That’s probably very true. “Pay to all them that is due them. Taxes to whom taxes are due. Revenue to whom revenue is due. Respect to whom respect is due. Honor to whom honor is due.” Now he’s talking about the role of government as helping to order our common life. But here’s what I want you to really hear. He continues and says:

“So owe no-one anything except to love one another. For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments ‘You shall not commit adultery’, ‘You shall not murder’, ‘You shall not steal’, ‘You shall not covet’, any other commandment, they are all summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’. Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

For St. Paul, the way of love, the love of neighbor, is the fulfilling not only of the moral law of God, but the way to fulfill the civil law.

Go and vote. Vote your conscience. Your conscience informed by what it means to love your neighbor. To participate in the process of seeking the common good. To participate in the process of making this a better world. However you vote, go and vote. And do that as a follower of Jesus.

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry

Presiding Bishop and Primate

The Episcopal Church

The Presiding Bishop’s message in Spanish follows:

Obispo Presidente Michael Curry

Mensaje sobre las elecciones



Este mes de noviembre nos reuniremos como nación para votar, no solo para elegir un nuevo presidente, sino para elegir a líderes gubernamentales en una variedad de niveles.

Somos bendecidos. Somos bendecidos como nación por ser capaces de hacerlo como ciudadanos de este país. Esto es un derecho, una obligación y un deber. Y en verdad el derecho y el privilegio de poder votar es algo que se obtuvo mediante una revolución americana. Algo que fue logrado, aún más, a través de los derechos civiles y el sufragio femenino. Un derecho y un privilegio que fue conseguido por todos. Así que les animo a que, por favor, vayan y voten. Voten su conciencia. Voten su perspectiva. Pero voten.

Pero no es simplemente una obligación civil y un deber. El votar y participar en nuestro gobierno es una forma de colaborar en la vida común. Y eso es una obligación cristiana. Verdaderamente, a los que seguimos en el Camino de Jesús de Nazaret se nos pide que participemos activamente como reflejo de nuestra fe en el proceso civil.

En el capítulo trece de la Carta a los Romanos, -un capítulo que a veces se debate entre los académicos y entre los cristianos-, san Pablo nos recuerda que tenemos el deber y la obligación de participar en el proceso del gobierno, "pues así es cómo nuestra vida en común está ordenada y estructurada". Y en realidad llega a decir: "Por la misma razón", continúa, lo amplía, y dice: "por la misma razón ustedes también pagan los tributos pues las autoridades son funcionarios al servicio de Dios, encargados de cumplir este oficio". Eso es probablemente muy cierto. "Pagar a cada uno lo que le es debido. Al que se le deben impuestos, impuestos. Al que se le debe contribución, contribución. Al que se le debe respecto, respeto. Al que honor, honor". Ahora está hablando de la función del gobierno en cuanto ayuda a ordenar nuestra vida en común. Pero aquí está lo que de verdad quiero que oigan. Continúa y dice:

"Así que la única deuda que tengan con los demás sea la del amor mutuo. Porque el que ama al prójimo ya cumplió toda la ley. Los mandamientos: 'No cometerás adulterio', 'No matarás', 'No robarás', 'No codiciarás', y cualquier otro mandamiento, todos están resumidos en esta palabra: 'Amarás al prójimo como a ti mismo'. El amor no hace mal al prójimo, por eso, el amor es el cumplimiento de la ley”.

Para san Pablo, el camino del amor, del amor al prójimo, es el cumplimiento no sólo de la ley moral de Dios, sino la manera de cumplir la ley civil.Top of Form

Vayan y voten. Voten su conciencia. Su conciencia informada por lo que significa amar al vecino. Participen en el proceso de la búsqueda del bien común. Participen en el proceso de hacer de este un mundo mejor. Comoquiera que voten, vayan y voten. Y hagan eso como seguidores de Jesús.

El Reverendísimo Michael B. Curry

Obispo Presidente y Primado

Iglesia Episcopal