Leaders representing Christian, Jewish, Hindu faiths and more gathered at Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids as part of a nationwide “Faith in Us” initiative calling clergy to action.
“I think it sends the message that people of faith care about the average person and that we want to stand up for the least of these among us.”
Reverend Karen Fitz La Barge is a pastor at North Kent Presbyterian Church and the president of West Michigan Clergy Action.
She says the goal is to mobilize faith leaders to defend the democratic process with events happening in nine states, including three in Michigan in Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids.
Speakers emphasize the urgency of the political landscape, noting that faith leaders answer to a higher authority than any single administration.
Clergy across faith, race, and geography plan to protect voting rights through nonviolent actions, showing up at city councils and county boards.
As a lead up to the November election, they’re hosting regional de-escalation and rapid response trainings, and coordinating clergy presence at polls and online during elections.
“This is the beginning of a movement. This is the beginning of average people standing up and saying, we would like more accessibility to the vote instead of less. Instead of more hurdles and obstacles, we would like more people to exercise their right to vote in Michigan.”
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