With less than two months until the 2024 election, more than 300 leaders have signed a statement outlining their shared beliefs about the relationship between faith and politics. Prominent Christian LeadersTitled a “Confession of Evangelical Faith,” the letter urges Christians to consider each candidate's “character, not just their campaign promises or political success.” One of the signatories, the Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president and founder of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition and pastor of the Gathering Place Assemblies of God Church in Orlando, Florida, said: Christian Post He said he was “encouraged” by the widespread support from Pentecostal and evangelical leaders across the country.
“[They] “People may have different views on how to vote or how they view the centrality of the gospel,” he said. “I think it's a good reminder, and I hope that people who read it carefully don't see it as anything more than a call from pastors to, 'Let's approach this with the spirit of Christ and not discredit the Christian and evangelical witness by badmouthing others who disagree.'”
Notable Signatories Members include Russell Moore, former chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the Rev. Galen Carey and the Rev. Walter Kim of the National Association of Evangelicals, Justin Gibbone of the And Campaign, progressive Christian author Shane Claiborne of the advocacy group Red Letter Christian, Christian rapper Lecrae, and megachurch pastor Joel C. Hunter.
Several of the signatories, including Moore, Claiborne and Harris's evangelical supporter Ekemini Uwang, have publicly spoken out against former President Donald Trump and the evangelicals who support him, but Salguero insisted the statement goes beyond politics.
“This document is not directed at anybody,” he told CP. “This document is a call to put Christ first in all our public activities. As a pastor, I would not use words like 'directed to this' or 'directed to that'. I think that's political language, not pastoral language. I'm a pastor, not a politician. So I try to avoid phrases like, 'this is directed to…'”
Salguero called the statement a “gospel-centered, biblical call … to operate in the public sphere with respect, in the spirit of Christ, in the tone of Christ, and with biblical truth” — “a balance of grace and truth without being rude, without name-calling, without insulting.” [harsh] To those who disagree with us, or whose opinions differ from ours.”
“This is not directed at anyone,” he stressed. “This is a call to the Church to remember that we are operating in the public sphere in the spirit of Christ and in accordance with the teachings of Jesus.”
“We call on people, regardless of political affiliation, to respect and love one another,” he added.
Salguero noted that his family and church members are both Democrats and Republicans.
“Some Republicans and some Democrats think that if they read the confession closely, it's OK to say, 'This is about giving first allegiance to the gospel,'” he said.
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