05/07/2026
Statement from Bishop Kevin L. Strickland
Southeastern Synod, ELCA
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
In recent days, the Supreme Court’s ruling changing protections connected to the Voting Rights Act and ongoing redistricting decisions affecting states within the Southeastern Synod (Tennessee has already voted and Alabama is about to) have raised renewed concern for many across our communities. As people of faith, and as Lutherans committed to both the Gospel and the flourishing of our neighbors, we cannot view these matters merely as political questions. They are deeply moral and spiritual questions because they concern human dignity, representation, equity, and the common good.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has long affirmed that participation in civic life is an expression of our vocation as citizens and disciples. Our church’s social statement, Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, reminds us that “God calls the church to witness to the sacredness of all life and the responsibility to seek justice in all earthly structures.” Likewise, the ELCA’s social message on government and civic engagement calls upon us to advocate for systems that are fair, accessible, transparent, and protective of the voices of all people, especially communities historically marginalized or excluded.
Voting rights are not simply about elections. They are about whether every person is seen, valued, and heard.
Redistricting is not merely about maps. It is about whether communities have equitable representation and whether the voices of Black, Brown, rural, immigrant, poor, disabled, and historically disenfranchised neighbors are honored equally in our democracy. Otherwise, it is not a democracy.
As a church rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we affirm that every human being bears the image of God. Therefore, any policy, practice, or structure that diminishes access, weakens representation, or creates barriers to full participation in public life must be carefully examined in light of our baptismal calling to “strive for justice and peace in all the earth.”
This is not partisan work. It is Gospel work. The Gospel is the good news of God. God’s “good news” can’t just be for some but is always for all.
Throughout Scripture, God continually calls God’s people to protect the vulnerable and ensure justice within the life of the community. The prophet Micah declares: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). The call to justice is not secondary to faith; it is one expression of faithful discipleship.
As Lutherans, we understand that God works through earthly institutions for the good ordering of society. We also understand that those institutions are imperfect and continually in need of accountability, repentance, and reform. Our calling as church is neither withdrawal nor silence, but faithful engagement shaped by truth, compassion, and courage.
In this moment, I encourage the congregations and people of the Southeastern Synod to:
• Pray for our nation, courts, elected leaders, and communities. Vote!
• Educate ourselves about how voting laws and redistricting decisions affect our neighbors.
• Advocate for fair access to voting and equitable representation for all people. Remembering we do not, nor should we make the right to vote a partisan event.
• Reject cynicism and division while staying steadfast in the work of justice.
• Remember that our ultimate hope is not in political systems alone, but in the reign of God that calls us toward beloved community. The beloved community that human dignity, equal rights, and justice, find their home.
The church must continue to proclaim clearly that democracy functions best when every voice matters and every person has meaningful access to participation. We are called not only to preach the Gospel, but to live the Gospel in ways that seek dignity, equity, and justice for all God’s people.
In a time of polarization and mistrust, may we be people who bear witness to another way, the way of Christ, marked by truth, mercy, courage, and hope.
“The steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” — Psalm 85:10
+The Rev. Dr. Kevin L. Strickland
Bishop, Southeastern Synod ELCA
Southeastern Synod ELCA
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
ELCA Advocacy
