With the Black community’s long relationship between faith and the fight for freedom, religious leaders have emphasized the importance of voting as a means of combating continued injustices facing African Americans in the District and nationwide.
In the final days leading to the Nov. 5 general election, local leaders embraced the intersection between politics and religion, seeking divine guidance, blessings and peace in the days ahead.
“We come to recognize and celebrate faith and hope. There is a lot on the line this week. Congregations across all eight wards of Washington, D.C., and our country have seen us through some of our greatest challenges,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser during a Monday service at Shiloh Baptist Church in Northwest D.C.
During the turbulent times of the 1960s, when the civil rights movement was in full swing, churches played a significant role in advocating for social justice and equality. Many churches engaged in various forms of activism, including praying for social change, participating in voter registration drives, and advocating for the right to vote for all Americans.
This year has been no different.
Standing in the historic religious space a day before the election, Bowser explained the importance of Shiloh in overcoming trials over the century.
“We know that Shiloh moved here 100 years ago to this location. So just in this location, you’ve seen us through the civil rights movement, home rule movement, through our election of the first elected D.C. mayor and dozens of presidents,” the mayor said. “You’ve seen us through the riots of 1968 and the pandemic of just four years ago, and today, we stand in need of prayer.”
The service at Shiloh, hosted in partnership with the mayor and Interfaith Council, was one of the final efforts after many months of faith-based initiatives leading up to the Nov. 5 election.
In partnership with the Black Church Political Action Committee, religious leaders across the nation have been encouraged to get “souls to the polls.” While the organization has not endorsed a specific candidate, the Black Church Political Action Committee created tools and resources for ministers to encourage members to vote and spread the word.
In addition, Northeast D.C.’s Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church hosted a special virtual election prayer service on Oct. 30.
“[The church was praying] to ask God for his blessings, protection and peace to be all on and through this year’s election,” said Marques Dyer, 30, an elder at the church.
Further, on Nov. 3, activist and faith leader Bishop William Barber II preached at Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapter, encouraging the congregation to reflect on the power of their voices and votes in shaping the future.
“What does your voice say about your vote?” asked Barber, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign.
D.C. Leaders Promote Hope Ahead of the Election
During the Nov. 4 service at Shiloh, a diverse roster of local pastors, priests, imams, and rabbis prayed for guidance and peace through the election and beyond.
Prayers were led by the Pastor Joseph W. Daniel Jr. of Emory United Methodist Church, the Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli, senior pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church, Father Emilio Biosca Aguero, pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Rabbi Susan N. Shankman from the Washington Hebrew Congregation, and Imam Talib Shareef of Masjid Muhammad.
Moreover, the church was filled with many dignitaries and government officials sitting in the lower level of the sanctuary, including Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, Council member Brook Pinto (D-Ward 2) and former D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt (D).
Through prayer, scriptures, stories and testimonies, many speakers offered the crowd hope.
“In spite of the frustrations I have about not having statehood, I still have faith in the fact that God blessed America,” said Pratt.
She likened Vice President Kamala Harris’ journey as the 2024 presidential Democratic nominee, to the biblical story of Esther.
“There were times when we thought when we got to 2024 we were going to have a rematch of 2020 — with a good man, I might add,” Pratt continued, referring to the race four years ago between President Joe Biden (D) and former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. “But you know the Lord works in mysterious ways, and just when we hadn’t expected it, there she was. … I believe the good Lord sent us our Esther. She’s not afraid, she’s got gumption, she’s got character, she is willing to do what has to be done.”
Offering a message of faith and hope, the Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley of Alfred Street Baptist Church highlighted the importance of civic engagement, voting, and the role of prayer in shaping the future.
He didn’t hold back his feelings on Trump, saying he cannot be convinced that a “felonious, adulterer, liar is the only candidate God has supported to lead this nation.”
“A new president will be elected. The president is not one who is ordained, she is one who is elected. We are part of the process,” he said.
He also used scripture references to explain that “the will of the people does not always line up with the will of God.”
Wesley emphasized the power of prayer and promoted unity beyond the election.
“Prayer changes things, prayer is the foundation of hope.”
