As evangelical Christians, we are called by Jesus to love God and to love our neighbor. As citizens who follow this call, we must engage with humility, civility, intellectual rigor and honesty in the complex and contentious social issues that face our nation. We invite all followers of Jesus — whether Democrats, Republicans or Independents — to join us in seeking the health of the nation for the good of all people.

REPENT

We first acknowledge that we have not always loved God and loved our neighbor, and we repent. Despite the example of Jesus and the teaching of Scripture, many of us have not adequately opposed the unjust systems that fail people of color, women, children and the unborn. We have not always fulfilled God’s commands to protect the immigrant, refugee and poor. We have not always treated those who hold different opinions — both inside and outside of our faith — with dignity. We have not always displayed the beauty of the gospel of Jesus or the joyful relationship with him through faith.

RENEW

Faithful evangelical civic engagement and witness must champion a biblically balanced agenda. We renew our commitment to follow the way of Jesus in our personal lives and our spheres of influence, seeking the flourishing of our communities through just and merciful laws and leadership. This includes:

  • Protecting religious freedom and liberty of conscience
  • Safeguarding the nature and sanctity of human life
  • Strengthening marriages, families and children
  • Seeking justice and compassion for the poor and vulnerable
  • Preserving human rights
  • Pursuing racial justice and reconciliation
  • Promoting just peace and restraining violence
  • Caring for God’s creation

These principles are detailed in “For the Health of the Nation,” published in 2004 and available at ForTheHealth.net. While these issues do not exhaust the concerns of faith or government, they illustrate broad commitments in which evangelicals can engage in common action.

RESOLVE

The needs of the moment are critical. We resolve to:

  • Seek racial justice and reconciliation, asking for or extending forgiveness on an individual, local and national level;
  • Uphold a comprehensive pro-life ethic that protects both the unborn and the vulnerable of all ages, enriching life through equal opportunity and justice so that all women and men may flourish;
  • Resist being co-opted by political agendas and instead pursue the breadth of commitments that Jesus displayed and Scriptures teach;
  • Embody God’s love for all, treating people with dignity even when we must confront them as required by our Christian conscience and convictions; and
  • Pray for all who carry the responsibilities and burdens of leadership.

As we trust in God, we the undersigned commit to the biblical calling to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. We invite you to join us.