New Calvary Baptist Church

A Response to the Recent Supreme Court Ruling

 

Dear Beloved Members of New Calvary Baptist Church,

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The recent Supreme Court decision that has seriously weakened longstanding protections of the Voting Rights Act compels me to write to you.  It is with a sober heart that I realize a need to speak to my flock concerning this latest attack on the voting power and political representation for people of color.  While the Act has not been formally repealed by Congress, this ruling represents a serious setback for voting rights and may allow states to redraw political districts in ways that reduce Black representation.

For our community, this is not merely a political matter.  It is a moral matter.  It is a justice matter.  It is a stewardship matter.  The right to vote was not easily granted to our people.  It was prayed for, marched for, bled for, jailed for, and in some cases died for.  Our ancestors understood that the ballot was not simply a piece of paper.  It was a voice.  It was dignity.  It was protection. It was participation in the shaping of a society that had too often ignored, exploited, and excluded us.

This ruling is a reminder that rights must be guarded in every generation.  The immediate consequence is clear: we must become more vigilant, more organized, and more committed to civic responsibility.  We cannot afford low voter turnout.  We cannot afford political ignorance.  We cannot afford to wait until presidential elections to become engaged.  Local elections, school board races, city council seats, county offices, judgeships, state legislatures, and congressional districts all matter.

As your spiritual leader my assignment in this matter is very clear: to remind you that we are not a hopeless people.  Our hope has never rested solely in the courts, Congress, political parties, or presidents.  Our hope is in the Lord.  Psalm 146 reminds us, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”  Yet that same faith does not call us to withdraw to the sidelines of the struggle.  It calls us to witness in the world.  The prophet Micah tells us what the Lord requires: “…to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”

Therefore, the believer’s response must be faithful and active.  Yes, we will pray, but we will not be passive.  Yes, we will worship, but we will also work.  Yes, we will trust God, but we will also organize.  We will love our neighbors, but we will also defend their rights.  We will reject hatred, but we will not be silent in the face of injustice.

 

In the days ahead, I am calling our church family to recommit ourselves to the work of civic discipleship.  Let us make sure every eligible member of our congregation and in our families is registered to vote.  Let us help our young adults understand the power and responsibility of the ballot.  Let us assist our seniors who may need transportation, information, or support.  Let us study the issues, attend community meetings, and hold our elected officials accountable.

We must also teach our children that their voices matter.  They need to know that they come from a people who survived slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, voter suppression, and every attempt to erase our dignity.  They need to know that we are still here because God kept us, and because our mothers, fathers, their parents, and those before them refused to give up.

New Calvary, this is not the time to grow weary.  This is the time to stand.  This is the time to remember. This is the time to act.  The Court may weaken protections, but it cannot weaken our resolve.  Political lines may be redrawn, but they cannot erase the image of God in us.  Laws may change, but the Lord still requires justice.

So let us move forward together with faith, courage, wisdom, and discipline.  Let us be prayerful.  Let us be peaceful.  Let us be prepared.  Let us be persistent.

And let us never forget: the same God Who brought our fore-parents through dangers, toils, and snares is still able to guide us now.  So, be encouraged!

 

In faith and hope,

 

Bishop V. P. Oliver, D.Min., Pastor