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It has been a fascinating few months in Canadian politics. The country has been glued to our screens as we watched recent events unfold in Ottawa – just blocks from the EFC’s Ottawa office. The Canada Summer Jobs controversy and Supreme Court decisions have reminded us about the impact a country’s laws and policies can have on religious freedom, and of the importance of our presence in the public square.
Our country is only months away from a federal election. We will be reminded again that there is no perfect political party or candidate.
However, Canadian Christians have an important role to play in this election, and every future election. Politics has a profound influence on our society, influencing how we interact with one another and how we care for our neighbours. Strong Christian involvement in politics and public policy brings Christian witness to the public square in Canada.
Social and political participation, coupled with prayer, is an essential way we seek the good of those around us and our country (Jeremiah 29:5-7). The EFC believes our prayers and participation in public policy discussions and political activities, like our engagement in all other areas of society, is part of our witness.
Jesus did not instruct His followers to withdraw from society, but to participate with God in its transformation.
Jesus said we are to be like salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). At the EFC, with your help and partnership, we have said a strong “yes” to that mandate.
Of course, there are many ways to work to see transformation of the world and bring it closer to the way God intended it to be. We have the privilege of hearing regularly how Canadian Christians are serving their communities – preaching the gospel with words and with loving action – every day in our country.
Elections provide another tangible way to live out the biblical call to serve our communities. We may focus on issues that impact the vulnerable, freedom of religion, God’s creation, poverty and justice issues – to name just a few. The EFC Ottawa team is at work right now, updating and creating an election resource package to help equip Canadian churches and individual Christians to think through the issues of the day.
One very important part of the EFC’s election kit will help us all be clear about what churches can and cannot do in terms of political activities during an election campaign. There are specific guidelines that must be considered by churches and other charities registered with the Canada Revenue Agency.
But just as there are things churches cannot do, there are also things churches
can do, and that individual Christians
should do, such as get acquainted with the candidates running in your area and ask what their plans and priorities are with questions based on biblical principles. Here are some examples:
- What steps will you take to support freedom of conscience and religion in Canada?
- What legal protections for pregnant women and their unborn children do you support?
- Do you support the current safeguards for Medical Assistance in Dying that protect vulnerable Canadians or would you expand access to euthanasia and assisted suicide?
This is the kind of material we are working on now, to help resource churches and individual Christians in the months ahead.
Politics is not perfect. It never will be. No one party or candidate will ever deliver everything for which an individual voter might want or pray. But our faith affects all areas of life, and that includes politics. Our faith compels us to work to make the world better, and elections provide one way of doing that well.
How you can be involved
- Contact us now at 1-866-302-3362 to put your name on a waiting list for the EFC Election resource package, scheduled to be released soon at www.TheEFC.ca/Election2019.
- Try to meet the candidates in your riding and have a positive interaction with them. Begin to pray for each of them.
- Visit www.TheEFC.ca regularly for updates on the issues we engage in, with your help.
Also in this issue: Love Is Moving Across Canada; Who Are Our Roman Catholic Neighbours; Updating You on Canada’s Most Immediate Issues; Message From the President; What Churches Can and Cannot Do During an Election; and more.