The General Election has been announced for 4 July 2024 offering an opportunity for churches and individuals to take action.
Did you know?
As charities, churches are always covered by charity law which requires impartiality towards political parties. In election periods, there are additional regulations on anything that might be considered as intending to influence how members of the public vote. Read more
Here are seven tips for how churches can get involved in the general election campaign in a positive and nonpolitical way.
1. Write to all the candidates in your constituency to let them know that you are praying for them, and to thank them for standing.
Election campaigns can be grueling, and it may mean a lot to them to know that you are thinking of them.
2. Offer to hold a hustings so the candidates can be questioned by members of the community in a warm and inviting environment.
Or if another organisation or collection of churches in your area is organising a hustings, why not offer to help out and help to advertise it?
- Churches Together's (CTBI) guidance for running a hustings
- Watch a recording of the webinar, 'Hosting a Hustings' run by the Diocese of Oxford
3. Remind people in your community to register to vote and encourage them to vote on polling day.
The Electoral Commission estimates that around 26 million eligible voters will miss out on voting at the next General Election because they haven't properly registered, don't have photo ID, or won't turn out to vote on the day.
Your church can encourage democratic participation in your area by giving reminders on registration, ID, and voting dates in your pew sheets or e-news, sharing in service notices, running a voter registration event after your Sunday service or at your community groups.
- Voter ID and registration resources and poster (JPIT)
- Run a voter registration event in your Sunday service (JPIT)
4. Share your church's story. The local media will want to cover the general election in interesting and engaging ways, while at the same time sticking to the reporting rules around elections.
Some of the activities you run at your church, for example, lunch clubs or toddler groups, or Knit and Natter groups, or ministries like Anna Chaplaincy may help to illustrate some of the key election issues in a really interesting way that brings them to life.
Why not get in touch with your news outlets and let them know what you are up to?
If you would like any advice, contact Jennifer Ross, Head of Communications for the Diocese on: jennifer.ross@rochester.anglican.org
5. Be salt and light on social media. Political debate in our country is becoming increasingly heated and polarised.
Christians and the Church can speak into that by offering a different point of view, and by speaking positively.
We can model kindness, fairness, and truth.
If you are someone who is on social media, or your church is, try to post something that is positive, that doesn't take sides, and isn't party political, but that shows a different way of conducting ourselves.
- See the Church of England's social media community guidelines, as a good place to start.
6. Be a welcoming space. If one of your church buildings is being used as a polling station, think about how you can make it as welcoming as possible on polling day.
You can't do anything that might look like it's trying to influence voters, however, you can think about how you can make it warm and light.
Make sure your event, activity, and safeguarding posters are up to date, as well as other materials or objects that are around the building.
** Please note: The location of polling places is subject to significant regulation by the Electoral Commission. It is therefore most likely you will already know if your church has traditionally been used as a polling station, and will be used this time. The Chancellor of the Diocese is open to considering requests that a church building be used as a polling station, subject to a positive PCC resolution and insurers notified in writing. Permission would be given by interim faculty on an individual basis.
7. Pray your part. Why not advertise your church as a prayer space on polling day and have prayers up for the general election, or maybe hold a prayer vigil?
- Join in with the Church of England's #PrayYourPart election campaign to promote prayer and participation in the life of our nation and communities, both as voters and as citizens. Sign up for free daily reflections straight to your inbox at cofe.io/PrayYourPart.
- Read the Praying and Preaching in the General Election blog from the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT)
These are just some of the ways that Christians and churches can engage in the general election, and help our communities through this time in a positive way.
So, let's play and pray our part, and with the Archbishops, encourage everyone to put “good grace and a commitment to truth and integrity” at the heart of the campaign.
And...don't forget to vote!
**With thanks to the Diocese of Exeter and Diocese of Oxford for additional material.