Abdication of Authority: Why Won’t Evangelicals Vote?

The 2024 election is right around the corner, and in most states, early voting is well underway. This is without a doubt a critical election that could either keep the United States on its current destructive path, or restore principles and values that the founders of this great country, many of whom were great men of faith, fought so hard to protect. And sadly, reports have emerged predicting that 32 million regular Christian church attenders, and 14 million who attend an evangelical church plan to abstain from voting in the next election. This isn't just a staggering statistic—it's a profound failure to exercise the God-given authority that each of us holds as citizens in a free society.

In Romans 13, Paul outlines the role of government as an institution established by God for the well-being of man. He reminds us that "there is no authority except that which God has established" (Romans 13:1), affirming that governments exist under divine sovereignty.

Paul further explains that government is entrusted with specific responsibilities, primarily the punishment of evil and the protection of good (Romans 13:4). This means every government on Earth is responsible for certain God-ordained duties to carry out for the benefit of society.

It's easy for Christians to feel disconnected from the responsibilities of government. If we're not elected officials, aren’t we exempt from this duty? Sadly, this mindset is widespread in the modern Church and reflects a misunderstanding of both the role of government and our own American system.

When we think of political authority, we often assume it lies solely with the President, Congress, the Supreme Court, government agencies, governors, school boards, or city councils. However, these officials are not the ultimate authority in our system. In the United States, the true authority—and the responsibility to steward our nation—rests with the people, appointed by God by means of the Constitution.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The Founding Fathers designed a system where true political sovereignty ultimately resides with "We the People." It is “we the people” who ordain and establish our government system. It is we who are tasked with selecting those who will represent our voice in government. And if they fail to do so, it is our responsibility to remove them from office.

American Christians must understand their vital role in the political life of their country. Choosing not to exercise the political authority God has entrusted to them is akin to the wicked servant in the parable of the talents. Instead of stewarding what the master had given him, he buried it, refusing to put it to use or return it with any gain.

Jesus rebuked the servant, calling him “wicked and slothful” (Matthew 25:23). Many in the modern American church are making the same mistake. The 32 million evangelicals who choose not to exercise their political authority are abdicating the responsibility God has entrusted to them by remaining silent. This would be nothing short of a dereliction of duty.

Throughout history, Christians have often faced persecution at the hands of the state. Today, much of the global church lives in constant fear of government oppression. The idea of Christians being part of the governing authority would be unimaginable to them. To be granted such political influence and then willfully choose not to use it would seem even more incomprehensible.

During any election season, Christians find themselves at a crossroads. Yes, there are two candidates, two parties, and two sides, but the real question is more fundamental: Will they choose to steward the political authority God has granted them, or will they, like the wicked and slothful servant, bury it? Just as the servant failed to use what his master entrusted to him, Christians can likewise choose to neglect their God-given influence by staying silent and withholding their vote.

You, Christian, have a God-given responsibility to make your voice heard in the public arena. The Church is called to be salt and light in a world that desperately needs both. Without Christians fully engaged in the affairs of our political system it becomes in the words of John Richard Neuhaus, “the naked public square.” By engaging in the political process, we are fulfilling our duty to protect what is good and resist what is evil. To retreat from this responsibility is to fail in the stewardship God has entrusted to us. 

Now is the time for the Church to rise up, to speak truth, and to shape the future of our nation. We are not merely spectators—we are participants in God’s unfolding plan.

If you would like to join a growing group of Christians that are committing to not abdicate their God ordained authority, sign the pledge here!