It’s election season and the commercials and ads have bombarded the airwaves and internet. The climate of this election is turbulent, and citizens are looking for information and guidance. For people of faith, moral beliefs guide everyday life, including voting, which begs the question, how is the church supposed to approach politics? First Presbyterian Church is hosting its annual Calvin Lecture Series and this year’s topic is Christian Citizenship: What Is The Church’s Role In Politics and Government? “This Calvin Lectures series is a Biblically-based discussion of Christianity’s response to politics in today’s United States.”
A two-day lecture series, the Calvin Lectures will run from Sept. 14 to 15 at the church located at 102 Ann Street. There are three lectures on Saturday, starting with What is Government For?, at 9:15 a.m. This lecture “will provide insights from the Bible and Christian tradition on the purpose of government and civil authority.” The second lecture, What is Government Not For?, starts at 10:45 a.m. and “will discuss the limits of the government’s role in supporting the Church and its missions.”

     Lunch will be at noon in Eller Hall and attendees can purchase a box meal for $12. Options range from cold-cut sandwiches to chicken salad. After lunch is the last lecture for the day, The Practice of Christian Citizenship, starting at 1 p.m., and “will present faithful and practical ways Christians can live out their citizenship in our time.” The final lecture, “The Keys of the Kingdom”, will be Sunday’s Sermon and will be given at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the chapel. To learn more about the Calvin Lecture Series visit www.firstprez.com/CalvinLectures. To register visit bit.ly/2024CalvinLectures.

     This year’s guest speaker is Dr. Paul D. Miller, a former White House staffer who worked under the Bush and Obama administrations. Dr. Miller authored The Religion of American Greatness: What’s Wrong with Christian Nationalism, a history of Christian Nationalism in America before and post the 2006 election. He has also contributed to The Washington Post and Christianity Today. As a veteran, scholar, and Christian, Dr. Miller, looks to distinguish the lines that have been blurred. Senior Pastor, Dr. Mike Garrett and the other members of the Calvin Lecture Series committee are hopeful this series will bring clarity to the roles the church plays in government for parishioners and leaders. “What do Christians need to think about? You know, as opposed to being driven to their ministers, becoming advocates for one camp or another. What is it that we are supposed to be bringing to the table during this process other than partisanship,” Dr. Garrett said.

     The Calvin Lectures are open to everyone in the community regardless of religion or denomination. “We are extended invitations, direct invitations to members of the academic community… that is going to include invitations to individuals at Methodist University, FSU, Campbell University, Campbell Divinity School, and Fayetteville Tech. We are also inviting local area pastors to come, particularly in the downtown area. The downtown pastors and all of their congregations are invited to come. It really is open to the public,” he said.