Stacey Abrams Foundry UMC

Voting a “Very Sacred Duty,” Asserts Stacey Abrams in Foundry UMC Sermon

Paulina Song on August 16, 2021

In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Saint Paul asks, “Am I not an apostle?” This question formed the basis of Stacey Abrams’ August 8 sermon at Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, DC. Abrams served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017 and was the Democratic nominee in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, the first African-American woman to be nominated. Foundry is a leading progressive congregation within the United Methodist Church, active in promoting both liberal political advocacy in the public square and theological liberalism within the church.

Abrams noted that although Paul was unquestionably an apostle, thus making his question a rhetorical one, he and Barnabas were not being treated with the rights and respect due the office. 

“The problem,” Abrams explained, “is that during Paul’s time and during so many times in our American history, what should be rhetorical has actually become a very urgent question.”

Abrams drew parallels between Paul’s question and the question Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) asked in her famous speech, commonly titled “Ain’t I a Woman?”, which she delivered at the 1851 Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio. Truth was an abolitionist and women’s rights activist. She escaped slavery and later sued to regain custody of her son, becoming the first Black woman to win a lawsuit against a White man in a U.S. court. Born Isabella Baumfree, Sojourner Truth changed her name in 1843 after receiving what she felt was a spiritual calling to go out and preach the gospel and speak the truth against slavery and oppression. In her speech, Truth described the respect due women and questioned whether she as a Black woman was not considered a woman, mirroring Paul’s appeal, “Am I not an apostle?”

“For Paul and for Sojourner Truth, the questions they are asking are really exhortations for action,” Abrams said.

“We are in a moment as a nation where we’re asking ourselves the question that Sojourner Truth asked, that Paul asked, that my mother [an ordained pastor] asked, only we have millions of Americans asking ‘Ain’t I a citizen? Am I not a member of this society? Am I not due more because of who I am?’”

Abrams listed among those asking “Ain’t I a citizen” residents of Washington, DC who lack Congressional representation; those facing what she characterized as voter suppression laws; and those who are being redistricted “out of power.”

“We are asking ourselves in a very secular way, ‘Am I not an apostle? Am I not a citizen? Do I not belong?’”

Although Abrams recognizes voting as a secular activity, she also affirms it as a “very sacred duty.” Referencing the apostles’ vote for Matthias as Judas’ replacement, she asserted, “If the act of replacing an apostle is not a sacred duty, if the act of electing those to speak for us is not a sacred duty, I do not know what is.”

Voting, for Abrams, is the means through which “we live out the call of our Lord for justice and for mercy.”

She continued, “In a massive agreement that we call the United States of America, we have organized ourselves to serve this credo that as a society we think that you shouldn’t go unhoused and you shouldn’t go unclothed, that you shouldn’t starve to death in our streets and that illness should not take you from us when medicine can keep you here, and yet we find ourselves having this constant argument about whether we’re going to be the people we say we are, and one of the most formal ways we engage in this argument is through the act of voting… When we vote, we are voting on whether or not we are going to meet our obligations of justice and mercy.”

When people are denied the right to vote, “they are denied their humanity,” according to Abrams. “They are being denied much in the way that Paul was. They are being denied who they are entitled to be.”

Although a Democrat herself, she insisted, “This is not about whether you live in a blue state or a red state or a purple state. This is if you live in the United States.”

She emphasized the need to “lift our voices,” “work our hands,” and “defy convention.”

Defying convention is especially important, Abrams argued, because “sometimes convention’s just wrong. Sometimes, convention is simply in place because no one has had the temerity to say no.”

Abrams is right in saying that we live in a corrupted world, and many in positions of power are more concerned with maintaining power than providing for those under their care. However, Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 9 was not to call the Corinthians to fight for more rights, but rather to lay down certain rights for the sake of the gospel. Of course, there would be no compromised rights in a sinless world. As we look forward to that future reality, let us take Paul’s call to run the race in such a way as to get the prize seriously by seeking justice and defending the cause of the poor and oppressed.

  1. Comment by Dan W on August 16, 2021 at 6:34 am

    So much to unpack here…

    This political speech was delivered in place of the sermon at Foundry UMC?

    Did the Apostles have to identify themselves before they voted for Matthias? How many of them voted multiple times? Did undocumented Apostles vote?

    Did Stacey mention Saint Paul also wrote “let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates the body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” – 2 Cor 7:1 ?

  2. Comment by Mike on August 16, 2021 at 8:32 am

    Typical of what happens when you have an agenda, and then look for Scripture to support it.

  3. Comment by David S. on August 16, 2021 at 9:23 am

    Dan W., exactly, which on another point, is why, though it will do no good, but it is the principle of the matter, I am writing a letter to the Commissioner of the IRS with copy to both Texas Senators filing a complaint against the Presbyterian Church (USA) for violating its tax-exempt status, regarding the Texas Democrats. At the request of Mr. Barber (I have too much respect for the office of pastor/priest, where these political activists are concerned to use Reverend), Mr. Jimmie Hawkins of the PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness is now providing the Texas Democrats office space and such. IF the IRS is going to deny a Christian organization 501(c)(3) status for purportedly espousing positions too closely aligned with the Republican Party, then certainly, the second largest mainline denomination should have the status of all of its entities’ revoked for actively siding with the Texas Democrats.

    https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/pcusa-washington-office-hosts-texas-legislators-fighting-for-voting-rights/

  4. Comment by Rev. Dr. Lee D Cary (ret. UM clergy) on August 16, 2021 at 11:03 am

    Voting was a ‘sacred duty’ and part of active citizenship, also. But since the Democrat Party corrupted the process in the 2020 General Election, that’s no longer true.

    I unregistered to vote after the Nov 2020 fiasco. I see no reason to continue voting and, thereby, help sustain a corrupted process.

    There are not two distinctively different political parties. There’s just one. The UniParty.

    Democrats corrupted the system. Republicans were too weak to fight corruption, and didn’t like Trump in the first place. That left the Libertarian Party, but it’s a hobby party. Not a serious choice.

    And that’s where we stand today. In political Limbo. I don’t pray for God to help us. Why would that happen? We brought this on ourselves.

  5. Comment by David on August 16, 2021 at 11:47 am

    The only form of government to come out of the Judeo-Christian tradition was divine right monarchy which Americans rejected in 1776. Attempting to find biblical examples of voting in the modern sense is a lost cause. The US is based on the pagan Roman republic and the pagan Greek democracy where voting was enforced by fines.

    I have never seen such a bunch of sore losers. When Hilary lost after being widely predicted to win, we did not see all these conspiracy theories floating about. It seems that when Democrats win an election something must be wrong. Either the candidate was not born in the US or there was improper voting. Even now, no one has put forth evidence to support the second after failing to do so in court cases that were lost. Some of the same votes that elected Biden also elected some Republicans whose status might be questioned.

  6. Comment by Dan Boyd on August 16, 2021 at 6:22 pm

    Ms. Song,

    Your style of ‘reporting’ on a blog (not a newspaper) is strangely comparable to a style someone who actually supports and wants to promote the ideology of the person on which they are reporting. Where is your critique and challenge of Stacey Abrams and or other speakers/authors you have reported on this summer? Do you have no opinion on the intellectually and philosophically bankrupt and damaging ideology of persons like Stacey Abrams and others? Has Georgetown University succeeded in brainwashing you or taught you well how to infiltrate conservative traditional organizations? Or are you a traditional/conservative person who is simply ‘reporting’ news/events with no commentary so as not to jeopardize your standing at Georgetown? Or have I misread the purpose and intent of a IRD blog?

    Dan

  7. Comment by Joe on August 17, 2021 at 7:27 am

    I’m not surprised that Abrams would use the pulpit if a liberal Methidist church to stump for the “voters rights” bill. Her interpretation of scripture is a stretch (that the vote to replace Judas was an endorsement of a political system) but civic participation for Christians is a good thing. However, Abrams trashes voting in her actions by not conceding the gubernatorial race in 2018 (such much for the sacredness of votes), opposing common sense regulations like voter id that do not stop people from voting, and stumping for federal control of elections in violation of the Constitution. She’s a snake oil salesmen and I find it unsurprising she knows how to manipulate the Bible as a part of her con.

  8. Comment by Gary on August 17, 2021 at 11:08 pm

    Foundry UMC, why am I not surprised?

  9. Comment by Wayne on August 18, 2021 at 12:31 am

    Foundry UMC has traditionally been a very liberal church for many years. I remember the Clintons attended when Bill was president. But to have Stacey “preach” about voter rights really crosses the line. Like Gary, I also am not surprised.

  10. Comment by p on August 18, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    Dan Boyd,

    Or perhaps Ms Song was assigned to provide a “Here’s what she said” report on the event and that’s it? They do post things like that here.

    She did provide some opinion in the last paragraph but I’ve noticed they try to keep articles around here to a certain length so she was likely limited in that respect too.

    IMO, you’re assigning blame where none is warranted. If someone at IRD wants to post something unpacking what Abrams said, they’ve got permanent staff like Mark Tooley who are perfectly capable of doing the job.

    As for what Abrams said, the only thing that keeps her remotely relevant in the political realm is her claim she was cheated out of winning the 2018 election when there is zero proof she was. Sheesh, when the Biden campaign was in the process of choosing a VP candidate the only person who thought she had a shot at it was her; even his people said they didn’t consider vetting her.

    As for the idea people are losing their voting rights, I needed an ID to get a library card. I need one to stay in a hotel. I need one when I check into a new doctor’s office. And I could go on. But somehow having an ID to vote is an undue burden?

  11. Comment by John Smith on August 22, 2021 at 10:08 am

    “We are asking ourselves in a very secular way”

    Lets face it, the UMC is a political advocacy group and the boards/societies are PACs sending money and resources where they want.

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