We are pleased to share a resource recently developed by the joint Public Policy Committee of the Minnesota South and North Districts. We're calling it a Lutheran Voter Information Guide, and it is intended to help us all become better stewards of our citizenship. To be consistent with our public policy advocacy thus far, we've limited this Guide to four specific areas of public life: life issues; marriage, family and sexuality issues; matters of religious liberty; and parental choice in education. In addition, we've offered a reflection on what it means to participate in a strange, turbulent election cycle. 

Download the Lutheran Voter Information Guide

As you will see, it is by no means an exhaustive resource in either depth or breath. It is intended only as a first step in helping the average layperson understand the basic positions that the Synod, grounded in Scripture, takes on these matters.

We hope you will find it to be a useful tool and that you'll make an effort to distribute it to your members in whatever way seems most effective to you. Through it, we want to give them the tools and confidence to interact with the candidates for various public offices (either in-person or electronically).

You might also choose to use the Guide as a resource for one or more Sunday morning adult Bible classes. We think this method may help your members understand how Scripture might inform their thinking concerning many of the pressing public issues. 

We, of course, are not promoting any particular candidates or parties. Instead, we want to help you identify the policy issues that we as a church body speak to and briefly describe how Scripture addresses them. We hope that this helps your members feel more fully informed as they decide which candidates and issues to support and oppose this election year and beyond.

We also welcome your comments and suggestions for improving future Information Guides. Please direct them to Rev. Fred Hinz, Public Policy Advocate.