Kohima, March 27 (MExN): To create awareness about Clean Election Movement among the masses, churches under the Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (CBCC) observed March 27 as Clean Election Sunday during which pastoral exchange was organised.
The sermon outlines for pastors and preachers were prepared by the core committee of the Chakhesang Clean Election Movement (CCEM) led by its Chairman Rev Vezopa Rhakho. The outlines were mainly to maintain uniformity and reach the masses with right kind of message about the movement, a press release informed on Sunday.
It said that the topic was based on what Clean Election is and a Christian response to the movement. It also implored on the real-life situation among the people that calls for a clean election, the release stated.
According to the release, the CCEM sermon outline stated that politicians are people’s representatives and “If any politician does not love and serve the common people, he/she is not fit to be the people’s representative,” while adding that a politician’s success and stewardship should be determined by the kind of service they rendered during their tenure and not by those ‘rich words of promises, gifts, and grants during elections.’
“Church and politics are mutually exclusive but are interdependent. Politics has nothing to do with the sacrament and sanctity of the church. Likewise, the church must not allow state politics to dictate the role and function of the church. The church must, however, directly impact society and contribute positively to the social situation and political movements. It must raise her prophetic voice against any form of political corruption and injustice in society,” it added.
Further stating that the church leaders or pastors must never become politically biased, it said that the church must always seek and maintain peace and encourage individual rights to exercise the freedom to discern and vote responsibly.
“Clean election is not an option but an absolute necessity for good governance. The church must know the truth, speak the truth, defend the truth, and practice the truth. The church, being the guardian of the truth of the Scriptures, must lead the way,” the CCEM said.
