Nov. 6, 2008 | By Michael McCormack

NEW ORLEANS -- Katrina recovery, civic responsibility, historical perspective and Christian faith came together on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary during the Nov. 4 general elections.

Numerous voting precincts cast their votes in New Orleans Baptist Seminary's Hardin Student Center. It's a post-Katrina development that allows the seminary to interact with the community on both personal and civic levels.

"Historically, New Orleans has conducted its elections in small precincts with one or two voting machines per precinct," NOBTS President Chuck Kelley explained. "Nearly all of these were located in homes in the many neighborhoods of New Orleans.

"When much of the Ninth Ward and New Orleans East was heavily damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, however, large portions of the city were left without homes or other habitable properties [to host elections]."

New Orleans Seminary's Hardin Student Center, which boasts a large atrium, was a great fit for the surrounding area's voting needs. Since Katrina, voting machines begin filling the Student Center on the eve of each election.

"We were happy to provide space for the numerous polling precincts that had no adequate facility available," Kelley said. "With easy access, a large open space, a big parking lot, bathrooms and other basic services, we had a perfect place for voting. We're delighted to provide it."

New Orleans Seminary faculty, staff and students play the role of host on election days. Parking priority in given to voters and additional campus police officers provide direction to campus guests. Campus Police Chief Chester Douglas praised the seminary family for its flexibility, and he provided a greater perspective on the day.

"Anytime we have an opportunity to interact with the public is a chance to display some Christian courtesy and to be a witness," Douglas said.

At the present time, New Orleans Seminary is the only Southern Baptist seminary that acts as a major election day polling place. Southwestern Seminary served this year as a site for early voting. Voting machines may be an unusual sight to behold on a seminary's campus. Kelley pointed, though, to the seminary's role in the surrounding community.

"Serving as a polling place is part of our community service," he said. "New Orleans is not just our location. It is our home, and we want to play an active role in its recovery. We also want to keep a visible reminder before our seminary family that being a good citizen through participation in our civic processes is an important opportunity and responsibility for Baptists in a democracy."

A biblical mandate

Much is made of keeping religious duties separate from civic ones. However, Barrett Duke, vice president for public policy for the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, highlighted the biblical mandate for civic involvement during his chapel message at NOBTS Nov. 4.

He said it plainly: "God's people are needed in the voting booth fulfilling their civic responsibility."

Duke pointed those in attendance to 1 Peter 2 as a clear mandate for civic involvement. He named four challenges found in the passage.

"The first challenge is a personal challenge," Duke said. "The first challenge we have as God's disciples is a personal challenge for us to be the kind of people we want others to be."

That personal challenge, he said, is inevitably connected to a public challenge.

"What we do in private has a public effect," he said, speaking of 1 Peter 2:12. "We need to live lives that actually indicate that Christianity means something. It's more than simply a label we wear."

Then, there's a civic challenge found in 1 Peter 2:13. Part of the governing authority in the United States, Duke explained, is the expectation that all citizens of proper age participate in the voting process.

"You can't not vote and claim you're exercising all the responsibilities of Christian discipleship," he said. "Either we're doing it and we're obeying God, or we're not doing it and we're disobeying God."

He pointed, finally, to an intellectual or apologetic challenge found in 1 Peter 2:15. By participating fully in the election process, Christians have a direct impact on the direction of the country.

A unique election day culture

New Orleans boasts an election day flavor matched by few other cities. On typical Saturday elections, candidate supporters set up countless signs, shelters and barbecue grills along green spaces. The energy and festivity is tangible on each election day.

On this mid-week election day, voters were less festive and more focused than usual. For local New Orleanians voting at New Orleans Seminary, election day excitement teamed with a sense of civic responsibility to produce high voter turnout. Some precincts reported voter turnout in excess of 70 percent.

What follows are some voters' responses to the question: In general, why did you vote today?

"That's something you got to do." - Jim

"I think it's our duty as citizens. I don't think we have a right to say anything about the government if we don't vote." - Justin

"I always vote. It's my responsibility." - Cabrina

"For a change - 100 percent." - Clementine

"It's my duty and privilege." - Michael

"I needed to vote today." - Christine

For Christine, casting her vote was particularly meaningful. Since Hurricane Katrina, Christine has been taking a bus from Texas to New Orleans every election day in order to vote. Nov. 4 marked the first election day since she has been back in New Orleans living in her own home.

-30-