Recently, my friend Don Currence, Registration Secretary for the Southern Baptist Convention and Mayor of Ozark, Missouri, challenged pastors and Christians to consider serving their communities through public office or other forms of civic engagement. His encouragement comes at an important moment. As our culture becomes increasingly divided, it is tempting for believers to retreat from civic life rather than engage it. Yet Scripture consistently calls God’s people to seek the welfare of the places where they live and serve.
Many Christians today feel caught between two extremes. On one side are those who believe faith should remain entirely private and disconnected from public life. On the other are those who engage primarily through political combat, viewing every issue through partisan lenses. Neither reflects the biblical calling of Christ followers.
Christians are not called to withdraw from their communities, nor are we called to inflame division. We are called to serve, to influence, to seek peace, to pursue justice, and to represent Christ wherever God has placed us.
I learned this lesson firsthand during my years serving as a pastor in a previous community.
During a particularly challenging season of cultural tension and unrest, a hiring decision by our local government became the center of controversy. Suspicion, anger, and frustration spread quickly throughout the city. Relationships became strained between citizens, city council members, and even leaders within the ecumenical clergy alliance.
Many people responded predictably. Some wrote opinion pieces. Others organized protests. Some made public statements that generated more heat than light. While many were sincere in their concerns, the overall effect was greater conflict and deeper division.
As I watched events unfold, I became increasingly convinced that my responsibility as a pastor was not simply to comment on the situation. God had given me relationships with city leaders, pastors, and community influencers that had been built over years of trust. It became clear that this was a moment to use those relationships for the good of the city.
Frankly, it felt risky.
I knew I could be misunderstood. I knew people might assume political motives. I knew there was a possibility of being placed into categories and camps where I did not belong. Yet I could not escape the biblical call to be a peacemaker.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Jeremiah instructed God’s people living in exile to “seek the welfare of the city” where they lived (Jeremiah 29:7). That command was not given to elected officials alone. It was given to God’s people.
So I began making phone calls.
Through conversations and personal connections, I encouraged leaders to come together and talk with one another rather than talk past one another. I encouraged listening over labeling and dialogue over accusations. Eventually, key leaders agreed to meet.
What happened next reminded me why civic engagement matters.
The meeting was not perfect. There were still disagreements. Strong opinions remained. But people listened. Calm voices were heard. Common ground was discovered. Relationships were strengthened.
As a result of those conversations, an amendment to the city charter was adopted that created a more reasonable hiring process and approach moving forward.
The solution did not emerge from shouting. It emerged from conversation.
It emerged from people willing to come together for the good of the city.
That experience reinforced a conviction I carry today: pastors and ministry leaders have an important role to play in the communities they serve. While not every pastor is called to run for office, every pastor is called to engage the people, institutions, and challenges of the community where God has planted them.
Sometimes that engagement may involve serving on a board, commission, or task force. Sometimes it may involve building relationships with city officials, educators, law enforcement leaders, or nonprofit organizations. Sometimes it may mean helping opposing groups find a path toward meaningful conversation.
In every case, it means refusing to stand on the sidelines when our communities need voices of wisdom, compassion, and reconciliation.
As tensions continue to rise in many communities across our nation, the need for Christian engagement becomes even more urgent. Our cities do not need more outrage. They need more peacemakers. They do not need more division. They need bridge-builders. They do not need more darkness. They need the light of Christ shining through believers who are willing to serve.
Christ followers are called to stand for truth while demonstrating grace. We are called to defend the vulnerable and advocate for the oppressed. We are called to love our neighbors and seek the common good. We are called to enter difficult spaces with courage, humility, and conviction.
The gospel has implications not only for eternity but also for how we live together today.
So let me encourage you, pastor and ministry leader: take the risk of engaging your community. Build relationships before the crisis comes. Earn trust over time. Show up. Listen well. Speak truthfully. Pursue peace.
You may never hold public office, but you can still have a profound influence on the place God has called you to serve.
Our communities need more Christians who are willing to engage—not for political gain, but for the good of their cities and the glory of Christ.
Bob Bickford
Executive Director
Nashville Baptist Association