By Vicki Brown
A Baptist preacher’s wife running for lieutenant governor in Missouri says that while voters should consider a candidate’s moral character and values, faith should not be used for political ends.
Judy Baker, who has a master’s degree in divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and served four years in the Missouri House of Representatives, said that “God alone has the authority to measure faith,” but that a candidate’s actions can reveal “the character and values that demonstrate a heartfelt faith and the heart of God.”
“However, it must be kept in mind, in our country where the First Amendment guides our civil framework, that each candidate is not really running for priest- or pastor-in-chief,” she said.
While a candidate’s “character and principles” should be considered, she said, voters also must measure “other aspects of fairness, tolerance and competence.”
Judy Baker
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“Being a good Sunday school attendee doesn’t necessarily indicate you are the best candidate to lay roads, provide fire and police services or lead the military,” she said. “So a balance of the faith aspects and competencies claimed should all be considered.”
The first, she said, “is a determination based on character and values.” The latter is about “competencies in a complex world.”
Because no single candidate embodies all the traits and values a voter might hold dear, people of faith sometimes must decide which beliefs will guide political choices. “A voter who wishes to follow Christ to make these important decisions should do just that — follow Christ,” Baker said.
She recommends turning to Scripture and prayer. She also believes Christians should reflect on their understanding of Jesus’ priorities, which she sees as “love, forgiveness, grace and justice.”
“I balance these things always with the dedication as an American to the ideals of religious liberty,” she said.
As believers try to determine their candidate choices, they have “a duty to do their homework and carefully consider all the claims” those running for office make, Baker noted. Christians should filter claims “through the lens of the teachings of Jesus Christ” as they focus on “major” issues.
“For me, the majors would include seeing to the needs of one’s neighbor, seeking justice for all and building bridges of understanding for greater public good,” she explained. “Jesus, the Christ, was foremost a healer. He fed the hungry. He sided with the oppressed. He spoke truth to power.”
Jesus also often addressed the corrupting influence of money, she added. In today’s climate in which politicians seem to have “unlimited and unmonitored resources,” Baker suggests that Christians “be diligent to evaluate campaigns carefully and not to believe everything you hear.”
Baker, whose husband, John, is a longtime minister and former pastor of First Baptist Church in Columbia, Mo., is one of six candidates currently seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in Missouri. The filing period for the Aug. 7 state primary election ends March 27.
Baker served in the state legislature from 2005 until 2009 and served most recently as regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.