Our Senior Warden, Don Henninger Leads 
Arizona Democracy Resilience Network

In her E-Pistle newsletter to the diocese on September 28, Bishop Jennifer Reddall expressed her support for the Arizona Democracy Resilience Network. Both the Bishop and Rev. Jim Clark have endorsed the non-partisan effort to restore faith in our election systems and ensure a peaceful democratic process. Our Senior Warden Don Henninger is co-chair of the network, which includes faith leaders from across Arizona as well as business, community and civic leaders. The bishop wrote: “The work of peace building is Gospel work and I’m so pleased to be a part of it.” People of all faiths are invited to show their support. Click here.

Statement from Faith Leaders United for Peaceful Elections in Arizona

In partnership with the Arizona Democracy Resilience Network

As faith leaders from across Arizona, we come together from different religious and political backgrounds to express our support for safe, fair and secure elections. With early voting for the November election just days away, we are concerned by the hateful rhetoric and threats against election workers, activists, supporters of the candidates, public officials and even places of worship.

The values of our faith traditions drive our belief in this cause.  All of our constitutional freedoms, including our religious freedom, depend on the integrity of our elections – the foundation of American democracy.

We support the following fundamental principles for safe, secure and fair elections and we ask everyone – from public officials to civic leaders, people in a position of power to voters everywhere – to commit to the same:

Candidate Principles for Trusted Elections

As a candidate, I am guided by the following principles:

• Honest process: Cooperate with election officials, adhere to rules and regulations, and refrain from knowingly propagating falsehoods about the electoral process.
• Civil campaign: Encourage a peaceful election atmosphere during the pre-election, polling, counting, and post-election periods. Denounce any attempt to intimidate, harass, threaten or incite violence against opponents, their supporters, and election workers.
• Secure voting: Respect voters’ freedom to exercise their lawful rights to register and vote, free from interference, obstruction, or intimidation.
• Responsible oversight: Encourage political parties and others to train poll-watchers on the election process and appropriate roles and behaviors, responsibilities, and obligations.
• Trusted outcomes: Make claims of election irregularities in accordance with the law and acknowledge the legitimacy of the outcomes after the results have been certified and all contestations decided.

You can show your support by endorsing them at this link

These principles are key to sustaining our healthy democracy and they are supported by a majority of Americans but they are being threatened today as we enter a new election cycle. We invite everyone to join us in our support of the fundamental principles of our democracy.