As the president and founder of Vision America, I made a commitment to partner with Bishop E. W. Jackson, president and founder of S.T.A.N.D. (Staying True to America’s National Destiny), for a five-week, five-state bus tour to rouse the church to the need for a Christian awakening in America.

Bishop Jackson and I have the same burden for America. We are both ordained ministers and have created two separate entities designed to challenge Christians to embrace their calling to be salt and light in an increasingly darkened nation.

Close

America was founded by Christians and birthed in the white-hot fires of the First Great Awakening led by preachers like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards.

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

The scourge of slavery, which threatened to destroy our young nation, was overcome as a result of the Second Great Awakening led by another great man of God, Charles Finney.

Now, America needs a Third Great Awakening. We are leading the charge with the “Vote Your Values Christian Awakening Tour,” in hopes that pastors will yet again catch the vision and bring our nation front-and-center with its sin and dire need for redemption.

The “Vote Your Values” tour has combined the resources of our two organizations, and to date, we have toured Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and spoken with pastors over meals we’ve shared together. Stops in North Carolina and Florida are and will be our most recent.

All of these swing states are vitally important in this year’s presidential election as we speak to thousands of pastors. We’re calling them to lead their congregations to educate themselves regarding presidential candidates and the many others who are running for various elected positions.

Related: Conservative Christians: Do Not Be Shaken

We invite pastors to join us, at no charge, for a meal and an intense, personal discussion about America. We also share election information and encourage pastors to engage in this passionate discussion.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

We urge pastors to mobilize their congregations to vote, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as followers of Christ, voting for the candidates that most reflect their values — keeping in mind, of course, that Jesus Christ is not one of the candidates. If He were, our choice at the polls would be easy. But no human candidate will ever be perfect.

Bishop Jackson and I believe that as the church goes, so goes America; as the pastor goes, so goes the church. The pastors of America have a responsibility to God to lead the church to vote on Election Day. To do less is to sin, for the Scripture says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

The goal of the “Vote Your Values” tour is to mobilize the church to recognize that no party, nor candidate, is capable of saving our nation. The only hope for America is God. The time is now for Christians to stand up and make sure that America’s future is secure and the only way to do that is for the Church to engage and stand with truth.

Related: Trump Stands Firmly with Pro-Lifers

One of the two candidates of the two major parties will be elected on Nov. 8. Christians must determine which candidate will appoint judges who reflect their values and which party is more aligned with their values. Then the entire church must vote on Election Day. We will be held responsible if we do not act and do all we can to put the right candidate in office next month.

And we can all agree that our most important course of action is prayer. May God have mercy on America as we go to the polls, and may He move upon every believer’s heart to vote for not only today’s needs, but for our children’s and our grandchildren’s lives in this country that was founded on the Word of our Lord God Almighty.

Rick Scarborough is president of Vision America Action and served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Pearland, Texas, from 1990 to 2002. During his 12-year ministry there, the church baptized more than 2,000 people and relocated to a new campus. He also worked previously as a full-time evangelist, preaching more than 500 revival crusades.