The How Would Jesus Vote (HWJV) tour is a series of free, public, nonpartisan discussion forums designed to help Christians answer the critical question of how to effectively vote our spiritual beliefs based upon the truth found in the Bible. These forums will challenge Christians to find a Biblical foundation for their voting.

How Would Jesus Vote is a program of Advance Church (www.advancechurch.org). Located in the Washington, DC metro area, Advance Church is a nondenominational fellowship of Christians from varied backgrounds. Advance Church exists to deploy godly leaders in every sphere of influence in the world.

While the 2004 and 2006 HWJV forums were based in Washington, DC, Advance Church has partnered with several organizations and churches around the country to expand this nonpartisan dialogue to help Christians inform their political values.

The HWJV tour will give Christians from both sides of the political and theological divide—liberals and conservatives from diverse denominations—an opportunity to weigh in together on which factors should guide the voting process for Christians. The forums bring together nationally renowned ministers, theologians, authors, elected officials, and other leaders to challenge participants to go beyond conventional thinking and examine the Biblical foundation for voting decisions.

The HWJV forums aren't intended to give a definitive answer to the question of who should receive a Christian's vote. Instead HWJV forums explore:

What process might Jesus use to determine how to cast His vote?
What issues would Jesus consider in casting His vote?
What questions would Jesus ask the candidates for election?
Would Jesus cast his vote based on a single issue or on a candidate's entire platform?
Would Jesus give more weight to any particular issue over others?

2. Why was How Would Jesus Vote developed?

Many people of faith grapple with choosing the best candidate during elections because one party or one candidate is not completely aligned with the voter’s Christian values. This was apparent in the fall of 2004 when the Democratic Party nominated John Kerry to run for President against the Republican incumbent President George W. Bush. Both parties made an appeal for Christians’ support and tried to find the message and issues that would motivate Christians to support the party's respective ticket in the election. For Christians, there was clearly a need to examine the issues and platforms not from the viewpoint of either party, but rather from the viewpoint of Jesus. There was no vehicle at that time, however, to address these spiritual values in a nonpartisan manner to help Christians inform their voting decisions.

Recognizing this need, in October 2004 Advance Church hosted the first How Would Jesus Vote forum in Washington, DC. The forum engaged prominent Christian leaders from both ends of the political spectrum in a dialogue about casting a ballot based upon Christian principles. The initial event was so successful that in fall 2006, prior to the mid-term elections, Advance Church hosted another HWJV forum.

In response to the demand to provide a larger stage for these programs, Advance Church has established the How Would Jesus Vote tour. We are joining with like-minded churches to prompt a national discussion among Christians and those interested in moral leadership. Our aim is to be a catalyst to ensure that righteous leadership is the outcome of the elections.

3. What can we learn from the Bible regarding how we should select our elected officials?

Christians have, unfortunately, been pigeonholed as a group of people with limited focus and concern motivated by only a handful of politically-charged issues. Jesus's ministry, however, was more dynamic than a single issue or a single party's platform. His teachings, as documented in the Holy Bible, are replete with lessons on a myriad of issues that impact our issues today. These are the same issues that candidates are expected to consider as they put themselves forth for elected office: care for the poor, elderly, and sick; environmental stewardship; fiscal stewardship; immigration; judgment and punishment; marriage and relationships; the sanctity of life; and war.

4. How does a How Would Jesus Vote forum work?

Each forum lasts approximately two hours and comprises a moderator and five to seven panelists who reflect a diverse range of Christian thinking. The moderator and panelists are mature, prominent Christian leaders and thinkers who are also politically active. Each panelist presents an opening statement that addresses his/her view on how Jesus would vote. There are no endorsements; each panelist’s statement instead addresses the factors that he or she thinks would influence Jesus’s vote. After the opening statements, the moderator opens the floor for questions from the audience. This group discussion is followed by a closing statement by the Pastor of the host church, which summarizes the key points that have emerged from the discussion.

5. When and where will the How Would Jesus Vote tour take place?

The How Would Jesus Vote tour will take place from May to October 2008, in Richmond, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles, California; and Washington, DC. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.HWJVtour.com.

6. How do you select the churches that will host How Would Jesus Vote events?

We are working with our sponsors to identify geographically diverse venues and churches to host HWJV national forums. These host churches will be motivated and active congregations with a demonstrated passion for moral leadership and commitment to societal transformation through participation in the culture.

7. What kind of help will host churches receive from the national How Would Jesus Vote team to host a tour event?

Churches that participate in the HWJV tour as hosts will receive a HWJV Forum Tool Kit—a step-by-step, comprehensive guide to holding and promoting a HWJV forum—an invitation package that the host church can use to solicit the participation of leaders from other local churches to serve as advisors for the citywide promotion of the forum, access to a comprehensive HWJV Web site, and an Advance Church Coordination Liaison who will identify and schedule expert panelists for the forum and provide logistical support and event management.

8. What do churches have to do if they decide to host a How Would Jesus Vote forum?

Host churches work with the HWJV team to promote the event in their local community, provide an event site, and generate sponsorship funding.

9. How can individuals participate in the How Would Jesus Vote tour in addition to attending one of the forums?

An important feature of HWJV is the comprehensive Web site , which features registration information for the How Would Jesus Vote tour, resources for learning about a particular candidate's views on the issues and for registering to vote, ongoing discussion groups, and other information. Visit the Web site at www.HWJVtour.com.