In mid-October, French reporter Marie Lefebvre-Billiez from Réforme, the only Protestant newspaper in France, spent two days meeting faculty, staff, and students at Azusa Pacific University as part of a 10-day trip to Southern California and area churches. Her intent: to gain insight into United States evangelicals and their perspective on the issues and candidates of the 2008 Presidential Election. The goal was to provide her readers in France a more in-depth view of the diversity of opinions and thoughts among evangelical Christians.
Immediately following the announcement of Barack Obama as President Elect, Marie asked those she had met at APU to email their reactions. Below is the English translation of her second article following the election results. Read the first article on her visit here.
The Joy, the Hope, and the Doubts
American Evangelicals. Very many vote for Obama, these Protestants state their hopes. A turn was made for their country and the world.
By Marie Lefebvre-Billiez
Kimberly Battle-Walters Denu, Ph.D., rejoices: Barack Obama will be her new president. "As an African-American I am full of joy that this man so intelligent and charismatic, full of attention, leads now a new and more unified America,” said this Associate Provost at the evangelical Azusa Pacific University (APU) in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles. “It represents hope for anyone who has ever been oppressed, ignored or marginalized in this country because of his or her race or any other superficial label. As a Christian woman and African-American, I am proud to call him my president.”
Cries of victory and joy, the American evangelicals have shared a lot of these during the night of the election. And not just among African-Americans. “I am proud that my country has made this decisive choice,” says Julia Pusztai, a nurse and a professor at APU. “I’m a white, Christian middle-aged woman and this is the miracle of my life. Obama represents a new generation with a broader and international perspective, which gives me hope. We Americans have clearly showed that we wanted to understand the world differently, and we consider each other differently. I leap with joy.”
Chuck Fager, a Quaker involved in the support of soldiers deserting, rejoices even in French: “The United States—will it now return to civilization? Maybe. We have found again the ability to hope. This is the first step.” Pastor Michael Mata, who works for an association to help disadvantaged children, was in China at the time of the announcement of the results. “The applause exploded when we heard that Obama had won. This is a great victory for everyone, and this brings hope to believers.”
Historic Moment
Dave Gibbons, pastor of a megachurch of Asians, adds: “It is a historic moment for America. The dream is alive! President Obama represents Americans' desire for more compassion, communication and collaboration. It is a symbolic breakthrough for race relations, culture and reconciliation. Things are not going to change overnight, but a turn was made.”
Jenny Elsey, M.Ed., Associate Director of Ministry and Services at APU, rejoices because, thanks to Obama, even the homeless were mobilized to vote “for the first time.” Andy Bales, a white pastor, director of the largest association to help the homeless in Los Angeles, said, “What a historic night for America! I have worked my whole life for us to get to the top of the mountain of Martin Luther King. But much work remains: solve the financial crisis, restore our welfare, save the people on the street, become reconciled with the world. But tonight, I have hope.” On the evangelical side, Jenny Elsey affirms that “there were difficult discussions: our core values have not changed, but our president should also work on poverty, war and the environment. The road is still long and my prayers are with President Obama.” And for Jim Proctor, a member of the First Evangelical Free Church (FEFC), “I think that Obama is the right person for this job. I think he will restore dignity to the Presidency and will do so gently, without pulling out guns or treating the Republicans vindictively. Perhaps because of his Christian roots ...”.
Yet Reluctance
Yet everyone in the FEFC, a rather conservative church, is not pleased. Several members, when asked, did not want to comment on the results. Dale Burke, Senior Pastor, was happy that the community could unite to worship on election night, despite political differences. But he is personally disappointed with the outcome which he deems “a drift towards greater secularism and postmodernism” to which he wants to respond with faith intact.
Adam Kemper, a theology student at APU, from a Republican family, questions, “I heard that Christians fasted for Obama not to be elected and others assert that his program is the best for the work of the Kingdom of God. I am sad that it took a political figure to bring hope to a suffering America, to set off a zeal often absent from our churches, so that people want change. I fear that we may replace God and what Jesus did on the Cross by the state and our elected officials.”
John Coulombe, another pastor at the FEFC, views warily the next appointments of judges to the Supreme Court by the new president. He is worried about the morals of his country, Obama having in the past supported abortion and gay marriage. “As Christians, we should intercede by prayer for those in positions of authority. But we are subject to a higher authority.”
The election of Obama does not please all minorities as well, especially Latinos. Dan Rodriguez, a hispanic pastor who voted for McCain, reveals his disappointment: “I wish good luck to President Obama and his team in the jungle of Washington, which is opposed to his agenda for change. Obama can expect a short political life if he does what he promised.”
Yet among evangelical voters for McCain, all are not as dismayed. “Although I disagree with most of his program, I am happy that we have elected an African-American. I think that this is a step forward for our country,” concedes, for example, Kent Walkemeyer, director of the Friends Center at APU. “I voted for McCain, but I'm not unhappy that Obama was elected,” continues his colleague Karen Winslow, director of the Free Methodist Center at APU. “McCain is a good man, very different from Bush. It is too bad that being a member of the same party has hurt him. We will see what Obama does. I hope that he will act for peace!” And Bill Catling, Chair of APU’s art department, who also voted for McCain, concluded: “I hope that the change which he speaks about to work beyond partisan divisions will materialize. We have the word ‘united’ in the name of our country, I’d like to see some unity emerge under his leadership.”
This hope is everywhere.
- Marie Lefebvre-Billiez, Réforme
Back to Part I: French Reporter Visits Campus During 2008 Election
