The couples, each with a son and daughter who love socializing with each other, put up opposing political placards before their homes on opposite sides of their street, not far from the EMU campus. Mark Metzler Sawin, a graduate who teaches history at EMU, occupies the “blue” residence with his wife Erika, another Goshen grad. Two EMU alumni make their home in the “red” house.

When the children asked their parents what this meant to their friendships, the families put up the second set of signs pointing to the other yard: “And we’re STILL friends.”

The photo has garnered more than 14,000 “likes” on the Facebook page for the non-profit group .

Seminary alum calls for Election Day Communion

Another alumnus, Mark Schloneger (a grad of Goshen and of EMU’s seminary), wrote a CNN blog explaining the call for an election-day communion. Posted on Nov. 3, 2012, the blog attracted over 3,400 comments and nearly 4,000 likes in less than three days.

More than 800 congregations, schools, and groups in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., have declared that they are holding an . Seventy-one of these communions are in Virginia. The Virginia list includes Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, and Mennonite churches, including these in the Harrisonburg area: Community Mennonite, Lindale Mennonite, Park View Mennonite, Weavers Mennonite, and Zion Mennonite.

For more info, read the related news story on transforming politics on election day.

Nearly 800 congregations, schools, and groups in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., have declared that they are holding an . Sixty-five of these communions will be in Virginia. The Virginia list includes Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, and Mennonite churches, including these in the Harrisonburg area: Community Mennonite, Lindale Mennonite, Park View Mennonite, Weavers Mennonite, and Zion Mennonite.

Election day chapel and communion on campus

At EMU there will be an election-day chapel on Nov. 6 at 11 a.m. in Martin Chapel of the seminary building, with an election-day communion in the evening at 6:30 p.m. in the same location. Brian Gumm, distance learning tech analyst at EMU, has posted to his Restorative Theory blog.

Mark Schloneger, Kevin Gasser and Ben Irwin, EDC’s organizers, set a target of having 100 participating groups represented from all 50 states. Among the participants are ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř (EMU) and its .

Building unity out of diversity

Schloneger is a 2005 MDiv alumnus of Eastern Mennonite Seminary and pastor at in Goshen, Ind. Four years ago, Schloneger led a communion service on Election Day at in Waynesboro, Va. The church’s youth group created signs such as “Change You Can Believe In” and “Put the Kingdom First.”

“The purpose of Election Day Communion is to build our unity in and allegiance to Christ in the midst of theological, political, and denominational differences,” says Schloneger. “Some people misunderstand this campaign by thinking it is a statement that we need to keep politics out of the church so that we can focus instead on what’s really important, but that’s not how I think about it.

“Politics belongs in the Church because we are to place all things – all things –under the Lordship of Jesus. Of course, when we do that, our political passions and practices will look very different.”

Schloneger’s alternative vision is for “spaces all over the country” where people can come and declare their faith and allegiance to Christ over that of their diverse political beliefs. The leaders stress, however, that the movement is not meant to encourage abstinence from voting or to discourage political involvement.

‘We as the church, the body of Christ, are called to work together’

“The idea for Election Day Communion came from a sense that American politics have become too divisive, particularly within the church,” states Kevin Gasser, a 2008 Eastern Mennonite Seminary grad and pastor of the . The third movement leader, Ben Irwin, is an Episcopalian writer in Grand Rapids, Mich.

“The Bible is full of teachings and examples of how we as the church, the body of Christ, are called to work together, in spite of our differences, for the Kingdom that Jesus came proclaiming and inviting others to participate in,” says Gasser. In this way, EDC is reaching for ways to bridge the human-made chasms created by politics.

“I think it’s very scary to mix the church with politics, because depending on which side you’re on, it alienates other people in the church,” said , professor of at EMU. She is a long-time voter and chair of a legislative group representing nurses. She has canvassed for political candidates, including for her husband (a member of the Harrisonburg City Council).

Wiens hopes that Election Day Communion will not replace responsible voting, even though she was raised in a “plain” Mennonite community where everyone was expected to steer clear of politics up to and including not voting. She believes both religious and civic duties are important; however, Wiens has some discomfort when the two are combined in a communion. Furthermore, she believes that the election process is by nature competitive and secular, while communion is a sacred commemoration of the life of Christ.

Weins says she came to understand the importance of government – and thus the importance of choosing who guides the government – when she did some time with in Harlan County, Kentucky, where husband David Wiens, also a Mennonite, worked with those who had substandard housing. It was there the couple saw and experienced overwhelming poverty and the needs of a community.

Previously, David was employed in Reading, Pa., in child protective services. “Most of the aid for children was either county, state, or federal aid… that’s who takes care of those people,” she says. “I am in health care, and I don’t know what we’d do without Medicare and Medicaid.” No non-profit or church alone can meet the overwhelming needs of impoverished peoples, she adds.

Phil Kniss ’92, MDiv ’95, fully supports the EDC’s campaign as pastor of in Harrisonburg, Va., for the last 16 years. “What I really appreciate about the Election Day Communion is that the emphasis is on the communion, on the Eucharist, on that very tangible symbol of Christ’s broken body and blood. That really in a very symbolic way represents the central reality that we gather around as a church. I can’t think of anything better to do.”

Kniss believes that the church represents the political spectrum of the United States; however, despite having people arrayed from one end of the spectrum to the other, the church is still a community of people with ideals shaped by faith and the example that Christ gave of how to relate to one another and how power is used.

With that in mind, Kniss wants to discourage the division caused by political tension, and keep in mind the idea of allegiance and holding up loyalty to the kingdom.

“While these other issues that affect the country are important, what’s most important is that we’ve positioned ourselves properly towards Christ the King.” Celebrating communion is how Kniss believes Christians can redirect their loyalties to Christ as the purest example of a political entity, whose sacrificial love and reconciliation blankets the agendas and transcends political platforms.

“Politics are not an excuse for us to stop following Jesus and loving others,” Gasser says. “Instead, I hope we can use this opportunity to be a witness to others of a better way, a better kingdom, and a better King.”

More information

Eastern Mennonite Seminary will host an election day chapel on . The election day communion will take place at , hosted by .

As part of EMU’s visiting pastor program, Schloneger has the opportunity to attend both undergraduate and seminary classes, chapel services and share his call to ministry.

Schloneger is pastor of Springdale Mennonite Church in Waynesboro, Va.

For more information contact church relations at 540-432-4589 or email church relations@emu.edu.