ELCA social teaching holds that all residents of the United States have a responsibility to make government function well—not to abandon our democracy but to engage it in a spirit of robust civic duty.

“Government remains God’s gift because it is intended to do what churches, families, individuals, and businesses cannot do on their own: protect and coordinate the well-being of individuals, communities, and creation. Some people object to the church involving itself in matters related to government, in “politics.” Taking partisan stances is not the church’s role, but “politics” has to do with negotiating how the benefits and burdens of living in a society are shared. Politics is key to self-governance.”

"ELCA social teaching, consistent with classical Lutheran thought, recognizes the ambiguity that civil government at all levels can be a force for good or for evil—or, most accurately, both in some combination. This realistic view of government holds in tension the failures of our shared political life with the recognition that God intends for government to protect all people and to enable human societies to flourish (Romans 13:1-7). This realistic view establishes a fruitful middle ground between idolatrous endorsement of government or its policies and cynical rejection of the good it provides. ELCA social teaching holds that all residents of the United States have a responsibility to make government function well—not to abandon our democracy but to engage it in a spirit of robust civic duty. For Lutherans, this responsibility is lived out as a calling from God, expressed in the discipleship described in our baptismal promises. It is based on our understanding of how God governs human society.”
-A Social Message on Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy, 2020