LAKE OSWEGO --. Much prayer by many people is undergirding a locally based campaign to stir Christians both regionally and nationally to take part in elections this year.

Since 1999, David Crowe’s “Restore America” campaign has focused on a goal of greater participation in voting by Christians. In Oregon, its “As One Man” drive is being carried out as a call to register and turn out all eligible Oregon Christians in the May 21 Primary and Nov. 5 General Election.

More than 150,000 evangelical, Bible-believing Christians in Oregon who were eligible to vote, did not vote in the 2000 General Election, says Crowe, and only a little more than half of the Christians who were registered did vote.

“By not voting we refuse to dispense grace into what is instituted by God to punish evildoers and reward the righteous,” he said. “We refuse to be salt and light in the preservation of our privileges and freedoms for which so many have literally given their lives.”

Crowe continues, “Never was America, including Oregon, more needful of prayer. Never has the Church, the Bride of Christ, been in such need of prayer, and repentance. The oft-quoted verse in II Chronicles telling us to humble ourselves and pray, also includes a call to God’s people to repent. One of the areas in which we need to repent...is our failure to vote.

“It is time to mobilize Christians throughout the state of Oregon (and beyond), to pray that our pastors and Christian leaders would call their congregations and the Christian community to 100 percent voter registration in our Churches and 100 percent “turn in” of our ballots in the May Primary and November General Election.”

Part of the campaign is a prayer network coordinated by Beverly Sharpf. Her task is to identify Christians throughout the state of Oregon, in all 36 counties, who wish to pray for Restore America and the “As One Man” Campaign. Sharpf’s e-mail address is bsharpf@restoreamerica.org

Crowe says Restore America is founded on the belief that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, that the founders of America understood the Gospel and the Great Commission, and established a republic to preserve and advance the Kingdom of God through biblically enlightened self goverenment.

Restore America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. To contact Restore America, call 503-639-7298 or access www.restoreamerica.org .