Why the 2010 Census matters to the Church

The Church and government don’t often mix well.

When Jesus was asked if we should pay taxes, he said, “Give to Caeser what is Caeser’s, and give to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Many Christians, and even church leaders, have taken Jesus’s statement as permission to completely disassociate the Church from any government initiative.

But, if we’re honest with ourselves, we will realize that some government programs can be useful tools to help with our great commandment to love others as we love ourselves. When God commands us to feed the poor, or to take care of orphans, there are obviously lots of things we can do personally to make that happen. But, there are also existing programs we can take advantage of, and many of those are funded by the federal government.

Censuses didn’t have a great reputation in biblical times. They were usually associated with collecting money. David angered the Lord when he decided to take a census of his men. And, of course, it was because of a census in Bethlehem that Jesus was born in a manger, instead of more comfortable digs.

The US Census to be held in 2010, however, is different from these. The census is a mechanism used to allocated billions of dollars in government funding for important community facilities like schools, roads, hospitals, child care centers, and more. Over $300 billion a year, to be more specific. How these dollars are allocated, in many cases, is dependent on how many people are counted in each area. That’s why it’s important for our communities for everyone to be counted.

Why should the Church care? Well, the very groups that God calls us to defend (the poor, the marginalized, the orphans and widows) are the groups that are the least likely to be counted. In 2010, America has a higher population of historically undercounted groups than ever. Many of these groups don’t trust the government to do what’s right, but they trust their local church. Therefore, the Church should step up and encourage all groups to be counted.

So, as a church leader, pastor, or not-for-profit director, what can you do?

1. Ensure your congregation or constituents that the census is simple and safe. The questionnaire is only a few questions, and every household’s personal information will be kept confidential for 72 years.

2. Offer to help those who don’t understand or read English If you have a cross-cultural ministry, this can be especially helpful.

3. Create a campaign. Hang signs or posters in your church or office. Make sure everyone’s aware that census questionnaires are coming in March, and that April 1 is census day.

Every person matters to Jesus, so they should matter to us. It’s in our hands. Let’s all do our part to make sure each and every person is counted.