A Message from Pastor Kaji
Click here for Pastor Kaji’s sermon playlist
Dear Church:
Much is ado in the life of our church, city and nation this week. I know that we all turn our hearts to the freedom fighters and peacemakers amongst us.
This Sunday, we will celebrate Father’s Day. Worshipers will have the opportunity to give thanks for every form of blessing in fathering – and there are many forms – that has touched our lives. I will be taking the day off for rest, but our own member Vanessa Lindley will be in the pulpit.
In a spirit of encouraging civic engagement, I would like to remind you all that on Tuesday, June 24, registered Democrats in New York City will vote in the 2025 primary election. In preparation, I invite you to stop by the voter registration desk that my sorority sisters from the Tau Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. are hosting at 116th and Frederick Douglass Blvd from 10 am – 1 pm. If you or anyone you know is in the neighborhood and would like to register, you would be most welcome.
I’m offering some information on this upcoming election, below. Please take the time to read it and perhaps to share it with a neighbor or a friend.
Of course, as a church, we are not and have not ever endorsed any candidate or political party. We offer the following information as a nonpartisan resource to help our community stay informed about how our city’s democratic process works.
Why Focus on the Democratic Primary?
Because New York City is overwhelmingly Democratic. More than two-thirds of voters cast Democratic ballots in recent elections. As a result, most local offices, from Mayor to City Council, are effectively decided in the Democratic primary, not the general election.
In some districts, only a few thousand votes separate the winner. That means these local races are often decided long before November by people who show up in June.
What’s on the Ballot
- Mayor
- Public Advocate
- Comptroller
- Borough Presidents
- All 51 City Council Districts
(Your specific ballot may vary — see below to preview yours.)
How Ranked-Choice Voting Works
NYC uses Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) for local primaries:
- Rank up to 5 candidates per race, in order of preference.
- If no one gets a majority, votes are redistributed until a candidate reaches 50%.
- You don’t have to rank all 5, but it gives your vote more influence.
Learn more and try a sample ballot
Key Dates
- Early Voting: June 14–22
- Election Day: Tuesday, June 24 (6 AM – 9 PM)
- Check your polling site: nycvotersearch.com
Candidate Info
Explore nonpartisan information about every candidate running in your district:
nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot
We share this information in the spirit of civic awareness, not political advocacy. Please vote according to your values, your conscience, and your hope for this city.
Pax Christi,
Pastor Kaji
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 14:1-12 (Year A, p. 355):
1 Herod the tetrarch heard the story of Jesus; 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer; he has been raised from the dead and because of this, these powers work through him.” 3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, 4 because John had told him, “It is not permissible for you to have her.” 5 Now he wanted to put him to death yet he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet. 6 Then when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in their midst, and she pleased Herod. 7 So he swore an oath to grant her whatever she asked. 8 Now, instructed by her mother, “Give me,” she said, “here on a platter, the head of John the Baptizer.” 9 Grieved, the ruler out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, commanded it be given to her. 10 Herod sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.