Hi, I’m Pastor Beth. I completed Peacekeeper training along with my Election Defenders training prior to the 2020 presidential election. I live in Tiffin, OH (Seneca County), but I have served as a Peacekeeper in Toledo (Lucas County) for the last four years.
My life and ministry as a Pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has always included civic engagement as an expression of the Gospel. I’ve enjoyed working with Faith in Public Life since 2012. When Peacekeepers, or Poll Chaplains as I prefer to call them, were developed, it was a great fit for me.
The Peacekeeper experience is as unique as the person serving and is always shaped by the site and the situations encountered there. I appreciate the freedom to use my pastoral care skills as I see fit, undergirded by our thorough training and the support system that’s available to us while we’re working to help voters.
For me, serving as a Peacekeeper is a ministry of presence. As the only Peacekeeper in Toledo, I respond to calls for assistance from multiple sites throughout the day. Almost all my conversations have been with folks outside of the voting line. Heated encounters are exciting and flashy, but the real work happens in calm, respectful, non-partisan conversations with ordinary people in high-pressure surroundings.
I’m honored to be a part of this important program, and will be delighted to attend the Election Protection Summit to network with my peers. I hope to see you there!
Rev. Beth Westphal, Lucas County Peacekeeper
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