Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference Trains Pastors on Civic Literacy Ahead of 2026 Midterms

The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference brought together more than 600 pastors, seminarians, and community participants at its February 2026 annual meeting, where voter mobilization and civic literacy took center stage ahead of the fall midterm elections.

The Rev. Damien C. Durr, the conference's new general secretary, said the gathering included a "Sacred Strategy" session focused on how faith communities can engage voters consistently, not just during election cycles. Workshops covered civic literacy and what it means to stay engaged beyond a single encounter.

Durr is now developing a curriculum called "Moving the Needle" for pastors to share with their congregations. The curriculum is designed to help church members understand their civic rights and responsibilities. It also targets first-time voters, including 18-year-olds who did not vote in the last election.

"It's also rooted in trying to get 18-year-olds registered to vote," Durr said. "In the state of Illinois, you can register to vote at age 17."

Attendees also viewed video clips from a two-day truth-telling commission held in January, sponsored by the conference and McCormick Theological Seminary. The commission included testimonies from community members who had direct experience with ICE raids in Chicago.

The conference is partnering with Faith Out Loud, a project led by the Rev. Traci Blackmon that works in 15 Southern cities to connect Black church leaders with community organizing. Both organizations say their work is tied to defending voting rights as Congress considers the SAVE Act and the Supreme Court weighs a provision of the Voting Rights Act.

Durr said civil rights texts by Martin Luther King Jr. and theologian Howard Thurman have "reentered the conversation heavily" among Black faith leaders preparing for the midterms.