Kamala Harris: Poised to make history as first female baptist president

Kamala Harris is the first woman to hold the position of Vice President of the United States. She was born on 20 October 1964 in Oakland, California. Her mother was an Indian immigrant, and her father was from Jamaica. She grew up in a family with Christian and Hindu roots, and from a young age, she was connected to the customs of both religions. Though she took her first steps of faith in the Pentecostal Church, it was the Baptist community that became her spiritual home.

Baptism is one of the branches of Christianity that focuses on an individual connection with God and the practice of adult baptism, where individuals consciously decide to accept the faith. Baptist communities are diverse, each with slightly different practices and interpretations of the Bible. However, all are united by a strong bond with the Word of God and a pursuit of a personal relationship with God. The Baptist community consists of approximately 12 million followers and is the second-largest Christian denomination in the USA, after the Roman Catholic Church.

As a Baptist, Kamala Harris feels a strong bond with God. She has often referred to her religious beliefs during public speeches. In one of her appearances, she defined what faith and love for one's neighbour mean to her.

"Jesus tells us, your neighbor is not just the person who lives next door, who drives the kind of car you drive, the person shares your zip code. Jesus tells us your neighbor is that man by the side of the road who you walk by, who has faced hardship" she said.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Harris made sure to visit numerous Baptist churches. She called on followers not to be indifferent and to care for one another. She encouraged people to go to the polls. "Let us write a new chapter of our history rooted in the divine plan that will allow us to heal our divides," she persuaded the gathered crowd.

"Your life’s work should be to think about how you can serve in a way that is uplifting other people, that is about caring for other people." she emphasised in a conversation with CNN.

In an interview with the Associated Press, her friend, Pastor Amos Brown from San Francisco, confirmed her deep spirituality. He revealed that Kamala Harris has a habit of connecting with him by phone and praying during the conversation. She phones the clergyman before making important decisions. Such a situation occurred, for instance, when President Joe Biden informed her that he was withdrawing from the presidential candidacy.

So far, the United States has had five declared Baptist presidents: Andrew Johnson, Warren Harding, Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. Kamala Harris has a chance to be the sixth head of the USA of this faith.