Election & Politics: When the Church Must Speak

Somewhere along the way, many Christians were taught that politics does not belong in the church. Pastors were told to preach the gospel, avoid elections, stay away from controversial issues, and never say anything that might sound political.

But where is that command in Scripture?

The church should never become the property of a political party. A pastor should not replace the Bible with campaign speeches. But when government, elections, laws, and political leaders move into areas where God has already spoken, the church has no biblical reason to become silent.

Acts 5:29 says, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Peter and the apostles said that to authorities who ordered them to stop preaching Jesus. They understood something the church must never forget: government has authority, but it does not have the highest authority. God does.

John the Baptist understood that too. Herod was not simply another man in the community. He was a ruler. Yet John looked at him and said, “It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.” John did not decide that Herod’s behavior was off limits because confronting him might be considered political. He spoke because what Herod was doing was wrong.

Nathan confronted King David. Elijah confronted Ahab. Daniel stood before kings. The prophets repeatedly addressed rulers and nations. Scripture does not give us a picture of men of God hiding from public issues because someone might accuse them of becoming political.

Ezekiel 33 describes the responsibility of the watchman. When the watchman saw danger coming, he was expected to sound the warning. Silence did not remove his responsibility.

Pastors are still watchmen.

If Scripture speaks about human life, pastors should teach about human life. If Scripture speaks about marriage and sexuality, pastors should teach it. If Scripture speaks about justice, truth, corruption, treatment of the innocent, religious freedom, or the responsibility of government, pastors should not become silent simply because politicians have taken positions on those subjects.

Calling something “political” does not remove it from the authority of Scripture.

There is also a reason many pastors became cautious about elections. Federal tax law has restricted political campaign activity by 501(c)(3) organizations for decades. That restriction did not begin with President Barack Obama. The provision commonly called the Johnson Amendment dates to 1954. Current IRS guidance still says that 501(c)(3) organizations, including churches, may not officially participate in campaigns for or against candidates.

But something important did happen during the Obama administration.

In 2012, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sued the IRS, arguing that the agency was failing to enforce its electioneering restrictions against churches. In 2014, FFRF and the IRS reached an agreement after the IRS demonstrated that it had procedures in place for reviewing possible church political activity. FFRF reported that churches had been flagged for potential political intervention between 2010 and 2013 and that 99 churches had been marked for “high priority examination.”

Religious-liberty organization Alliance Defending Freedom strongly objected. ADF argued that the IRS procedures threatened pastors’ freedom to speak from the pulpit and later sued seeking records concerning the IRS agreement and its procedures for church investigations. That was ADF’s position in the dispute, while FFRF argued that the IRS was simply enforcing restrictions that already applied to tax-exempt organizations.

That history helps explain why some pastors became nervous about anything that sounded political. But fear of the IRS is not a verse of Scripture.

In fact, even current IRS guidance recognizes that churches may speak about public-policy issues, including issues on which political candidates disagree, provided the organization does not use that communication to support or oppose a candidate. Ministers may also express personal political opinions when clearly acting as individuals rather than speaking officially for their tax-exempt organization.

So the idea that a pastor cannot address an issue because politicians are talking about it is simply too broad.

The greater question for the church is not, “Will somebody call this political?”

The question is, “Has God spoken?”

If God has spoken about something, pastors should have the courage to teach it.

That does not give pastors permission to twist Scripture for a political party. The same biblical standard must be applied to everyone. A pastor cannot condemn dishonesty, corruption, immorality, or abuse of power in one political leader and excuse the same behavior in another simply because he prefers that person’s politics.

Truth cannot change depending upon who is running for office.

Neither should the church tell Christians exactly how they must vote. Christians should know what candidates believe, what policies they support, what they have actually done, and then examine those things carefully in light of Scripture, prayer, conscience, and their responsibility before God.

But pastors should prepare their people to make those decisions.

That means opening the Bible and teaching plainly enough that Christians recognize the difference between right and wrong when they see it in government, culture, legislation, and political leadership.

Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.”

There comes a point when silence is no longer caution.

It becomes surrender.

The church does not answer first to a political party. It does not answer first to government. It does not answer first to the IRS.

The church answers to Jesus Christ.

Pastors must remember who called them, who gave them the message, and before whom they will ultimately give an account.

When the world says, “Keep that out of the pulpit,” the pastor should first ask whether God has already put it in His Word.

If He has, preach it.

Teach it.

Stand on it.

And do not be ashamed of it.

“We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Acts 5:29

Stand. Resist. Endure.

VaelerinMovement.org

### References

Internal Revenue Service: Current rules concerning political campaign intervention by 501(c)(3) organizations and churches.

Freedom From Religion Foundation: 2014 settlement with the IRS concerning enforcement of church electioneering restrictions and its account of churches identified for possible examination.

Alliance Defending Freedom: ADF's criticism of the IRS procedures and litigation seeking records regarding the IRS-FFRF agreement.