Pastors and Church Leaders.
Your congregation is thirsting for the Bible’s council on cultural issues and a believers response. George Barna reports that on Biblical topics like God’s definition of marriage, his plan for human sexuality, the value of life, workplace ethics, immigration, self defense, national defense, well over 70% of congregational members desire to know the Bible’s answer to these things.
Unfortunately, only 10% of the pastors and church leaders have had the courage to address these things. When asked by Barna why they are reluctant to teach and lead on these biblical issues, their answers fell into two categories – money and membership. People will quit giving or people will quit coming.
We have let the culture tell the church what it can talk about. The culture, says well these topics over here are “political”, you are not allowed to talk about those things. Unfortunately, for most pastors, they will have some members say the same thing. Well pastor, these things are “political” you should not be talking about those things.
What a hoax that has been perpetrated on the church. Is there any topic that the Bible might have some clear teaching on or at least some insight. These cultural issues are not “political issues”, they are “biblical issues” and a biblical church and biblical pastor will provide instruction on these cultural and social topics, whatever they may be.
The other hoax that has been foisted on the church is that Separation of Church and state does not allow the church to talk about “political issues” because they can lose their tax exempt status. The Johnson Amendment to the IRS tax code has a shady history and those that want to shut up the pulpits in the land have been effective for 50 years in scaring pastors and church leaders into withdrawing from the civic space. The Pulpit Freedom Initiative by Alliance Defending Freedom is addressing this issue straight on. The ADF Pulpit Initiative
You have far more freedom as a pastor than you have been told. In fact, you can do almost anything as a pastor, church, and congregation in the political arena, just shy of using the church budget to support a candidate.
Freedoms You Have As A Pastor and a Church
This is an amazing list of freedoms below. Once you understand you have these freedoms, the question is whether you will have the courage to act and to live out these freedoms as a pastor and a congregation.
- Teach Biblical Civics – the proper role of government
- Teach what the Bible as to say about Social Issues – Life, Marriage, Human Sexuality, and other hot button issues
- Encourage members to vote
- Conduct a Voter Registration drive
- Pass out Voter Guides and Other Voting Tools to Members
- Mobilize Your Congregation to Get to the Polls
- Compare Party Platforms – by party name if so desired
- Compare Candidate Positions – by candidate name if so desired
- Endorse a Candidate as a private citizen – even during a church service by stepping away from the pulpit
- Endorse a Candidate as a pastor of the church – even in the pulpit
- Call out the Character or Wickedness of a public official by name
- Analyze Anonymously Congregational Database on what percent vote
- Meet With and Lobby Elected Officials on Important Social Issues
Something Not to Do
The freedoms a pastor and church has are far more comprehensive than you are led to believe. Where your freedom diminishes and it becomes a trouble spot is financial support for a candidate through the church budget.
- Do not allocate a portion of your church budget to support a specific candidate for office.
Alliance Defending Freedom can review all of these rules and guidelines with you. Alliance Defending Freedom.
Some Additional Inspiration As a Pastor and Church Leader
- Voting 20 – Do Christians Really Care – 5m
- Voting 22 – A Prescription for National Health – 2m
- Voting 23 – Being a Steward of Your Vote – 2m
- Voting 24 – Not Voting Means You Endorse What Government is Doing – 3m
- Voting 25 – Christians Responsible for Wise Men or Fools in Office – 2m
- Voting 26 – God has Put A Sacred Trust in Our Hands – 3m
- Voting 27 – The Church Must Preach on The Issues of the Day – 4m
- Voting 28 – The State of Culture is the Responsibility of the Church – 3m
- Voting 29 – Failure of the Church Means National Failure – 3m
- Civic Excellence – The Churches Role – 9m
- Civic Excellence – Civics vs. Politics – The Church Must Know the Difference – 8m
- Civic Excellence – Why the Church Should Care – 6m
- Civic Excellence – The 8 Components of Civic Excellence the Church Should Understand – 9m
- Civic Excellence – The Church as the Greatest Hope – 5m