Editor’s Note:  In the coming weeks, people everywhere will be going to the ballot box to express their hearts and minds at the polls.  The heightened awareness of the elections is an opportunity for preachers to deliver relevant messages about matters of great significance.  Election time raises many questions for preachers:

• How to appropriately handle the interplay of faith and politics
• How to express Biblical truth in a political context without hindering the gospel
• How to avoid violating legal parameters set for non-profit organizations
• How to articulate God’s timeless truths in Scripture at such a strategic time

Preaching in Election Season 

Gary McCaleb

Senior Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund

Proverbs 28:12

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Acts 4:18-20

Undoubtedly there is interplay between the realms of faith and politics.  And, of course, confusion often arises when the two are mixed.  The Alliance Defense Fund’s mission is to help defend the right to hear and speak the truth of the gospel and God’s word at all appropriate times and places.

Some would have us believe that there is no place or time when politics and faith can appropriately mix—where truth can be spoken and defended.  A brief reflection on this thought reveals how dangerous and unreasonable that assumption is.  If there is no place for faith to impact the realm of politics, then it is questionable whether there is a place for faith to impact life at all.  And the ramifications of muffling faith and biblical truth at the critical junction of election time can be devastating for society.  Consider the result of godly voices being silenced while giving an unbridled platform to those who reject God.  Common sense shows that this is insanity and robs the Church of its calling to be salt and light.

Certainly there are opportunities to abuse the pulpit and to confuse unwavering truth with passing political opinion.  Preachers bear the burden of clearly delineating between the two.  But they also bear the burden of speaking out about matters of righteousness, justice, mercy, and truth.

I am writing this to you, the leaders of America’s churches, because, in many states, the 2006 elections will raise profound questions on matters of great significance including the sanctity of life, moral standards, and a biblical worldview.  Many pastors may be deterred from speaking biblical truth for fear that their church’s federal tax exempt status would somehow be endangered.  Often, those fears are sparked by media reports of an “IRS crackdown” triggered by complaints from proponents of ungodly legislation.

In virtually every case, such charges are no more than bare scare tactics.  The truth is that federal tax law allows a church to spend at least 5% (in some cases, up to 20%) of its total resources on direct lobbying for legislation, which includes both ballot initiatives and referenda.  Federal law allows you to address critical faith issues in the political arena.  This certainly includes the right of church leaders to urge their congregations to consider what bearing Scripture has on issues and to vote accordingly.  Plainly stated, there is nothing in federal tax law to prevent a pastor from directly encouraging people to support legislation that the church believes to be beneficial to the community.  On the other hand, IRS regulations do prohibit tax exempt organizations—including churches—from endorsing candidates.  However, church leaders remain free to address issues from the pulpit, educate their congregations through distributing voter guides, registering voters, or hosting candidate forums.  Excellent public policy information on these issues is available from the Family Research Council at www.frc.org.    

If you need legal advice on a specific situation, you may contact the Alliance Defense Fund at 800-TELL-ADF, or you can use the “Need legal help?” link on the ADF website, www.telladf.org.  (Note that ADF’s services are provided without charge or obligation.)

In closing, I would encourage you to consider this election season as a special opportunity to impact culture, lift up righteousness, advocate for justice, minister to the needy, and speak up for biblical truth.  We should not hesitate to seize such opportunities to speak—and certainly should not refrain from speaking based upon misperceptions of government regulations.

May God bless you as a church leader in this crucial time.