Zenas’ Brief – March 2024
A Primer on the Political Season
With Super Tuesday in the rearview mirror, it looks like the presidential campaign will be a rematch of 2020 and will likely be just as contentious. While Christians are first and foremost citizens of the kingdom of God, we also play a role in local governance, mainly through voting.
However, you may have congregants who want the church to be more politically active and are not sure how far the church may go in politics. Churches have First Amendment rights that the government may not infringe upon. This right, however, is not absolute, and churches, as tax-exempt organizations, may not engage in propaganda or influence legislation. This does not mean that churches must stay silent or cannot get involved. Churches may advocate for public policies, encourage congregants to vote, hand out voter guides, or host a non-partisan debate. Churches, however, may not tell people who to vote for or tell legislators how to vote on specific bills. In other words, churches may advocate but cannot intervene in the political process.
The line between advocating and intervention sounds murky. Thankfully, there are resources available for churches including a new guide for political engagement by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The guide is set up in a catechism style of question and answer addressing 40 different issues relating to the church and politics. Topics include political engagement, the church’s role in political engagement, and the individual Christian’s role in politics. A copy of the guide may be found here: The Nations Belong to God A Christian Guide for Political Engagement.
To be clear, any views or scriptural interpretations in the ERLC’s guide are the ERLC’s views and interpretations alone. We offer this guide as one helpful resource in tackling politics and the church. You may also go to the UISBC’s YouTube channel and view our recent discussion on church and politics. Lastly, you are always welcome to contact your UISBC Legal Team with any questions. We are happy to walk with you and your church through this trying political season.
