Although churches often have served as polling places and have encouraged people to vote, they had been prohibited from endorsing candidates during worship services until a July 7 change in Internal Revenue Service policy. Photo: Egan Millard/Episcopal News Service
[Episcopal News Service] Bishops in at least six dioceses of The Episcopal Church have issued statements on how their clergy should act in light of a recent change in federal tax policy regarding nonprofit organizations that would permit houses of worship to endorse candidates.
On July 7, the Internal Revenue Service said its policy on the Johnson Amendment — which since 1954 has prohibited all nonprofits, including churches, from endorsing or opposing candidates in political campaigns — no longer would apply to “communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith.”
In each of the bishops’ statements, they either strongly urged their clergy to refrain from endorsing political candidates or outright prohibited the practice. They all, however, reiterated that preaching the gospel, or speaking on matters relating to the care of the poor and most vulnerable, is part of the call for Christians.
Over the weekend, Michigan Bishop Bonnie Perry offered these guidelines: “Speak boldly on any issue relating to the gospel of Jesus Christ, citing biblical texts and sound Anglican theological precepts, and refrain from endorsing any specific political candidate or political party.”
Other statements came last week from Ohio Bishop Anne B. Jolly, Arizona Bishop Jennifer A. Reddall and Southern Ohio Bishop Kristin Uffelman White.
The ban on political campaign activity by charities and churches was created by Congress some 70 years ago and named for then-Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson.
On July 10, Oklahoma Bishop Poulson Reed wrote an editorial for The Oklahoman newspaper that was later posted to the diocesan website, in which he urged clergy and congregations to refrain from such endorsements.
Calling it on the website “The Separation of Church and State is Good for Both,” Reed said the policy change would bring partisan politics into church communities in a way that could bring the “bitter divisions” of the wider culture into places of worship. He also feared it could entice parishioners to put pressure on clergy to make such endorsements, threatening what he called the God-given gift of friendship in Christ across difference.
He described his diocese, which encompasses the entire state, as “purple,” neither strongly Republican nor Democrat, but more importantly, “a Christian one.” Dioceses and congregations have always had the ability, he said, to encourage people to vote, provide information on matters of what he called the common good and to speak out publicly about moral issues, “especially as it relates to the poor and vulnerable.”
The two Ohio bishops – Jolly, based in Cleveland, and White in Cincinnati – made it clear that clergy in their dioceses would not be offering endorsements.
“The pulpit is for preaching the gospel – not endorsing candidates,” Jolly said. She added, “I want to be clear: we are defined by what Christ has called us to be, not by what others may now permit us to do or think we should do.”
The new IRS policy “is not a change we welcome,” White wrote. “It is not a provision we asked for. This is not a boundary we will cross.” She added,” You will not hear me endorse any candidate for public office, nor are our clergy permitted to do so.”
Both bishops reiterated that preaching the gospel may have political implications in how society treats people, and that speaking out faithfully against injustice remains an important part of being a Christian.
Reddall said that in the Diocese of Arizona, what is considered “political” may vary depending on one’s congregation. Discussing issues like race, sexuality, justice and immigrations might be viewed by some congregants as overtly political, while for others those might be “critical components of the gospel.”
Calling the pulpit “a sacred and awe-inspiring place,” she urged preachers to interpret the gospel in a way “that is not partisan and does not adhere to any political party.”
In 2017, during his first term, President Donald Trump falsely claimed that he “got rid of” the Johnson Amendment with an executive order.
The IRS made the policy change in a court filing intended to settle a lawsuit filed by two Texas churches and an association of Christian broadcasters. In one of its few instances of action on the Johnson Amendment, the IRS investigated All Saints Church in Pasadena, California, over a sermon given by a former rector two days before the 2004 presidential election, in which he discussed Christian approaches to voting but did not endorse a candidate.
In an email to Episcopal News Service, Los Angeles Bishop John Harvey Taylor said that all the lay and ordained preachers in his diocese “are clear on the necessity of talking about the divine law of love as proclaimed in the gospel without taking the step of making partisan endorsements.”
He thinks many religious leaders are also waiting to see if the court accepts the lawsuit settlement and what any revised IRS guidelines on this would look like. For instance, he said his reading of the IRS policy change might allow an endorsement from the pulpit, but not if it’s reproduced in the newsletter. And in any case, “It’s wise to stay away from partisan politics altogether and keep focusing on Christian values of love, justice, peace and grace.”
Other faith groups denounced the IRS policy change, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The conference’s executive director of public affairs, Chieko Noguchi, said in a statement that the Catholic Church “maintains its stance of not endorsing or opposing political candidates,” but it does seek “to help Catholics form their conscience in the gospel so they might discern which candidates and policies would advance the common good.”
The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty said that the change in IRS policy “threatens to turn churches into PACs and undermine the core mission of religious communities, which will become targets for candidates from all parties.”
A statement from the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism also focused on the possibility that the policy change could allow candidates to funnel campaign contributions through churches under the guise of “charitable contributions.”
“This change in policy,” the statement said, “weakens the principle of church-state separation that has protected both government and religion, allowing diverse religious communities — including our own — to flourish.”
A 2022 Pew Research poll showed that 77% of U.S. adults said churches and other congregations should not make political endorsements.
Majorities in both parties said that churches should avoid political endorsements: 84% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said this, as did 70% of Republicans and those who lean toward the GOP.
— Melodie Woerman is an Episcopal News Service freelance reporter based in Kansas.