By JIM MINNERY | ALASKA FAMILY COUNCIL
As part of a consent judgment filed in a US District Court in Texas on Monday, the US Internal Revenue Service has agreed to release churches from a decades-long prohibition against engagement in “political speech,” referred to as the “Johnson Amendment.”
The judgment, which was accepted by the court, states, “For many houses of worship, the exercise of their religious beliefs includes teaching or instructing their congregations regarding all aspects of life, including guidance concerning the impact of faith on the choices inherent in electoral politics.”
For over 70 years, pastors and churches across America were led to believe that speaking about elections, political issues, or candidates from the pulpit or in their ministries could cost their church its tax-exempt status.
That myth—rooted in the 1954 Johnson Amendment—silenced too many faithful leaders. It created fear. It stifled truth. And it separated the Church from its God-given responsibility to speak clearly in a confused world.
But this week, the truth finally broke through.
In the filing, the IRS officially acknowledged what we’ve known all along:
Churches can speak into political issues and endorse candidates to their own congregations.
That’s right. According to the IRS itself, houses of worship are free to speak to their people about elections and candidates—boldly, biblically, and without fear.
Granted, there has and always will be a broad spectrum in terms of how each church chooses to engage in the cultural and political issues of the day but now…there is at least clarity on what can be done.
CLICK HERE for a Q & A Factsheet for Pastors and Church Leaders regarding the IRS Ruling
The judgment also notes that, “When a house of worship in good faith speaks to its congregation, through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith in connection with religious services, concerning electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith, it neither “participate[s]” nor “intervene[s]” in a “political campaign,” within the ordinary meaning of those words. … Bona fide communications internal to a house of worship, between the house of worship and its congregation, in connection with religious services, do neither of those things, any more than does a family discussion concerning candidates. Thus, communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted.”
It is widely understood that through this action, the IRS is conceding that it will no longer seek to enforce Johnson Amendment restrictions on churches, including involvement in political campaigns, endorsement of political candidates, and other engagement in political speech, as long as those communications are “from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith.”
The irony? This has long been the IRS’s unspoken policy—but the deception was allowed to stand. Many churches believed the myth of “separation of church and state” meant silence in the pulpit. But that was never true. And now the law agrees. We’ve long said the Church is not the problem—it’s the solution. And now, more than ever, the Church must lead with clarity, courage, and truth.
No more fear. No more confusion. For those pastors and churches wanting to engage Biblically in being salt and light in the public policy arena, Alaska Family Council stands ready to help them speak clearly and courageously. Because in a culture that is confused, clarity is compassion—and silence really shouldn’t be an option.
Jim Minnery is president of Alaska Family Council.
Then let them pay taxes just like any other business.
And why? Your hate shows.
Churches have had politicos speaking from the pulpit for decades. It just depends on which churches you go to or visit. I’ve visited churches on Gambell and on MacInnes and been treated to very political “sermons” by politicos. At the same time, I’ve been guests at churches where politicos have visited and not said a word but were reported in the ADN and elsewhere of doing so. This clears (levels) the playing field. Church people are not stupid as the (D)ems and leftists (redundant?) believe. A politico can speak at a church, but that doesn’t mean the congregation will vote for that person.
I have a buddy w/ a 501 C.3 and he refers to it as a ministry. He doesn’t have a church and apparently the Lord wants him to have a healthy pile of loot because his ministry is nothing more than an investment account, N/F metals, digital currency, numismatics and one stock. To make up for it he occasionally spouts some kind of Jesus stuff. Last I recall hearing was his belief that a demon jumps from a queer and lands on someone else making the recipient a raging flamer, too. Not kidding.
In 1644, Roger Williams, a Baptist minister and founder of the state of Rhode Island and the First Baptist Church in America, was the first public official to call for “a wall or hedge of separation” between “the wilderness of the world” and “the garden of the church.
Separation of Church and State is a constitutional mandate and it is not within IRS purview to compromise the constitution.
What could possibly be better for someone that wants to influence politics than to have a group of followers that not only contribute to the furtherance of mythological stories about burning bushes, freakishly old women having children, ascending to the heavens on a winged horse or waking up after three days spent as a decomposing corpse but those same adherents also want tsome real skin in the game just in case the Lord didn’t see their ten spot in the plate. They’re waiting on their dear leader to make a decision and share it with those in the pews incapable of thinking for themselves. Dust off your abaya ladies and set another place at the table for additional wives as there’s change on the wind and for you it ain’t gonna be good. I thought the days of burning the bra were pretty cool. This might be much better. Mmmhm.
Does the leader of your sect of the church of satan register as a 501C3? If so, have you challenged they/them about the hypocrisy about which you pontificate herein?
The so-called “Separation of church and state” is not, I repeat, in the Constitution. Roger Williams would be appalled at his colony today as they have transformed into something he hardly envisioned- a deeply socialist and taxation nightmare. I know – I grew up there. They even in 2020 they gave in to the bigots and changed the name of the state to just Rhode Island, emasculating Williams name which included “and Providence Plantations” because some idiot felt that implied slavery. Yes, there were slaves in Rhode Island – both black and Irish -but they were gone in colonial times. So do not preach of something not in the Constitution. Maybe you should read the First Amendment.
I consider the Constitution and it’s Amendments to be a singular document as one neither is effectual w/out the other. Others may articulate that differently and I can appreciate that. I am familiar w/ the First Amendment and my understanding is that there should be a separation of Church and State such that there could never be Sharia Law or a Church of England atmosphere in the US; another way of stating my prior comment and I stand by my view. My apologies if I appeared to state myself as a Constitutional Scholar, I am not though I am happy to argue that I’m correct any that you are splitting hairs.
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Scrumptious, Clam! Thanks.
I typed that out in your honor.
I remember seeing Rev. Alonso Patterson (Shiloh Baptist) leading his flock to the “early voting” at Loussac right after services on a Sunday during the Begich (or Berkowitz?) Admin.
They car pooled over and all stood on line together to vote.
Those type of churches (Black Baptist) are very political.
I firmly believe that religious leaders need to be very deferential about endorsing political candidates. Certainly we can talk about faith concepts defining politics. Actually endorsing a candidate from the pulpit is dangerous and the LDS cult and the Catholic Church have already sworn off endorsements. The success here is more that a pastor’s speech will not remove the tax exempt status of their church.
The imposition of fear at the pulpit of the potential loss of tax exempt status is the entryway into the ministerial realm of satanic and sexually deviant maoist doctrine and practices.
If you temper God’s Message to conform to woke ideology – better that you have a millstone chained to your neck and be cast into the sea.
Typical half-wit government goons at the IRS. If they had even a morsel of a clue beyond best practices for harassment and thievery, they’d know that WE are the church. kWhere two or more are gathered. The “church” never needed a government permission slip to exercise free speech. Stand tall and do not grovel. If we followed the rules we’d still be British.
Wonderful news. Now even your church congregation will be split down the middle by Trump the Great Divider. It’s the only thing he really knows how to do.
The divider was the refugee from Kenya.
Tell me you’re delusional without actually saying you’re delusional.
I genuinely dislike that guy. Little did I realize then that the only honest remark he shared with us was that we shouldn’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f things up. It’s almost like he had a crystal ball.
Great, now make them pay taxes and everyone is on a level playing field.
Lemmings gonna lemming.