Leading With Wisdom: The Line Between Church Leadership and Activism

As college students at a Christian university, we frequently look to pastors for guidance and knowledge as we continue to pursue the Holy Spirit and grow in our faith. No matter how we may attempt to avoid it, influence of the political climate in our society affects us all, including pastoral leadership. 

America was founded on religious beliefs, and our Pledge of Allegiance to the flag calls America “one nation under God.” There are also Scriptures in the Bible that address political topics and figures and how believers, including church leadership, should respond to authority.  

Romans 13:1 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” 

This verse explains that all politicians received a leadership role from God, and there is a great and often mysterious purpose for why God established the role. If an honest pastor supports a political candidate, they also firmly believe that God will put this person in authority for a reason, based on what they support and how it aligns with their faith. 

There are also legal restrictions that pastors must abide by when addressing politics to a congregation and endorsing a candidate. 

According to First Liberty, while pastors can be vocally political and educate their congregations about such matters, they are not permitted to publicly endorse one candidate over another or donate a church’s money to help support a candidate’s campaign. This allows them to meet the Internal Revenue Service’s mandate for 501(c)(3) organizations to remain unbiased toward political campaigns. However, despite these restrictions, it is important for pastors to be responsible with their words and use their right to vote to help make the country better. 

These restrictions may lead a pastor to make more neutral statements about politics to their congregation. By doing this, a pastor could reach everyone, including people who may not share the same opinion. 

As we go through our college experience of having discussions and debating with people who think differently from us, we can follow the same path that pastors follow. As believers, our words should represent what Jesus would say. 

The role of a pastor is to work with and lead a congregation in the truth of God’s Word. This could include working with the different ministries in the church and coordinating church events. They should also be there for congregants who need counseling through grief, distress and personal concerns, where politics should not matter.

According to Ministry Brands, pastors should deliver their sermons with confidence and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This should always apply, no matter who is in a political office or whether the pastor supports the political figure or not. 

At the end of the day, pastors make the most meaningful impact by sharing the gospel. Following the Holy Spirit’s guidance, they may discuss political topics and how Christians should biblically think through these issues, but not the candidates they should vote for. 

The role of a pastor is important to all believers. In the context of the legal restrictions, pastors cannot publicly endorse a candidate in their capacity as a pastor. This should be of no concern, however, as authorities in the church must always prioritize Christ alone.

Sanford is an opinion writer for the Liberty Champion.