Minister's Toolbox

Should church leaders align themselves with one political party over another? What happens to those who do?

When we put our trust in any candidate, party or ideology, we step away from God's calling and destiny upon our lives.

Ministers are called by God to be societal change agents. When peoples' hearts change, then their actions change.

Historically, revivals do not follow political actions. Good government follows revivals because the focus switches from self interest to honoring and serving God.

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Transcript of Today's Show

Let’s do a little time travel. The year is 1984. Patti and I are at the beginning stages of planting a new church in a new city, holding services in the local elementary school.

Nationally, the hot-button issue is abortion. Randall Terry has catapulted into the news cycle on every TV screen as the head of Operation Rescue.

For those unfamiliar with this group, Terry enlisted thousands of volunteers to form human chains around abortion clinics. Their aim was to prevent pregnant women from entering by trying to convince them to keep the baby. In the process, they would hand out leaflets and argue with pro-choice demonstrators who also showed up.

Because this activity was against the law, those forming a human chain were arrested and typically spent a night in jail in city after city. Eventually, Randall Terry spent more time in court than praying around clinics.

So, why am I linking this event with today’s topic?

In the middle of a Sunday church service at the elementary school auditorium one morning, a woman in her mid-fifties interrupted my sermons with a question. Not being used to people asking questions in the middle of service, I reluctantly acknowledged her.

She stood up and said, “I just want to know one thing. Are you going to participate in Operation Rescue?”

As a young pastor, I was taken completely off guard. “Why do you ask?” I inquired.

“Well,” said she, “I am not going to attend any church that doesn’t get involved with Operation Rescue because those are the only Christians who really live their faith.”

After a brief pause I replied, “No.” She got up in a huff and left never to return.

Her message was clear. Unless I identified myself exclusively with a specific political organization, I was unfit for Christian ministry.

Here in the US at the time of this podcast, we are ramping up for elections. The media obsesses with one candidate or another. In various democratic countries, you face similar dynamics depending on their election process.

So, how does a pastor properly navigate political issues, candidates, or hot-button topics like abortion, gay marriage and social justice?

It is really critical how you settle this issue in your mind and heart because how you answer will absolutely determine the direction of your life and ministry.

I grew up in a large family with a father who loved to talk politics. Our dinner table nearly always involved some discussion about a candidate or controversial issue. It was not unlike my dad to see which way the wind was blowing among his kids so he could take the other viewpoint. I think he just liked the world of ideas in general.

As a young pastor, I became a political junkie. What do I mean by that? When we got within a year of any election, before the Internet btw, large chunks of my time were spent watching television news, reading newspapers and listening to the radio whenever politics was discussed.

I became an expert on what each candidate believed. Until the actual election, my gut was often tied up in knots, desperately hoping my candidate would win. I believed my candidate best represented Christian values.

Sometimes my candidate won; other times they lost.

Whenever a candidate lost, either locally or nationally, I went into days of depression. How would we survive as a city? What would happen to our country? I tell you, it was difficult to preach for a long time after one of my candidates lost.

The interesting thing is that no matter who won, my life did not dramatically change and neither did the culture. It wasn’t like people became more or less Christian depending on who won the election.

A few years ago, I attended a pastor’s prayer meeting. The assembled group of men in this case, belonged to one political party. Their prayers focused on binding the devil that they believed was preventing their mayoral candidate from getting into office.

Evidently, the binding didn’t work, because their candidate lost the election in a landslide and their hopes were crushed. Ironically, a few months later, this new administration – the one they ascribed as the devil’s candidate - did more to advance the kingdom of God in their community than any mayor in history. Isn’t it just like God to expose our human wisdom as foolish?

Whenever we put our trust in a candidate, a party or an ideology, we are stepping down from our calling. I am going to need to say that again.

As a pastor or church leader you cannot afford to align yourself with democrats, republicans, libertarians or any other party. The moment you do, you step down from your calling.

John Wesley said: “You have one business on earth – to save souls.” The moment you entangle yourself in politics, you lose your influence over at least half the population.

A number of pastors back in 1984 got deeply involved in the pro-life movement. Before long most of their sermons centered on abortion as the single issue defining whether someone was godly or ungodly. However, that is not what the Bible teaches.

I am not here to unpack the issue of abortion. Suffice to say, that the whole issue of abortion is tragedy and blight upon our nation, but it is broader than the act itself. A person doesn’t just show up at Planned Parenthood one day and have an abortion.

Too many in the faith community were quick to judge the act without caring about the person who felt she had run out of options.

Whenever a minister centers their attention on a particular issue or sin to the exclusion of all else, they lose their impact on those individuals caught in those sins.

For example, if your church preaches against homosexuality, it is a pretty good bet that homosexuals or those struggling with sexual identity issues will stay clear of your church. Now perhaps you have a “we don’t want them here anyway” attitude, but I would challenge you. Is that what Jesus would do?

Can you imagine Christ preaching against homosexuals or abortionists? We don’t see it in scripture at all.

In fact, we never see Jesus grouping people into classes of sinners. He saw each person as a man, woman or child in need. When the woman was brought to him caught in adultery, he didn’t label her as a slut, but gave her dignity back. He addressed her saying, “Woman, your sins are forgiven.”

Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. We know this because of how the religious leaders dealt with her in front of Jesus. We have no record of Christ labeling her however. Because he placed value on her in spite of her sin, Mary Magdalene became a devoted disciple eternally recorded in scripture.

It is disheartening to see how Christians and even leaders use social media to either slam the President or attack the other political party. All you are doing is telling everyone with a different point of view: we don’t want your kind in our church. Is that honestly what you want to communicate to the world?

Jesus frankly did not command us to engage in political action. He lived in extremely difficult times. Any Roman soldier could enter your house and make you work for free at any time of the day or night for as long as they wanted.

We all know the story of how soldiers rode into Bethlehem and slaughtered children less than two years of age around the time of Jesus’s birth. No one in authority was ever punished and the citizens of Bethlehem had no recourse.

Paul later taught the Roman Christians to submit themselves to higher authorities in government. We need to remember that most if not all of these authorities were extremely wicked men. Peter later affirmed repeated the same command.

I am not suggesting pacifism in the face of injustice necessarily, but our calling as leaders is to influence and win people to Christ, not change political opinion.

I have a favorite saying. Those who know me, hear me quote it often: A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

When I see all this arguing on social media or attacks on radio or television, I take note of who actually changes the direction of his or her life. In fact, I’ve never found anyone whose life is changed by political attacks, criticisms or put downs. If anything, they become worse, as they dig in to defend themselves.

Ministers are called by God to be societal change agents. When peoples’ hearts change, then their actions change. Revivals never follow political elections. Good government follows genuine revival because the focus switches to honoring and pleasing God.

Prior to salvation, I was a decidedly pro-abortion. I could argue with you until I wore you out making my point.

When Jesus came into my life, my heart changed. The attitudes and standards that shaped my thinking changed and eventually my views changed as well; not because someone talked me into their ideas, but because the washing of the water of the word of God transformed my way of thinking.

So I ask you, pastor. Which is better? A changed mind or a changed heart? Which result fits your calling and job description?

We live at an amazing time in history. If you are listening to this podcast from a part of the world that is a democracy, you have a say in who governs you. That is amazing and should not be taken lightly.

As a pastor, I vote every opportunity I can; locally, regionally or nationally. That is my right and privilege. I also preach to our church that each person should go and vote their values.

I can tell you with certainty that we have people both in our church and on our leadership who voted the opposite of each other on many occasions. Changes nothing. I respect your right to vote precisely the way you want to vote. It is not my business, except to support your right to do it.

Let me go further. I deeply believe that God has appointed and anointed Christian men and women to enter the political arena as His ambassadors. I believe that calling is just as sacred and just as vital as the called to serve in full time church ministry. God appoints and anoints people to serve in a variety of different ways.

Does that mean that Pastors need to stay on the sidelines regarding these important issues?

Quite the opposite. We are in a position to actually do something about the problems of society. Which is better, spending 500 hours on social media speaking against abortion, or developing volunteers to help out at a local pregnancy adoption center? Which is more beneficial; complaining about everyone on welfare or supporting ministries to the homeless?

A friend of mine we’ll have on the show in a few weeks, started a homeless shelter two years ago. 48 of the 55 men who came through his outreach have gotten jobs and become productive members of society. To me, that is what deserves time, respect, praise and money.

A pastor’s political passion in terms of righting injustice should be channeled into bringing people together to actually impact society.

We’ve all heard the old adage: talk is cheap. In actuality, talk is expensive. When we use our Christianity to put down, criticize, judge and marginalize people that we disagree with, we cause opportunities to share our faith to go away. That is expensive.

50 years ago, newspapers printed Billy Graham’s sermons in their entirety. Christian leaders garnered respect. What is the prevailing view of the church today? We’re known as judgmental, hypocritical and out of touch with peoples’ needs. While some of that reputation is unfair, much of it has been earned by choosing to be critics instead of rolling up our sleeves to help.

I’m sorry to be preaching at you this morning, pastor. I want to see your ministry succeed, but so often leaders allow themselves to become sidetracked focusing on one or two political issues instead of the greatest message ever entrusted to man.

One of the fascinating things we read about Daniel in the Old Testament who was given extraordinary influence politically, was his great heart for Nebuchadnezzar. Good old Nebu almost succeeded in murdering Daniel’s closest friends. He did succeed in destroying Jerusalem along with the temple, but notice what Daniel says in Daniel 4:19.

God has just pronounced judgement against Nebuchadnezzar for his pride. With that judgment, you’d think Daniel would be overjoyed.  Daniel is charged with delivering the word to the king but listen to Daniel’s words: My lord, may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!

Daniel so loved this ungodly, arrogant king that it hurt him to hear about judgment coming his way. What do you suppose would happen if pastors began to feel this way about elected officials and all those in authority?

If we loved them the way Daniel loved Nebuchadnezzar, they would probably respond in the same way. They would seek us out for counsel, prayer and direction.

This current way of looking down our noses at political officials needs to stop – at least at the pastoral level. I let people on Facebook know. If they post political tirades day after day, I simply unfriend them. I don’t want that vitriol in my mind or heart.

The Bible does not give us license to verbally attack political leaders; only pray for them. If we were better at what God asked us to do, perhaps we would also be happier with the results.

In any case, I realize this is a little painful, but our show is about helping free you up from what binds. If we’re not careful as leaders, politics will distract our ministries from the many miracles that God truly wants accomplish through us.

Finally, I would like to end today's show with another quote from John Wesley. He said this:

“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can.”