CHRIS BUTLER
The IRS says churches can endorse candidates. But the Black church has shown we can accomplish great change without doing so.
CHRISTIANITY TODAY
JULY 15, 2025
Edits by CT / Source Images: Getty
As a faith-engagement staffer for politicians, I’ve spent many Sundays in the back seats of black Suburbans. I was typically there with a driver and a candidate making a campaign stop at a church. It was my job to work with pastors or their teams and set up these events. Sometimes, a church leader supported the candidate. Other times, leaders were just feeling the person out. But regardless of how they felt, two questions always came up: “How do we do this without compromising the church’s moral and spiritual authority?” and “How do we make sure we protect the church’s tax-exempt status?”
Last week, the IRS seemed to take the second question off the table. In a court filing, the agency declared that political speech at a church or “through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith” does not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment, a provision of the tax code that bars tax-exempt organizations from engaging in political campaigns. The filing was made in a legal case brought by two evangelical churches and broadcasters who argued the provision violated their First Amendment rights. The IRS didn’t ask for a full repeal of the Johnson Amendment, which it rarely enforces against houses of worship. But the agency has essentially green-lighted church leaders who want to endorse candidates without worrying an officer will come knocking on their doors.
The shift has sparked fervent debate. Some celebrated it as a triumph for religious liberty or an opportunity for more active social justice work, while others fear it will embroil churches deeper into partisan politics. If we as the church can explicitly endorse politicians, the question becomes – should we?
Personally, I am proud to have done most of my work with Black churches in my hometown of Chicago, a city that’s known to be politically active. The type of work I did extends beyond Black churches and blue cities, but I believe the rich legacy of political engagement inside the Black church can be a good model for us to follow in this new moment.
Edits by CT / Source Images: Getty
As a faith-engagement staffer for politicians, I’ve spent many Sundays in the back seats of black Suburbans. I was typically there with a driver and a candidate making a campaign stop at a church. It was my job to work with pastors or their teams and set up these events. Sometimes, a church leader supported the candidate. Other times, leaders were just feeling the person out. But regardless of how they felt, two questions always came up: “How do we do this without compromising the church’s moral and spiritual authority?” and “How do we make sure we protect the church’s tax-exempt status?”
Last week, the IRS seemed to take the second question off the table. In a court filing, the agency declared that political speech at a church or “through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith” does not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment, a provision of the tax code that bars tax-exempt organizations from engaging in political campaigns. The filing was made in a legal case brought by two evangelical churches and broadcasters who argued the provision violated their First Amendment rights. The IRS didn’t ask for a full repeal of the Johnson Amendment, which it rarely enforces against houses of worship. But the agency has essentially green-lighted church leaders who want to endorse candidates without worrying an officer will come knocking on their doors.
The shift has sparked fervent debate. Some celebrated it as a triumph for religious liberty or an opportunity for more active social justice work, while others fear it will embroil churches deeper into partisan politics. If we as the church can explicitly endorse politicians, the question becomes – should we?
Personally, I am proud to have done most of my work with Black churches in my hometown of Chicago, a city that’s known to be politically active. The type of work I did extends beyond Black churches and blue cities, but I believe the rich legacy of political engagement inside the Black church can be a good model for us to follow in this new moment.
