For too long, pastors across America have been silenced by a misguided policy that has kept churches quiet on politics. But with the IRS affirming on Monday that churches can endorse political candidates without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status, a major victory for free speech and religious liberty has been won.
It’s a long-overdue correction of an unconstitutional gag order that never should have existed. The so-called “Johnson Amendment,” a 1954 provision pushed by then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, prohibited tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates.
It was a political move designed not to protect democracy, but to silence opposition. Since then, it has been used as a threat to intimidate ministers into avoiding anything remotely political from the pulpit.
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That era is ending, and it’s about time.
Churches have the constitutional right to speak on moral issues, cultural controversies, and political leadership. The Founders never intended for faith to be excluded from the public square. They understood that the moral guidance provided by churches would — and needed to — shape the nation’s political character. Our second President, John Adams, wrote: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
When a pastor speaks from the pulpit, he’s not acting on behalf of a political party. He’s a spiritual leader applying eternal truths to contemporary issues.
If those truths touch on abortion, marriage, gender, socialism, or the sanctity of life, so be it. And if a candidate happens to champion or oppose those values, pastors must be free to speak clearly about it.
Undoubtedly, some will complain that the separation of church and state has been violated. However, that phrase, which appears nowhere in the Constitution, was intended to protect the church from state interference, not to prevent Christians from participating in civic life. But what is in the Constitution, the First Amendment, guarantees the free exercise of religion and the right to free speech.
Imagine telling Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. he couldn’t speak against political leaders who upheld segregation. The thought is absurd. Faith leaders have every right to call out moral corruption and support those who uphold righteousness in office.
This is not about turning churches into political machines. It’s about restoring the Church’s rightful place as the nation’s conscience. For generations, American pastors spoke out against discrimination, slavery, and injustice from their pulpits. That moral voice can no longer be silenced in today’s battles over life, liberty, and truth.
President Trump made this a campaign promise in 2016, and in his first term, he took steps to limit the Johnson Amendment’s reach through executive action. But now, the IRS has clarified that churches and pastors can speak freely without fear of losing their 501c3 status. This clarification is crucial in an age where Christian values are needed in the public square now more than ever.
This decision also levels the playing field. For decades, liberal activist organizations have mobilized politically with the blessing of the IRS, while conservative and religious groups were threatened into silence. Our sister ministry, Christians Engaged, was even initially denied its tax-exempt status in 2019 because the IRS claimed, “Bible teachings are typically affiliated with the [Republican] party and candidates.”
Planned Parenthood has spent millions on elections to endorse pro-abortion politicians, all while receiving taxpayer funding. Meanwhile, Bible-believing pastors have been told to stand down on endorsing candidates who support the sanctity of life. That double standard is unfair and unconstitutional.
This is a win for freedom. It’s a win for pastors and churches. Most of all, it’s a win for the American people, who deserve moral clarity and courage in a time of compromise.
A stronger nation includes the freedom to speak, teach, and even endorse. The IRS announcement affirms what our Founders intended. A free church is essential to a free nation. Pastors must never be punished for proclaiming the truth.
When the pulpit speaks boldly, the culture is impacted. Let this be the beginning of a new day of courage and conviction for our nation.
Craig DeRoche is the CEO of Family Policy Alliance and the former Michigan Speaker of the House. Family Policy Alliance advances biblical values through civic engagement for a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished.?
