by Steven Norris
The headline danced across the screen enticingly, seeking to lure me in: “IRS says churches can now endorse political candidates.” It seems that the temptations of Satan may indeed be strong, but they lack both novelty and creativity.
As a Baptist pastor, I come from a tradition that has been staunchly opposed to the mingling of church and state since its origin. The first Baptist church was founded in Holland by English Separatists fleeing state-sponsored persecution. They objected to the church’s baptismal roles doubling as the official taxation census.
The first Baptist pastor in the American Colonies was Roger Williams, who taught that the law of God (Ten Commandments) could be divided into “two tables” — one that could be regulated by the state and one that was solely between a person and God.
Just this week, a member of my church brought me a little book on Baptist history published in 1884. In the opening chapter, I came across this reminder: “There are certain great and important truths taught in the Bible, which we alone have contended for, and do now practice and defend; such as (I) The Christian church is designed to be composed of regenerate persons, who have professed faith in Christ and have been baptized. (II) The entire separation of church and state…”
As I think about this headline, I am compelled to offer three pieces of advice for fellow believers, churches, and pastors alike:
1. Don’t take the bait. The church is at its best when it serves as a prophetic voice to the broader culture. We are called to bring a word from God to the communities in which we live and serve. We are called to give our ultimate allegiance, not to nation states, but to the Kingdom of God. To align oneself with a particular political party or candidate easily crosses the line into idolatry — placing our trust in something other than the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I implore you: do not compromise your witness.
2. Don’t take the bait. The overall teaching of Jesus and the New Testament writers is about the unity of God’s people, not division. To buy into the divisive nature of partisanship is at odds with the clear desire of Jesus, who prayed for his followers, “I pray…that they may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
3. Don’t take the bait. This announcement was about a change in enforcement, not a change in federal tax policy. In these days, policies seem to change at the drop of a hat. If a church jumps headlong into the endorsement of political candidates, there is a great possibility that policies will soon change again and they find themselves on the other side of regret and compromise.
In summary, let me quote a fellow Baptist pastor, “When the church gets in bed with politics, the church gets pregnant. And the offspring does not look like Jesus.”