Silence is not an option for pastors. Elections are not just about political issues, but about biblical and moral issues that have become politicized
ORLANDO, FL – As America approaches a most critical election where the sanctity of unborn life, religious freedom, border security, support for Israel, and protecting children from mutilating surgeries all hang in the balance, a recent survey shows an estimated 32 million Christians who are regular churchgoers are unlikely to vote this November.
Many of the concerns we face are biblical, not political. There is no excuse for silence or avoidance. Not one church has ever lost its tax-exempt status for lobbying for or against local, state or federal laws or voter initiatives. Nor has any church lost its tax-exempt status for political intervention respecting a candidate for elected office.
The survey, led by veteran researcher Dr. George Barna at Arizona Christian University, explained the reasons for the sheer number of potential abstentions range from general political disinterest, distaste for both major-party candidates, dissatisfaction in the quality of government, and the widespread expectation that illegal activity will corrupt the election results. Regardless of the reasons, the study revealed that large numbers of pastors and churches have “distanced themselves” from the election and are not even engaging their congregants on the key societal issues that they want to hear about. However, Dr. Barna projected that if pastors simply encouraged their congregants to vote, an additional five million Christians would likely do so.
“Pastors often seek opportunities to have a positive influence in people’s lives and upon the culture, and to help the community in which their church is located,” explained the Barna study. “This research underscores the fact that simply encouraging people to vote in order to fulfill their biblical responsibility would not only be seen as doing their job while helping the community, but an estimated five million regular churchgoers would be likely to vote as a result of that simple exhortation. That, in itself, could change the outcome of the election by simply doing their job and getting congregants to fulfill one of their chief duties as an American citizen.”
Dr. Barna noted the overall gap in the contested 2020 election was seven million votes, but the gaps in nine key swing states totaled just 587,000 votes.
“In that context, the 32 million Christians sitting in the pews each week who refuse to vote are a gamechanger. It’s low hanging fruit for pastors as they try to motivate those congregants to carry out their civic duty and honor God through their influence for things that matter in our culture,” he stated.
While many pastors and churchgoers wrestle with questions about biblical mandates during election season, as well as the boundaries of churches and politics as to what is legally permissible, data seems to point to a bottom line that churchgoing Christians want and expect their pastors to help them understand and engage on the societal issues of the day.
According to a new study from Lifeway Research, which surveyed 1,008 churchgoers from across the country, 80 percent of churchgoers expect their pastors to help them understand how to biblically address societal issues. The report revealed that four out of five American Protestant churchgoers “believe a pastor must address current issues to be doing their job.” Only 16 percent disagreed while four percent were not sure. Lifeway Research stated that about 62 percent of survey respondents indicated their pastors were already teaching on current issues weekly, but congregants at larger churches (500 or more congregants) were more likely to say their pastors rarely spoke on current issues.
The Barna study, which surveyed 3,000 people nationwide, had similar findings showing 61 percent of respondents received weekly sermons on key political topics. The study found the top issues of the greatest interest and influence to congregants regarding the election were inflation (67 percent), the economy in general (64 percent), immigration and border security (60 percent), and crime (59 percent). Issues like abortion, and moral decline came in at 41 percent and 23 percent, respectively. Congregants also revealed the topics they have either heard already or want their pastors to teach about:
Notably, 59 percent of churchgoers agreed that churches who help register voters, provide information about candidates, encouraged people to vote, and taught what the Bible says about current issues would “be helping the community.” In addition, a slim 51 percent majority stated a church conducting these activities “would be carrying out its biblical responsibility.”
Recently, nationally known Pastor Jack Hibbs, from Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California, affirmed that many church pastors “will never bring up” issues like the definition of marriage, abortion, protecting children, or who to vote for to preserve a Judeo-Christian worldview.
However, he exhorted his fellow pastors in this hour “to stand up and proclaim the truth without apology.” Pastor Hibbs explained that the role of the Christian is to “elect those most representative of a biblical worldview to public office,” and if pastors and churchgoers alike do not engage with current issues and make a stand for biblical values, then “the void is filled by the bad guy.”
Political researcher Craig Huey stated, “"Who was it that spoke up against slavery? It was the Evangelical pastors and they mobilized their church to help make a change with slavery. The church should be the conscience of the community, and it has abandoned that role.”
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Silence is not an option for pastors. Elections are not just about political issues, but about biblical and moral issues that have become politicized. The lives of precious unborn babies, the protection of children from irreversible mutilation, and the assaults on our freedoms and religious liberties all hang in the balance. Voting biblical values is a sacred responsibility and all pastors need to shepherd their congregants.”
Read next: Pastors Must Biblically Address Political Issues From the Pulpit
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Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
