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I have written, formed, and managed many nonprofit organizations over the years and have always been cognizant of the strict rules of crossing the line between the mission of the organization and political involvement. Now, those rules have been thrown out the window.

The IRS opens the door for churches to engage in political speech from the pulpit, the content is nothing less than political sermons, and all without risking their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

In a landmark shift with potentially far-reaching consequences, the Internal Revenue Service has signaled it will no longer penalize churches that speak about electoral politics in the context of religious services. The move effectively loosens decades-old restrictions that have kept religious organizations wary of weighing in on campaigns.

The development stems from a court filing made jointly by the IRS and several religious groups that sued the agency last year, arguing that the so-called Johnson Amendment unfairly chilled their freedom of speech. The Johnson Amendment, enacted in 1954, prohibits 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

Yet in this recent filing, the IRS acknowledged that internal church discussions, such as sermons or messages directed to congregants as part of worship, do not cross the line into prohibited political activity.

“Bona fide communications internal to a house of worship, between the house of worship and its congregation, in connection with religious services, do neither of those things,” the filing states, “any more than does a family discussion concerning candidates.”

Under this interpretation, pastors, priests, rabbis, and religious leaders can now reference candidates or elections when addressing their congregations, so long as those discussions are framed as part of religious teachings and shared through customary means like sermons, newsletters, or church bulletins.

The case was brought by National Religious Broadcasters, Sand Springs Church, First Baptist Church Waskom, and Intercessors for America, who claimed the IRS had used the Johnson Amendment to intimidate religious institutions into silence on political matters.

If the court grants the proposed order, the IRS would be formally barred from enforcing the Johnson Amendment against these churches based solely on internal communications about politics grounded in religious belief.

The filing emphasizes that the distinction lies in the setting and intent of the speech: communications that occur within religious services or as part of religious practice are not the same as public endorsements or campaign activities.

Critics of the change warn that it could blur the lines between church and state, potentially allowing religious institutions to exert more overt political influence while still enjoying tax-exempt status. 

Supporters, meanwhile, hail the move as a long-overdue affirmation of religious freedom, but some see a dark side.

As the case progresses, the outcome could reshape the landscape for thousands of churches across the country, empowering faith leaders to speak and preach more freely about politics from the pulpit without fear of jeopardizing their organizations’ tax benefits.

Few are talking about the lurking issue, the elephant in the room, and that is the churches now have the latitude to get ‘off-message.’ While an occasional political statement may be tolerated, building a political platform to replace a soul-saving message is not.

But it doesn’t stop there. Now, political speech can be regulated by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), especially if candidates receive donations for their campaign from the churchgoers, and if given time to speak, that would be labeled as an ‘in-kind donation.’

Now, worship will be replaced with political warfare, offerings will turn into political donations, and healing the broken-hearted will morph into social service opportunities. It appears the church is about to become yet another casualty in a long list of good intentions gone wrong.

Politicians should be in church not to preach their gospel of political correctness but to repent and turn from the evil ways.

Final Word: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of politicians’.