America has historically limited what pastors can say from the pulpit regarding politics. Why weren't pastors given free rein with politics? What are the consequences for stepping beyond these limitations? And how is US law changing in how the government views politically engaged pastors?
It turns out that these questions are not unique to churches at all. Rather, the story of pulpits and politics is rooted in America's history of tax exemptions and charities.
A Short History of Tax Exemption
Under today's law, charities are exempt from taxation. Charities include churches, nonprofit organizations, private foundations, and organizations whose sole purpose is scientific, educational, public safety, or some other form of public good.
The practice of exempting organizations from taxation has a long history in American society. It is grounded in English common law. From the founding of America, churches were typically exempt from taxes in an unofficial way. This changed towards the end of the 1800s.
Most of early America's tax revenue came in through tariffs, or taxes imposed on other countries. In 1894, however, the Tariff Act established an income tax in an effort to bolster free trade. Charitable organizations (including churches) were exempt from this income tax.
The next year, the income tax was ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in Pollock v. The Farmers' Loan and Trust Company (1895). But once the 16th Amendment was ratified in 1913, Congress reinstated a nationwide income tax. Once again, charitable organizations, such as churches, were exempt from this income tax.
This raises the question—why? Why were charitable organizations exempted from income taxes? As political thinkers have argued, citizens pay taxes because the government uses them for public goods. This includes assisting the poor, incentivizing beneficial behavior, and promoting personal and environmental health. Therefore, if an organization already serves a public good, it need not be burdened by a tax system that is designed to further the public good. This would be too demanding for organizations like churches.
The legal history culminates in 1954 with the passage of the Johnson Amendment. The familiar 501(c)(3) section lays out the guidelines for tax-exempt organizations. Most importantly, the Johnson Amendment prohibits these organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates who are running for office.
Under the Johnson Amendment, the IRS has the power to revoke the tax-exempt status of any charitable organization that oversteps this prohibition. This power was reaffirmed by the US Supreme Court in Branch Ministries Inc. v. Rossotti (2000).
Pastors Can Endorse Candidates, But Likely Won't
The latest update to the Johnson Amendment came in July 2025. A new case, National Religious Broadcasters v. Long, brings new changes in how the IRS handles tax exemptions. In this case, churches and a Christian broadcasting organization are suing the IRS, claiming that the Johnson Amendment violates pastors' freedom of speech.
On July 7, 2025, the IRS filed a Joint Motion that made a major concession to the plaintiffs. As the IRS puts it:
…the Johnson Amendment does not reach speech by a house of worship to its congregation, in connection with religious services through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith, concerning electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith.
Essentially, the IRS is giving pastors the green light to endorse or oppose political candidates, overturning nearly 70 years of tax exemption policy.
While the development came as a shock to many Americans, the vast majority of pastors likely will not turn their sermons into political advocacy platforms.
Politics and Pulpits
Evangelical pastors tend to be less political than mainline Protestant clergy. Lifeway Research, an evangelical research organization, found that in the past three presidential election years, a consistent 2% of pastors reported endorsing a political candidate from the pulpit. This is significantly different from the 29% of respondents who believe it is appropriate for pastors to endorse candidates.
This shows a clear divide between pastors, who seem to prefer political neutrality, and congregants, who seem to prefer more explicit political messaging. Several stories have come out that confirm this divide. For example, in 2024, some pastors reported that when they preach on the Sermon on the Mount, some congregants describe the teachings of Jesus as "liberal talking points."
However, pastors can still speak on political issues. Often, this leads to problems within church communities, where issues become associated with one political side or the other. For example, issues pertaining to economic justice, immigration, and multiculturalism are associated with the left-wing or Democratic Party. Sexual ethics, gender norms, abortion, and a limited role of government, however, are associated with the right-wing or Republican Party. Even if pastors do not endorse a candidate, they can indirectly influence congregants' voting decisions by suggesting which party to support.
This is something that sociologists, such as Lydia Bean, have found in their research on evangelicals and politics. In The Politics of Evangelical Identity, Bean found that partisan leanings were reinforced through subtle, mundane ways, rather than church leaders explicitly telling congregants who to vote for. As Bean writes, "Sermons on political topics and 'moral issues' are rare in evangelical churches." Instead, politics is done in other ways.
Bean found that church leaders and members came to identify being Republican with being a faithful evangelical Christian. Bean elaborates: "Political influence does not work through explicit persuasion or deliberation about political subjects, but by defining evangelical identity in ways that are implicitly linked to partisanship."
Unity or Division?
Partisan leanings, then, work most effectively from the bottom up at the community level. This can be either positive or negative, depending on one's own partisan preference.
Ryan Burge, a social scientist of religion, argues that this mode of politics is detrimental to churches. As Burge and others have argued, churches were once places that bridged political differences. However, as partisan leanings become more normalized in church communities, those who do not align with these views are being driven out. This is the core finding of Burge's new book, The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us.
This raises important questions for pastors and congregants. How is politics being discussed in church communities? Is one political party being privileged over the other? Are churches places for political diversity, or political sameness?
Although it is rare, it remains essential for pastors to address the issues that their communities face. But pastors also have a unique opportunity to mend the ongoing political divisions wreaking havoc on American life through addressing political issues in ways that bring congregants together, rather than driving outsiders away.
