POLITICAL DO'S AND DONT'S FOR CHURCHES
From a Christian Coalition Pamphlet

During the 20th Century, many Christians have vanished from the public policy arena. This has left the American political arena in the hands of those who have allowed our historic public institutions to fall into a state of moral disrepair.

Our founding fathers were intimately knowledgeable of the Bible and used it in the formation of America's documents and institutions. Nowhere does the Constitution prohibit Christians, Jews or other people of faith, including ministers, from participating in government. A church's tax status limits the amount of its political activity. However, The Internal Revenue Code does not require a church to refrain from encouraging good citizenship among its members.

By following the do's and dont's outlined below, a pastor can lead his congregation in fulfilling their civic duty without risking the church's tax-exempt status.

What Churches May Do

• Engage in voter registration that refrains from stressing a particular political party.
• Distribute material that is educational to voters, but which refrains from favoring any particular candidate or party, such as a Christian Coalition voter guide.
• Conduct candidate or issues forums where each duly qualified candidate is invited and provided an equal opportunity to speak.
• Allow candidates or elected officials to speak at church services. Churches that allow only one candidate or a single party's candidates to speak can be seen as favoring that candidate or party. No candidate should be prohibited from addressing a church if others running for the same office have been allowed to speak.
• A church can influence legislation through lobbying. A church may spend no more than an insubstantial amount of its annual budget (5 percent is a safe amount) on direct lobbying activities.
• Contribute funds to citizen organizations such as the Christian Coalition. The 5 percent rule applies here also and is inclusive of all lobbying. Lobbying activities and contributions combined should not exceed 5 percent of the church's annual budget.
• Pastors may endorse candidates in their capacity as private citizens and may even allow their title to be used in that endorsement. The fact that a pastor is an employee of a church in no way removes his right to free speech as a citizen of the United States.
• Pastors may participate fully in political committees that are independent of the church.

What Churches May NOT Do

• A pastor may not endorse candidates on behalf of the church. A pastor should not directly or indirectly endorse a candidate from the pulpit or otherwise in a church meeting.
• Contribute funds or services (such as mailing lists or office equipment) directly to candidates or political committees.
• Pay fees for political events from church funds.
• Set up a political committee that would contribute funds directly to political candidates.
• No candidate should be allowed to solicit funds while speaking in a church.

If you have any questions regarding political activity by a pastor or church, Christian Coalition invites you to contact them at their national offices at 804-424-2630. (Source: Christian Coalition, 1801-L Sara Dr, Chesapeake, VA 23320; 804-424-2630.)

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