Politics From The Pulpit? Clergy Limit Partisan Talk.

A post-Johnson Amendment world

Congregants had more leeway to organize among themselves, but for many decades, clergy walked a finer line. As part of their tax-exempt status under the Johnson Amendment, clergy, when representing their church or organization, were free to discuss political and moral issues from the pulpit, but had to stop short of endorsing candidates or campaigning on their behalf. 

The Johnson Amendment has been put to the test in recent years, with President Donald Trump’s administration arguing that houses of worship should be able to endorse political candidates to their ​congregations without risking losing their tax-exempt status.

For now, the Johnson Amendment is still technically in place, but it is unclear whether the IRS, under the Trump Administration, would actually enforce any penalties for infractions.

It’s common for churches, especially large, influential ones and those in swing districts, to host politicians as guest speakers during campaign season. Some politicians choose to announce their run for office at large gatherings at other religious non-profits, as Ted Cruz did at Liberty University, where he announced his 2016 presidential run.

Whether influenced by the Johnson Amendment or simply because they decided not to mix politics with Sunday service or mass, most clergy appear to only tiptoe into political waters. According to the survey, the majority of churchgoing members say clergy have not mentioned any of the topics Pew asked about, including US military action in Iran, homosexuality, and the environment.

There are some nuances: Among all Christian groups, Catholics and white evangelical Protestants are most likely to hear about abortion from the pulpit; Catholics are most likely to hear immigration discussed in their church; and white evangelicals are the least likely to hear about the environment.

As for the men and women who serve as clergy, according to their congregants, their personal political leanings remain either mixed or elusive. On average, 44% of regular church attenders weren’t sure about their clergy’s political affiliation.