Churches are entering a new season when it comes to politics and tax status.
A brand-new court filing by the IRS gives churches the ability to endorse political candidates while still keeping their tax-exempt status, according to CNBC.
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As CNBC reported, this shift changes a tax code that has been upheld for the past 70 years which forbids churches and other nonprofit entities from giving a political endorsement. In the past, political endorsement could have meant a loss from a tax-exemption status.
In the joint filing between the IRS and the National Religious Broadcasters, the statement read:
Communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted.
As NBC News also noted, the statement further said:
When a house of worship in good faith speaks to its congregation, through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith in connection to religious services, concerning electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith, it neither ‘participate[s]’ nor ‘intervene[s]’ in a ‘political campaign,’ within the ordinary meaning of those words.
This landmark shift signals more than just a legal change—it marks a pivotal moment in the spiritual and cultural landscape of America. Now, a door has opened for pastors and congregations to courageously engage with the pressing issues of our time, not from a place of partisanship, but from a deep conviction rooted in biblical truth. This is not about politics—it’s about the prophetic voice of the church being free to call good good and evil evil, without compromise or censorship.
/**/As believers, we must approach this new freedom with great responsibility, humility and discernment. This is a window of opportunity to shine light into darkness, to raise up righteous leaders and to shepherd our communities with clarity and conviction.
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The pulpit must not become a podium for party politics, but a platform for truth, righteousness and justice. Now more than ever, the church must rise with boldness, not silence, speaking into the heart of the nation with the unchanging Word of God.
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
