The Rise of Political Pastors
Intersection of Faith And Politics – Part 3
Political Partisanship in the Church
As I said in Part 1: God is Not a Republican of the series—Intersection of Faith and Politics—most pastors—particularly among white evangelical Protestant churches—identify as Republican and often advocate for Republican causes and policies. Unfortunately, in doing so, these church leaders frequently conflate Christianity with conservatism, making it seem as though the Republican Party is the party of God. It is not. In Part 2: God is Not a Democrat, I argued that neither is the Democratic Party.
I believe pastors pushing political talking points or campaigning for any party—especially from the pulpit—is a profound error that has compromised the church’s integrity and eroded her influence.
Many years ago, I was listening to a fairly well-known pastor preach on the radio. In the course of his message, he began campaigning for a particular Republican presidential candidate. He was convinced this candidate was ordained by God to win—but he didn’t. I share this story not to claim that the Democratic candidate who won was morally qualified or endorsed by God. My point is simply to illustrate the danger of the binary thinking pastors and Christians often fall into.
God permits whom He wills, even those we might consider morally unqualified, and He does so for His own purposes. As one of the watchers in the book of Daniel declared while announcing judgment against Nebuchadnezzar:
“…so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.”
— Daniel 4:17 NIV
God, in His sovereignty, may elevate even morally flawed or ungodly rulers, as we see throughout Scripture (e.g., Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Pharaoh).
So, how did the American church become so political? I suspect that the activism of some church leaders has roots in the so-called Seven Mountain Mandate (7MM). The 7MM originated in 1975 and is based on a supposed divine revelation received by leaders such as Loren Cunningham of Youth With A Mission and Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ. Drawing on dominion theology, it calls the church to dominate or influence seven spheres of life: Religion, Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts & Entertainment, and Business (or the Economy).
I do not believe the 7MM is biblical, because Jesus said:
“…My kingdom is not of this world.”
— John 18:36“…the kingdom of God is within you”
— Luke 17:21
Jesus has not called anyone to establish His kingdom in any sphere of life, nor does He need us to do so. He has called us to win souls, because His kingdom is within—within the hearts and minds of people. Where would you say the church has actually dominated since 7MM? Nowhere.
And consider the results. How many candidates endorsed by pastors and swept into office have gone on to do God’s will? Often, they have not. Their hearts were never changed, and the church became little more than a prop for political ambition. As Jesus said:
“…But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”
— Matthew 11:19 NLT
We might have seen real results had we focused exclusively on changing lives from within. Instead, the political activism of church leaders has deepened societal polarization, alienated those who do not share our political beliefs, and made the message of the gospel unattractive to many.
“Church political leverage may influence policies, but it does not produce righteous lives.”
A Tale of Two Persons
We can learn a great deal about how to handle the political issues of our time—and how to operate in today’s political climate—by examining how Jesus functioned within the political environment of His day. It is both instructive and enlightening. I’ll do this by drawing lessons from Jesus’ approach in contrast to John the Baptist’s.
Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest of the prophets—greater than Moses or Elijah (Matthew 11:11). But notice this: when John directly condemned Herod for marrying his brother Philip’s wife (Matthew 14:3–5), he stepped into political waters that exposed him to needless danger and eventually cost him his life. Jesus said we should be
“wise as serpents and innocent as doves”
— Matthew 10:13
John’s mission was to prepare the way for Christ, not to entangle himself in Herod’s palace politics. While what John did was noble and courageous, it was an unnecessary distraction that negatively affected his core mission.
Contrast what John did with Jesus Christ. Jesus did not make political statements or pronounce political judgments—whether in private or in public—because His focus was on establishing God’s kingdom. He said nothing against Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. The only word He spoke about King Herod was calling him a “fox” when He was warned of Herod’s intent to kill Him (Luke 13:31–33).
There was much for which Jesus could have condemned Herod, yet when He stood trial before him, He did not utter a word (Luke 23:8–9). It certainly was not out of fear. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Judas came with the detachment to arrest Him and Peter drew his sword, Jesus rebuked him and said:
“…do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?”
— Matthew 26:53
He similarly told Pilate that, if He wished:
“…My servants [angels] would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews…”
— John 18:36
The Church is Not a Political Platform
The church is not a political platform. Instead, as Scripture makes clear, it is:
“the pillar and foundation of the truth”
— 1 Timothy 3:15 NIV
Too often, outsiders perceive the church as taking sides in the culture wars. This harms our credibility, limits our reach, and dilutes the message of Christ.
“Church leaders should speak boldly against government excesses, injustice, and moral decay—regardless of which party holds power.”
The primary responsibility of church leaders is to proclaim the whole counsel of God. They are called to guide believers to live—and to vote for individual candidates—according to biblical principles rather than party agendas. Leaders must also ensure the church is not drawn into political conflicts.
“The church must not be selective in condemning wrongdoing. She must never appear partisan.”
This is often difficult in practice, but as Paul reminds us:
“For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.”
— 2 Corinthians 8:21 NIV
We should respect others’ political views—as long as they are not morally compromised—even when we disagree, and always keep our eyes fixed on Christ.
I vote solely according to my Christian values, case by case. The candidate I support depends on how closely their ideas and policies align with Scripture. I do not vote blindly for any party—and you shouldn’t either. Vote your conscience, guided by Bible-based convictions.
In the next part of these series, I will explore some examples of how Jesus navigated the culture wars of His time.