Col. Doug Slater, a chaplain from Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, preaches to attendees during service at the chapel on Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, in this 2019 file photo. (Photo by Airman Hannah Bean/U.S. Air Force)
In the gilded sanctuaries of America’s churches, a new kind of sermon is being preached—not one of salvation, but one of electioneering. Thanks to the IRS’s quietly seismic reinterpretation of the Johnson Amendment, pastors may now endorse candidates from the pulpit without fear of losing their tax-exempt status. The cross has been joined by the campaign banner.
This evolution — or erosion — is not merely a bureaucratic quirk. It is a radical shift in nonprofit oversight, one that invites political operatives to launder influence through houses of worship, cloaked in immunity and shielded by the First Amendment.
When a pastor delivers an endorsement mid-sermon, the offering plate becomes a conduit for tax-deductible campaign contributions. In that moment, the line between theological truth and political talking point vanishes.
And yet, where is the accountability?
The IRS has, in essence, created a special class of nonprofit untouchables. Secular charities face strict scrutiny if they dabble in electoral politics — but churches can now participate freely under the veil of religious expression. This is not equal enforcement. It is institutional favoritism.
More troubling is the collapse of transparency. Religious organizations are not required to disclose their donors. When these entities engage in political speech, we lose sight of where money is flowing and whose interests are being served. Dark money doesn’t have to hide anymore — it can simply congregate.
Democracy suffers when campaign finance laws stop at the sanctuary doors. Free speech is a pillar of our republic, yes — but tax benefits are not a birthright. They are a social contract, granted in exchange for civic responsibility and nonpartisan service. When that contract is broken, the public foots the bill for partisan pulpits.
It’s time to rewrite the rules.
Congress must act decisively. The Truth in Political Advertising Act should define nonprofit political speech clearly, enforce donor transparency across the board, and end the double standards that threaten civic trust. Let churches preach freely — but not at the expense of the voter’s right to know.
If sermons have become stump speeches, then the tax-exempt status should come with campaign finance strings. We fund pulpits for prophecy, not propaganda. And we deserve a democracy whose soul isn’t sold behind closed chapel doors.
Your opinion matters
Maryland Matters welcomes guest commentary submissions at editor@marylandmatters.org.
We suggest a 750-word limit and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions. We do not accept columns that are endorsements of candidates, and no longer accept submissions from elected officials or political candidates.
Opinion pieces must be signed by at least one individual using their real name. We do not accept columns signed by an organization. Commentary writers must include a short bio and a photo for their bylines.
Views of writers are their own.