In divisive times, faith leaders are wary of politics

Elections

In divisive times, faith leaders are wary of politics One recent week before the election, Minnesota Star Tribune reporters fanned out across the state to see how — or if — religious leaders discuss the election with congregants.

By Reid Forgrave,

Sean Baker,

Jenny Berg,

Trey Mewes,

Jp Lawrence,

Christopher Vondracek,

Christa Lawler,

Jana Hollingsworth and

Karen Tolkkinen

The Minnesota Star Tribune October 19, 2024 at 1:00PMA member of Jubilee Worship Center in St. Cloud on Oct. 6 hands out instructions for a letter-writing campaign meant to encourage Christian voters in swing states to vote for "candidates who stand for biblical values." (Jenny Berg/The Minnesota Star Tribune) This story was reported by Reid Forgrave in Minneapolis, Jenny Berg in St. Cloud, Jp Lawrence in Mankato, Trey Mewes in Dundas, Sean Baker in Rochester, Jana Hollingsworth in Duluth, Kim Hyatt in Lake George, Minn., and written by Reid Forgrave.

ST. CLOUD — Congregants filed into Jubilee Worship Center, an evangelical church just off Highway 15 here, on a recent Sunday. All around were indications of election season.

On church property, visible from the busy highway, were political signs: A Republican candidate for Minnesota House, a nonpartisan candidate for St. Cloud mayor. (Any candidate may pay the church to place signs there.) On a table inside, a sign read, "1 in 3 Christians doesn't vote. That's about 25 million people."

A voter guide detailed policy differences between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on immigration, inflation, guns and abortion. A church member handed out instructions for a letter-writing campaign asking Christians in Michigan, a crucial swing state, to "vote for the candidates who stand for biblical values." The script mentioned "transgender ideology," high grocery bills and criminals crossing America's borders.

"All we do is encourage people to vote and do their research so they know what the positions are, seek the Lord and vote accordingly," Rev. Mark Johnson, senior pastor at Jubilee, said after the service. "We don't promote any candidate."

Some 70 miles away in southwest Minneapolis, Mayflower Community Congregational United Church of Christ took a very different tone. "" read a big sign facing Interstate 35W. Other signs proclaimed progressive values: protecting queer kids, the environment, immigrants and refugees.

From the pulpit, the Rev. Susie Hayward talked about humans building walls: In Palestine and Israel, along our southern border. A couple weeks before, the church's senior pastor, the Rev. Sarah Campbell, discussed this election in stark terms, drawing on the analogy to German resentment and grievance that led to Adolf Hitler. She spoke of two types of churches, those that enable fascism versus those that resist it.

Neither the church in St. Cloud nor the church in Minneapolis endorsed a candidate. But it was plain where they stood.

The Johnson Amendment, a 1950s-era provision in federal tax code, prohibits religious institutions or other charitable nonprofits from campaigning on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.

When Minnesota Star Tribune reporters fanned out to churches, mosques and synagogues across Minnesota a month before the presidential election, plenty of religious leaders felt called to discuss politics from the pulpit — just in ways that didn't risk their tax-exempt status.

Hayward said it isn't hard to steer clear of a violation. Just don't endorse candidates, she said, and faith leaders have carte blanche. "There's no way to talk politically," she said in an interview, calling Jesus a political figure.

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Election 2024: What's on my Minnesota ballot? "Religions should be holding all political parties to account," Hayward said. "On Nov. 5 we're electing a pharaoh; we're not electing a savior. And all the political parties fall short of the ideals of Jesus."

No election talk While some Minnesota faith leaders directly spoke to congregants about the election, others sermonized about important issues without mention of electoral politics.

At the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, the largest Catholic church in Duluth, the priest spoke not of politics but of divorce and the importance of annulments. At New Creation World Outreach Church in Mankato, the pastor spoke of a crisis of manhood in America. At First Unitarian Universalist Church in Rochester, the pastor spoke of how Christians mustn't wait for miracles — they must make their own.

"We can't speak of brokenness without acknowledging the massive destruction in Gaza, which is also being held captive by Hamas, and in Lebanon held captive by Hezbollah," he added.

There is a difference between partisan talk and political talk, said Marie Ellis, public policy director at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

"We're growing to expect that everything has a partisan angle," Ellis said. "When you see a church or other charitable nonprofit take a position on an issue of public policy that's impacting their community, the public is primed to view it as partisan."

Though Trump has asserted he "got rid of" the Johnson Amendment, and though some conservatives have promised to do so, the provision remains on the books.

While the IRS opens tax inquiries or sends letters to religious organizations accused of crossing the line, it's extremely rare for their tax-exempt status to be revoked. A report in the early 2000s indicated only two churches had ever had their tax-exempt status revoked over Johnson Amendment violations, said Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, a professor at Notre Dame Law School and an expert in election tax law.

"For the IRS it's the smell test — I know it when I see it," Mayer said. "But we really don't know how widespread it is and if the current partisan divide is increasing political activity by churches or nonchurch charities. I get impression it's increasing."

about the writers Reid Forgrave State/Regional ReporterReid Forgrave covers Minnesota and the Upper Midwest for the Star Tribune, particularly focused on long-form storytelling, controversial social and cultural issues, and the shifting politics around the Upper Midwest. He started at the paper in 2019.

See More Sean BakerSean Baker is a reporter for the Star Tribune covering southeast Minnesota.

See More Jenny Berg St. Cloud ReporterJenny Berg covers St. Cloud for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the new St. Cloud Today newsletter.

See More Trey Mewes Rochester reporterTrey Mewes is a reporter based in Rochester for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the Rochester Now newsletter.

See More Jp LawrenceJp Lawrence is a reporter for the Star Tribune covering southwest Minnesota.

See More Christopher Vondracek Agriculture ReporterChristopher Vondracek covers agriculture for the Star Tribune.

See More Christa Lawler Duluth ReporterChrista Lawler covers Duluth and surrounding areas for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the new North Report newsletter.

See More Jana Hollingsworth Duluth ReporterJana Hollingsworth is a reporter covering a range of topics in Duluth and northeastern Minnesota for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the new North Report newsletter.

See More Karen Tolkkinen Karen Tolkkinen is a columnist for the Star Tribune, focused on the issues and people of greater Minnesota.

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