Rules of Engagement for Pastors and the US Election Process

It can seem very adversarial for churches to get involved in the election process at any level--local, state or federal. Here are some handy guidelines from an expert, Alice Patterson, President of Justice at the Gate (http://www.justiceatthegate.org/)

"How can pastors educate and mobilize their congregations and still protect their tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
To read the entire article with guidelines on Political and Lobbying Activities allowed for churches and nonprofit organizations, go to:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/
article/0,,id=120703,00.html

Also visit our website and download a copy of CIVIC GUIDELINES FOR PASTORS AND CHURCHES AT http://justiceatthegate.org/civic02d.asp

It's also available in Spanish by requesting it by email or phone at 210-677-8214.

Here are some things churches may do:

• Educate about issues and elections
• Distribute nonpartisan Voter Guides
• Get Out The Vote in a nonpartisan way
• Register voters
• Invite candidates to speak as a candidate if all candidates have an equal invitation
• Hold candidate forums if a broad range of questions are asked
• Educate on specific legislation and encourage their constituents to call or write about specific legislation if the activities do not constitute a substantial amount of time or resources of the organization
• Candidates for office may be given the pulpit to share their testimony, teach or speak about an issue and not as a candidate. In that case you don't have to invite other candidates. However, in that instance, there must be no mention of the candidacy and no campaign activity may take place.
• You may invite all candidates for political office to come to your church to be introduced and prayed over. If only one shows up, he can speak, just as you would have allowed the others to speak. You can't control who comes. You can only control who is invited. Invite all, and you're safe.
• Pastors may preach about elections and about issues and values. Pastors have always been a plumbline for what is right and what is wrong in a society.

Can pastors endorse candidates? Yes.

• Pastors may endorse candidates as an individual citizen, but not as an official representative of the church or nonprofit organization. You may have seen "titles for Identificational purposes only" after the name of a pastor or leader endorsing a political candidate. That phrase clarifies the fact that the person is a pastor but is not speaking on behalf of his congregation pastor but as a private citizen.
• Pastors may volunteer for candidates.
• Pastors may donate to candidates from their personal resources.