jefferson longshot

Written by Don Byrd

Research by an Indiana University professor into data collected through the National Congregations Study revealed something he didn’t expect: political activity by churches has declined since 1998, particularly in evangelical churches. Overall, the number of churches that participated in at least one type of political activity decreased from 43 percent to 35 percent, while churches engaged in service-related activity has increased from 71% to 78%.

The Bloomington Herald-Times reports:

[I]n 1998, nearly 20 percent of evangelical churches distributed voter guides, while only 11 percent did so in 2012.

During the same time period, the percentage promoting opportunities to participate politically decreased from about 21 percent to about 7 percent.

Fulton thinks this decrease is at least partly driven by a decoupling of the relationship between Republicans and the religious right.

Any kind of decrease in election-related activity by churches is a good development. Churches should absolutely speak out on the issues of the day, but picking sides in an election divides congregations and jeopardizes tax-exempt status.

For more, see the Baptist Joint Committee’s resource page on church electioneering.