Protecting the Johnson Amendment
Religious and nonprofit groups are united against any calls to repeal or change the so-called “Johnson Amendment.” That’s the shorthand term for a part of the tax law that applies to all 501(c)(3) organizations, which protects them from opposing or endorsing candidates for office.
In July 2025, the IRS tried to recast pulpit endorsements as “a family discussion concerning candidates” in a court filing. It threatened to turn churches into PACs and undermine the core mission of religious communities. But, that case was dismissed in March 2026, and the Johnson Amendment remains in place.
The legal disputes are continuing. Most recently, the Trump administration filed a brief in September 2026 to say the court was wrong to get rid of its earlier agreement.
“BJC will continue to advocate for clear, bright lines that protect both religious liberty and charitable mission,” said BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler. “The Johnson Amendment has served those ends for nearly 70 years.”
Resources
The “Johnson Amendment” has become shorthand for a part of the tax law that applies to all 501(c)(3) organizations. The law protects houses of worship and other nonprofit organizations from political pressure and additional dangers that come with endorsing and opposing candidates.
This page has information on how people of faith and the nonprofit community have been working since 2017 to keep the Johnson Amendment.
-
PDF
Be ADVOCATES, not PARTISANS: A guide for election season
This one-page guide provides a general overview of the permissible and problematic activities under the Tax Code for 501(c)(3) organizations when it comes to campaigns, as of 2024.
-
Podcast
Why is the Johnson Amendment under attack again?
Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discussed this part of the tax code on the Respecting Religion podcast, and they gave an update on the case dismissal in a later episode.
Keeping the Johnson Amendment
Take a look a previous articles and statements in this ongoing work.
-
The Court Case that Could Accelerate Mixing Religion and Politics
In the Dallas Morning News, Amanda Tyler explains why a hearing on Nov. 25, 2025, to consider a settlement could erode “the wall of integrity that has long protected churches from partisan pollution.”
-
IRS Proposal to Allow Political Speech in Churches Is Bad Advice
In a piece published by Bloomberg Law on July 14, 2025, BJC’s Holly Hollman explains an unorthodox legal maneuver from the IRS and how it’s creating bad advice for houses of worship.
-
A Court Filing Invites Partisanship into Houses of Worship
BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler writes about the concerning 2025 action to undermine the protections of the Johnson Amendment and the need for a civic society not co-opted by money in politics.
-
Johnson Amendment Policy Shift: An Illusion Disguised as Reality
The court filing in Texas in 2025 from the IRS may appear to open the door to political endorsements, but it conceals the risks and pressures that follow.
-
Johnson Amendment Key Points
Changing the current law is unnecessary, unwise and unwanted. This 2-sided printable document offers simple points as to why people of faith overwhelmingly want to keep the Johnson Amendment.
