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    So Now the Pulpit is a PAC? Why The IRS Just Gave Churches a License to Politic & What That Means for Our Communities

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    By Larnez Kinsey

    (Source: Black Westchester)

            The IRS just made it official:

    Churches and houses of worship can now endorse political candidates to their congregations without losing their tax-exempt status.

    Let’s be real. This isn’t just a policy change.

    It’s a quiet power grab, dressed in scripture and subtle language.

    They’re calling it a “family discussion,” but we know what it is:

    a legalized pipeline from the pulpit to the polls.

    Because when the government says religious endorsements aren’t “campaigning,” what they’re really saying is:

    “Preachers, go ahead and push candidates during your sermon. We won’t tax you for it.”

    That means a pastor can name-drop their favorite Senate hopeful right after the benediction and still pass the collection plate tax-free.

    But this isn’t about freedom of speech.

    It’s about strategic manipulation, disguised as divine authority.

    Let’s Be Clear About the Setup

    This ruling came out of a lawsuit filed by two churches in Texas and a Christian broadcasting group.

    Their goal?

    To open the floodgates for political endorsements in sacred spaces, without triggering the Johnson Amendment, a decades-old law that barred nonprofits from politicking.

    And the IRS gave them exactly what they wanted.

    Now, churches have been given a greenlight to do what other nonprofits still legally can’t: endorse candidates with no consequences.

    No oversight.

    No donor disclosures.

    No accountability.

    And all while collecting tax-deductible donations.

    That’s not just a loophole.

    That’s a playbook.

    Why This Hits Different in Our Communities

    Let’s not act brand new.

    The Black church isn’t just a place of worship; it’s a cultural cornerstone.

    It’s where we organize, educate, heal, and mobilize.

    So when the IRS tells churches, “it’s okay to endorse,” what they’re really doing is weaponizing trust.

    Because who do people still believe when the world is burning?

    Their pastor.

    Their imam.

    Their spiritual anchor.

    But now, that trusted voice could be echoing the interests of a political campaign, one that may not even serve the people in the pews.

    And the scariest part?

    It’s all legal now.

    The Real-World Impact

    Let’s run some numbers:

    1 in 4 Black girls will be sexually assaulted before 18.

    Black maternal mortality is 3x higher than white women.

    Over 60% of Black youth attend underfunded schools.

    Gun violence is the #1 killer of Black children in America.

    So the question becomes:

    Who benefits when churches endorse candidates who vote against our survival?

    We’ve already seen how political agendas creep into sermons:

    Telling congregants not to support reproductive justice.

    Telling them “tough on crime” is gospel.

    Telling them to trust systems that have failed us for centuries.

    This ruling gives those agendas room to grow and now, nobody’s watching.

    Spiritual Gentrification is Real

    This is how it starts.

    Take a sacred space. Introduce a subtle shift. Wrap it in tradition. Monetize the influence. And act like it’s always been that way.

    They’re not trying to separate church and state.

    They’re trying to merge them strategically, under the table, with a tax-free seal of approval.

    And what happens when candidates start courting churches like they do influencers?

    We risk our pulpits becoming platforms.

    Our praise becoming propaganda.

    Our faith being flipped into someone else’s funnel.

    What Do We Do Now?

    We stay woke in the pews.

    We ask our leaders the hard questions:

    Who are they aligning with?

    Who benefits from that alignment?

    And are our communities actually being served or simply being swayed?

    Because this isn’t

    just about politics.

    It’s about protection.

    Protection of our sacred spaces.

    Protection of our right to uncoerced faith.

    Protection of the people who walk through those doors looking for God, not a campaign.

    Final Word: The Pulpit Isn’t For Sale

    This IRS ruling might be legal but that don’t make it righteous.

    Because the truth is:

    Faith isn’t supposed to be a funnel for votes.

    It’s supposed to be a force for freedom.

    So while candidates are out here trying to cozy up to clergy, we better remember who the real power belongs to:

    The people. The pews. The prophets, not the politicians.

     

    Share.

    Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

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He has grown his flock from the 25 or so students who showed up at his first services to more than 200 each Sunday. Sometimes, it’s standing room only. “We’ve been trying to figure out what to do next because on Easter Sunday we had 342 people, and some were standing in the back,” he said. Word In Black talked to Lockett about the secrets of his success: how his adjustment of Sunday ser-vices got people into the pews, why his philosophy for guiding students on their spiritual journey centers on independent thought, and how his “Spin the Block” initiative is shaking things up on campus. The in-terview has been edited for length and clarity. Word in Black: The first thing we want to know is, how do you get so many young people to chapel every Sunday?. Lawrence Lockett: Well, first of all, I changed the time of service from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. I realized a lot of the students like to sleep in late. It gives them time to do whatever they need to do. I’m sure many of them still like to party hearty over the weekend. So they have a good chance just to kind of refocus, recali-brate, get themselves lunch, and then come over to the chapel for service. When I started in November, maybe 20-25 students came, but now it’s over 200 that come every Sun-day, and it’s pretty cool. So now we’re repositioning ourselves to go after the freshman class this year. If we have the same success as last year, there’s definitely not going to be any room. Word in Black: Tell me about pastoring on a college campus. Lawrence Lockett: Morgan actually started as a biblical institute, so the Christian traditions have al-ways been here. As a pastor or shepherd, I’m walking students through their questions, not always just trying to preach answers to them. It’s about being vulnerable. I tell them I was in their same position, just trying to figure it out. And it’s not me just trying to give them answers. Having been there helps me really walk with them and anchor them in the storm of life that’s going to come. I want them to understand that their soul really matters. A lot of students focus on mental health, but they really need to focus on spiritual health as well. It should be one and the same. So I’ve been trying to preach that, if anything, spiritual health is just as important as your mental health. But we do encour-age the use of the counseling center, for sure, if there is a mental health crisis. WIB: What does Monday through Friday look like for you? LL: Mondays, we are usually off because of Sundays. On Tuesdays, we have Bible studies, so I’ll host a Bible study at noon along with my colleagues that work in the chapel. And then, I’m teaching a class called Hip-hop and the Gospel on Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m., dealing with mixing culture and religion. On Wednesdays, we do something called “breath and balance,” which is just a meditative type of pro-gram with breathing exercises as stress relievers. We work with the School of Nutrition Science and the food resource center so that the students get a nice free meal and practice breathing exercises and meth-ods to feel good about the day. For Thursdays, we started something called the mosaic, in which we have different campus ministers gather in small groups, just like a mosaic painting. So the students who come on Sundays then get plugged into small groups on Thursdays. And on Fridays at 1 p.m., we do prayer for Muslims.. We have an imam lecture and then lead in corporate prayer. It’s a good mix. WIB: What is “Spend a Block?” Didn’t you receive an award for it? LL: That started last year. We just basically do services outside: outside the residence halls, in the quad, wherever it may be. Honestly, worship on a college campus looks different than it did 20 or 30 years ago. Students want something real and authentic, something they can gravitate to, and something that’s convenient. So when we’re outside, people are like, “What’s all the noise outside? What’s all the music?” Then they come outside, and there are chairs, so they grab one and sit and enjoy the service. We come to them. They don’t have to come to us. At the very beginning of the semester, we do services outside the four resi-dence halls. And that kind of gives us a steamroll into homecoming week. And we’ve seen a lot of success because of that. WIB: What should I expect when I arrive for Sunday service? LL: You’re gonna see a lot of involvement with students. I’ve learned that students like to feel invested, and they want to participate in what’s going on. They don’t want to be told by adults what they should and shouldn’t do. So when you go to the service, you’ll see our praise team full of students. You’ll see a choir full of students. You’ll see students reading scripture. You’ll see students giving testimonies. And then I’ll come in and give a sermon, or I’ll have a guest friend or a guest preacher come in to do the sermon. But you’re gonna see a lot of student involvement, and I think that also assisted with a lot of the growth be-cause when they see fellow students, they understand they’re just like me, and if they can do it, I can do it. WIB: What about musicians and choir? LL: The musicians are also students. They say, “Hey, I love to play. I wanna use my gifts in some way, shape, or form.” And they’ll ask whether or not there’s a spot for them. And we say absolutely. And there is a chapel choir. Some of the members are also members of the university choir. WIB: What is the “next” you see for the chapel? LL: I want the students to know God, find freedom, discover purpose, and make a difference. The chapel really is the heartbeat of the campus, and I want students to know more about where faith, hope, and belonging really stem from. 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