Churches can talk about issues and advocate for voting rights without running afoul of the law, BJC leaders explain

Even in the midst of a highly charged 2020 election cycle, most American houses of worship have protected their tax-exempt status by avoiding candidate endorsements and direct involvement in political campaigns, said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.

But those ministers and congregations that have crossed the line imposed by their 501(c)(3) designations often have done so in spectacular fashion and in ways that illustrate Christian nationalism’s threat to democracy, Tyler said in a recent episode of the BJC “Respecting Religion” podcast.