On Tuesday, after weeks of rather disheartening conversations with clergy and elected officials, I was compelled to provide the public service of a heads-up to my social network by updating my Facebook status. The post read, “With upcoming August 3 election, improper endorsing behavior of some clergy and new-found religion of many public officials, it will soon be difficult (if not already impossible) to tell the difference between politicians and preachers. So, for the record, I’m not running for office. I’m running for Jesus. (And I’m not tired yet!)”
My concerns are those of many black church parishioners around election time. The courting of African-American pastors for endorsement in exchange for favor, influence and the best places at banquets began some time ago. At least one ministerial group, which touts 501(C)3 non-profit status when seeking corporate funds, has already been identified as endorsing a candidate for state Senate. And the deluge of political aspirants will begin to drown out prophetic proclamation in Sunday morning worship this week.
This is the part that concerns me most, and this concern is more for the preachers than politicians.
It is the job of the politician to reach as many people as possible. In the black community, the church provides the most efficient, regular opportunity to do so. So, for them, it’s good political strategy and calculation. But, the pastor who calculates that it is his or her business to play kingmaker through the process of political endorsements has misread the charge of the sacred texts.
Maybe they got a hold of the underground, screw-tape remix of the Beatitudes’ (“Blessed are the peacemakers”) and the Lord’s Prayer (“Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done”). But, the scriptures never read “Blessed are the Kingmakers.”
Surely the clerics who take offense at this writing have the Old Testament biblical resource of the priest Samuel anointing Saul the first King of Israel. But, this “endorsement” was only allowed by God after the belligerence of the people who desired a king, rather than God. While he looked the part, the story finally reveals the unfaithfulness and mental instability of Saul. In the words of one great preacher, “Saul was tall and that’s all.”
The broader witness of the church has been more consistent with that of the Christ, challenging political powers on behalf of the poor, not anointing them. Indeed, the persecution of the early church was due to its commitment to proclaiming Jesus as leader of its communal life, rather than giving that honor to the emperors of Rome.
In more contemporary days and contexts, renowned African-American pastors have chronicled their own regret for too much time spent in the practices of partisan politics. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, the unrivaled “Dean of the Nation’s Black Preachers,” confessed his need to remove himself from the political machine of the borough of Brooklyn in which his beloved, Concord Baptist Church of God worshipped. He suggested politics is a business of compromise and social division inconsistent with the pastoral vocation.
Dr. Martin King Jr. constantly refused very lucrative invitations to speak on behalf of both the Democratic and Republican parties in convention settings.
Clearly neither my reading of scripture, nor presentation of aspects of our tradition constrain the actions of local pastors, many of whom are my senior. In their defense and contrary to popular opinion, there is no legal prohibition to clergy or churches endorsing candidates. But, there is an Internal Revenue Service provision that bars churches from doing so while also enjoying exemption from taxes.
So, pastors can feel free to endorse whomever they choose from behind the protection of the sacred desk and cut whatever deals they like. But, they might want to run the cost-benefit analysis by the members of the congregation to see whether what they get from their politician of choice is worth paying the taxes of a corporation, not a church.
Campaign finance legislation in Missouri allows gifts of any size. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision declares that companies have as much political voice as individuals. So, corporate entities (community organizations and churches included) can make generous gifts or give public endorsements with liberty, as long as they’re willing to pay the price.
The first fee is the loss of tax exemption. The second (and more important one) is the integrity of the gospel we preach.
The Rev. Starsky D. Wilson is pastor & teacher for Saint John’s United Church of Christ, a progressive congregation in North St. Louis.
Gospel Rap at UniverSoul Circus
Eight St. Louis gospel rap artists will take the stage Sunday, July 25 at 11 a.m. for a 90-minute, soul-stirring concert to get the audience revved up for the final day of UniverSoul Circus. The Atlanta-based circus will be on Jamestown Mall parking lot in Florissant July 20-25.
Tickets for the concert are $15 which also includes admission to the 12:30 p.m. circus performance. For more information, call 800-316-7439, www.UniverSoulCircus.com or www.STLGospelShow.com.
