From pulpits to school boards and special districts: A call for Christians to step up

By Chuck O’Reilly | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Every decision about schools, taxes and local government touches the lives of families in the pews each week. When Christians disengage from civic life, we leave those decisions to others—and the results are visible in our classrooms, neighborhoods and property tax bills.

I’m writing to encourage Christians that their values matter at the ballot box. When it comes time to vote, Christian values are needed at the polling place. Pastors and priests should urge their congregations to step forward as candidates in local elections, and groups like the Non Partisan Elections Committee stand ready to support those efforts.

For years, charity in America was mainly carried out by churches. Help was given on a one-on-one basis, with members of the congregation personally knowing the recipients and making sure the assistance was truly deserved. Christians also expressed their values in local, state and national elections.

That changed under the Johnson Administration, which created welfare programs like Aid to Dependent Children. Churches and organizations such as the Salvation Army were removed from the process. The personal contact and accountability once provided by pastors and parishioners was replaced by paperwork and case workers. Soon we had a welfare system that required submission to the system, and encouraged single motherhood with a bigger government check for each additional child. 

Property taxes went up even as school performance declined, a direct result of elections missing the values Christian voters would have brought. Special districts remain largely hidden from public view, and the result is seen in voter turnout that rarely rises above 3%.

Since 1954, the Johnson Amendment has kept churches and nonprofits from openly backing candidates, threatening their tax-exempt status if they did. Now, for the first time in decades, the IRS has signaled a shift—saying houses of worship may endorse candidates without fear of losing that protection.

For seventy years, most church leaders have been afraid to speak out about the local elections happening in their districts—elections that determine property and sales taxes and what their parishioners’ children are being taught in school. Christians have not been involved in the elections and management of schools. 

The result is that most of the K-12 schools and state universities have been taken over by socialists.

The lack of conservative values at the voting booth has resulted in elections that are inching us toward an authoritarian state government. Many church leaders shy away from addressing these issues, convinced that raising politics could drive members out the door. But if the leaders are following the followers, who is really leading?

It’s time for today’s church leaders to recover the spirit of Peter Muhlenberg, the preacher-patriot. At Woodstock, Virginia, on January 28, 1776, he finished preaching, laid aside his clerical robe, and revealed the uniform of a colonel in Washington’s army. Muhlenberg lived as pastor, soldier and legislator. His example shows that religious and political leadership can coexist.

Pennsylvania honored Muhlenberg in 1889 with this marble statue, now part of the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection. Source: Architect of the Capitol.

Church leaders have the difficult task of teaching parishioners that part of being a good Christian is being a good citizen. Ignoring school boards has not been successful. Ignoring local metro districts has not been successful. Pastors can start by identifying parishioners who would make strong candidates and introducing them to organizations such as the Non Partisan Elections Committee and Road To Red, which provide training on how to run successful campaigns.

There are more than 4,900 special districts in Colorado alone, and one only has to look at a recent property tax statement to see which boards they are eligible to run for. The opportunities are there.

Being a good Christian means being a good citizen. Being a good citizen means being an informed and regular voter. Seventy years ago, Christians did not see the need to go to school board meetings. Today, with teachers’ unions and socialists dominating the education system, Christian involvement has become critical.

A good Christian leader does not mean one is only good at one thing. Maybe one of the good things about a Pastor is that they are able to help their parishioners to move out of their comfort zone and do good for the church and the community.

Now is the time for believers to match conviction with action, bringing Christian values back into the public square.

Chuck O’Reilly is a member of the Non Partisan Election Committee and former DC GOP treasurer. He can be reached at [email protected].

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.