An Open Letter to Ministers

Brothers and Sisters in ministry:

Greetings in the matchless name of Jesus Christ, in whom, and by whom, all things consist and hold together—including you, and me, and the faith we hold close.

If the liberal ideology of late prevails in the November elections, and if those espousing this liberalism follow through with the agenda they’ve voiced, life in America will change dramatically—likely irrevocably. There could be grave consequences for evangelical organizations. I’m writing to recommend two actions that could result in a more effective church and a dramatic shift in society back toward its Christian and democratic founding.

First: It is illegal for you (or me) to endorse a political candidate. It is not illegal for you to speak to the issues of society. In fact, you must speak to society’s concerns or whatever your message is, it is irrelevant.

Second: Jesus said we are salt and light (Mt. 5:13-16). The most fundamental engagement of a Christian in society is voting. Yet, millions and millions of evangelicals don’t participate in society by casting a vote.

This failure at the polls reflects a disconnect between what Christians are taught and their follow through: voting. If Christians don’t vote, we sabotage our basic engagement within society.

Being salt and light is as simple as going to the polls. If Christians vote, America will shift from post-Christian back to Christian in principle—perhaps in one voting cycle if informed Christians turn out. It’s that simple.

However, it is unlikely that your people will make the connection between voting and spiritual obedience unless you, a) instruct them biblically, b) facilitate their ability to vote by hosting registration tables at your church, listing polling places, etc., and c) connecting the civic duty of voting to their spiritual obedience.

Time is short. I encourage you to be proactive.

Thanks for considering my thoughts. Following my signature, I offer my rationale underlying this letter. Take care,

Preston Gillham

Reasons and Rationale

Our nation is divided—rancor pervasive. It is easy to be overwhelmed and conclude there is nothing I can do—nothing Believers can do—to influence society. But there is. It is such a simple action that we consistently stumble over it.

To be salt and light in our world, as Jesus stated, our most fundamental action is: Turn out and vote!

In the 2012 election, an [argued] estimate of 54,000,000 evangelical Christians did not vote. In 2016, voter turnout (for all voters) was about 55%. Clearly, for a significant percentage of Christians, there is a disconnect between their faith and their civic responsibility.

Over the years, ministers have shied from speaking to their constituency about socio-political issues. Our silence and reticence have resulted in a predictable outcome: a) America has become post-Christian, and b) as society slides toward spiritual indifference, our message is deemed by both Christians and nonbelievers as irrelevant.

My hotel in Liviv, Oblast Ukraine

We exhort our people to pray for their country. I suspect God is saying, “I’ve answered your prayers. Quit praying and go vote. If you do this, you can implement the biblical principles I lead you to implement.”

You are in the business of people. You know that you must, a) make a desired action relevant and b) easy to engage if you hope to have buy-in and c) application.

Educate your people on how their faith and civic life connect. Preach about it and write about it. It’s all through Scripture. Don’t over-think this. People want to be led. Instruct them that voting is their spiritual service of worship as certainly as reading their Bible. It is the most basic way in which they engage with society, i.e. be salt and light.

I wholly subscribe to the biblical declaration that God’s Word will not render a nil result. However, it is not good enough to preach the Bible. It’s not good enough to study the Bible.

You believe your constituency will apply their faith to their lives. Studies indicate that they cannot do this—they cannot bridge the gap between the abstract topic of a sermon and practical application. Consequently, what they associate with faith on Sunday is irrelevant to life outside of church. Guide outcome. Coach application.

People follow people. Mr. Trump is a difficult leader to embrace. Mr. Biden is a prospective leader who is likely incompetent but whom the media refuse to critique. Given that people follow people, a poorly informed voter will vote for the person they like best.

As intuitive as an internet search might appear to be, it is my observation that many do not understand how to query a search engine to elicit thoughtful research. As a minister, you cannot endorse a candidate, but you are under obligation to facilitate your congregation’s ability to think through their faith and its application based upon biblical principles. Further, not only is it permissible, it is imperative that you compare and contrast party platforms so that your people are informed.

Speak and teach biblically. Help your people compare and contrast ideas, which is a key component to, a) their ability to think further for themselves, and b) make application—in this case voting—that is, c) as easy as possible.

In the Spring of 2020 the Governor of Virginia oversaw passage of two laws. “The two laws purport to prevent “discrimination” against LGBT people but, in reality, they force Christian ministries to choose between violating their sincerely held religious beliefs or paying hefty fines, as much as $100,000 per offense.” The day prior to signing these laws, the governor also signed legislation requiring employers who provide health insurance to pay for gender reassignment and related medical treatments.

Several Christian organizations have filed suit against the Attorney General of Virginia charging that these laws are unconstitutional in that they violate religious liberty. I’m speculating now, but it’s probable that the lawsuit will progress through the court system until it reaches the Supreme Court.

Assuming Judge Amy Barret is seated on the Supreme Court, conservative justices will have a 6-3 majority. If the Virginia law makes it to the Supreme Court, it is likely to be struck down as unconstitutional.

If the Democrats are elected, they will begin implementation of their party’s agenda. However, even if the DNC gains control of the Senate, key planks in their platform will be judged unconstitutional by a conservative Supreme Court. Thus, the initiative to increase the number of seats on the Supreme Court, install favorable justices, and overcome the conservative majority.

As I write, both Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris are refusing to say whether they intend to pack the court, i.e. add seats to the Supreme Court. However, influential members of the Democratic Party, along with the mainstream media, are stating that the only solution to a 6-3 conservative court is to increase—pack—the number of justices.

Should this transpire, the constitutional balance of power between the judiciary (the courts), legislative (Congress), and executive (White House) branches is permanently destroyed as the judiciary is co-opted to serve only liberal ideology. (To digress: With a judiciary that is no longer viable, it is also conceivable that the DNC can do whatever it takes—whatever it wishes—to retain power, thus creating a government controlled by one-party for the foreseeable future.)

In this court-packing scenario, should the Virginia law reach the Supreme Court, it will be held to be constitutional when it comes before the packed Court. Conservative Christianity in Virginia is out of business. Liberal states and cities will likely follow Virginia’s lead and evangelical churches in left-leaning states and cities are no longer able to legally function.

Assuming the Democratic leadership is true to their intent, then quite literally the future of the evangelical church could hinge on the November election.

If your people are informed and go vote, there is a strong probability the church’s ability to legally function remains viable. If your people stay home in November, there is a strong probability of the above scenario becoming reality.

Several months ago, Robert P. Jones released a new book titled, White Too Long. Dr. Jones is the Founder and CEO of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). His book’s thesis is that white supremacy was and remains the foundation upon which conservative religious belief, practice, and theology were formed and continue to operate. Even the divinity and person of Christ taught within conservative Christianity (including conservative Catholicism) is predicated upon white supremacy. Dr. Jones relies upon research done by his organization, PRRI.

Society now has reliable research, performed by a scholar with a best-selling book, endorsed by many media outlets, and repeated by numerous reactionary leaders declaring that you, your church, your belief, your theology, your practice, and your Jesus are built upon and perpetuated by white supremacy.

Dr. Jones’ research is questionable, e.g. some test questions are leading, presume a position, etc. But standardized test construction is too complex to bother with, so Dr. Jones gets a pass in the media and his assertion is considered accurate.

Yesterday I received an email from a friend who is sensitive to society’s issues. She has been listening to a variety of ministry personalities who are teaching that conservative Christianity is infected systemically with white supremacy and racism. My friend writes: “I thought I understood injustice but I never understood how complicit western Christianity had been in institutionalising [sic] racism.”

I would not presume to tell you what to preach, but I will be so bold as to say, if you are busy speaking about the four horsemen of the apocalypse while society is attributing to you and your people systemic white supremacy and worship of a white Jesus complicit in racism, you are irrelevant. If those desiring to restructure American balance of power are elected in November, and if they carry out their agenda, you and your conservative church are likely to suffer demise.

What am I proposing that you do?

First: You MUST address the planks (issues) of parties as they relate to Christianity. It is your obligation before God and in stewardship of your ministry to speak about abortion, immigration, historical precedence, human existence, ethics, morality, race and gender, and humanity’s health. If you opt to be silent, choosing instead to speak about “spiritual topics” while society is coming apart at the seams, your silence says that you—and by inference your biblical teaching—have nothing to say about the world’s condition.

Second: Aggressively promote, coach, guide, and facilitate your people’s correlation of biblical knowledge with their responsibility to act as salt and light. In the immediate, this means voting.

Our current status as a society is grave. The future of organized religion is no longer guaranteed.

If evangelical Christians vote in 2020, the church buys time to reinvent and reassert itself as salt and light within a society viewing Christianity as intolerant and irrelevant—even racist, extreme, and founded upon white supremacy.

If America’s balance of power as established by the founders is undermined by packing the Supreme Court, or altering the Constitution as authoritative to our democracy, the America of today will sink like the Titanic in November. Among the first to go into the icy deep will be your nonprofit organization.

Thank you for reading and considering. If I can encourage or assist you and your team, let me know. Lead well. Lead with courage. But whatever you do, lead now.

Sincerely,

Preston Gillham