A Losing Proposition
Is there ever an easy way to talk about controversial issues in the church?
by Dan Kimball
October 3, 2008
I take voting very seriously. I never miss an election. I follow political news extensively. Among friends I enjoy debating political issues and candidates. But I never talk about politics in our church. I feel like I'm living a dichotomy. I have yet to sort through how to join together my role as a leader in a local church with politics.
Government shapes the world we exist in. It is ordained by God to create laws that maintain peace and justice, and we should obey and pay our taxes. I have no problem praying for government leaders (1 Timothy 2). But how do I talk about politics in church settings?
This tension became very real for me when Proposition 22 was on the ballot in California back in 2000. The proposition sought to prevent the recognition of same-sex marriages by the state. At the time, I was the young adult pastor at a wonderful and loving conservative church. The leaders' hearts were golden, with a focus on evangelism, but they decided an announcement should be made in all of the worship services about Prop 22. The wording was carefully chosen. Without explicitly telling people how to vote, they were telling people how to vote.
When informed about this decision, I tried not to have to make the announcement to the young adult gatherings I led. I almost begged them to change their minds. I agreed with the church's theological perspective on marriage, but our ministry was very outreach focused, with a diverse group of Christians and non-Christians, gay and straight. It didn't feel like the right setting to discuss a controversial political issue. And, if we made an announcement about the marriage proposition, then where do we stop? Will we also make announcements for propositions about casinos, environmental laws, medicinal marijuana, or healthcare?
An elder said, "Dan, we have to tell people how serious an issue this is. Even non-Christians need to hear what Scripture says about marriage and the implications of Proposition 22." Basically I had no choice. I would have to give the two minute announcement in our large group gatherings.
When the night of the meeting came, I stood up to deliver the leadership's brief announcement about Proposition 22. But given my audience, I felt awkward sticking with only the facts. Instead I tried to put the announcement in a more palatable context. I apologized for bringing up politics, explained how our hearts and attitudes surrounding this issue should be loving; I explained what the covenant of marriage means biblically, beginning in Genesis. What should have been a straightforward, two minute announcement turned into a thirteen minute apologetic. (The media team who timed the announcement made plenty of jokes about it to me later.)
Afterwards, some people said they could tell how much I was struggling with the announcement. My own obvious discomfort and vulnerability probably made it easier for some people to not react negatively. Prior to the service, I made contact with one lesbian who had been coming regularly. I was worried the announcement about Proposition 22 would break the trust I had been building with her. She definitely knew my conservative beliefs about homosexuality from our previous conversations, but I felt I had to talk to her in advance so she wasn't caught off guard by the announcement. She thanked me for talking to her in advance.
You may think I'm a wimp or lack confidence with touchy subjects. But I don't think I was uncomfortable because gay-marriage is a controversial issue. I've taught very openly about difficult subjects like pluralism, hell, homosexuality, and gender roles in ministry. I have no problem discussing controversial things when they are found in the Bible. But throw in the political angle with only a few minutes for context, and I get very gun-shy.
My perspective has developed since Proposition 22 eight years ago. Today in my church, I want to teach the Scriptures in a way that helps shape people's minds into the values and ethics of God. As we do this, my hope is that a culture develops where people naturally, prayerfully, and scripturally discuss political matters and vote wisely. So when voting season comes along and more propositions arise, people won't need to have leaders making announcements because they'll already be thinking theologically on their own.
Dan Kimball is the pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California.
Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
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