Churches: The Hope of America

There is no question about it.  America’s churches receive less favorable treatment from government and from society in general than they did forty or fifty years ago.  American churches are less respected and less influential in today’s culture than our Founding Fathers intended them to be, and with less respect comes less appreciation for what churches contribute to society.

For example, budget gaps along with an aversion to new debt and taxes, are pushing local governments to develop an array of new fees - some of which are being applied to nonprofits, including churches, as well as to individuals and businesses.

Nonprofits and churches have become an obvious untapped source of new revenue.  Previously, churches in America were not taxed because the government believed they provided a valuable resource for society by their very existence.  The church civilized its members and made them good citizens.  The church cared for the poor and distressed.  Government wanted to make sure churches had as much revenue as possible to carry out these important non-governmental functions. 

Today the government has taken over many of the charitable and civilizing functions of churches and ministries; and now looks to them only to provide additional funds for government tasks. As little as fifty years ago, churches were regularly given other non-financial benefits.  For instance, local governments often provided free meeting places in government buildings for new church starts.  Church buildings generally stood at the best property locations in town—often in the middle of the most prominent town square.

Today things have changed.  Government now looks at churches, not as cultural partners and service providers, but as sources of additional revenue.  Some in the federal government have even suggested that donations to churches and nonprofit groups should no longer be tax exempt.  Fortunately, that step has not yet been taken.  But other steps are being taken, primarily at the local level.  We must be on the alert.

Some Examples

We are hearing about a number of disturbing examples of local governments reaching into church pockets to help balance local financial and budgetary belt tightening.

• Taxpayers in Houston, TX narrowly voted to adopt a "drainage fee" toward the cost of improving roads and storm-water systems. The city will charge these fees to all property owners—without exceptions for churches, schools and charities.
• Albany, N.Y. passed an ordinance asking schools, hospitals and other nonprofits to contribute to city services.
• Minneapolis, MN began charging a street-light fee that also applies to nonprofits.  In some cases fees are being required for elevator safety and fire inspections.
• Richmond, VA, Lafayette, IN and Verona, WI adopted drainage fees that apply to nonprofits.
• Boston. MA has a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) agreement with numerous nonprofits.
• As some municipalities try to close their budget gaps with fees that also hit nonprofits and churches, other localities are refusing to go along with these proposals.
• Chicago, IL, Dade City, FL, Cleveland, OH and Arnold, MO scrapped proposals for drainage fees after protests from citizens and groups.
• Mobile, AL rejected a referendum that would have imposed a drainage fee on all residents, including nonprofits and churches.
• The federal government itself is refusing to pay drainage fees in several cities, including Washington, D.C., stating these fees are really taxes from which the U.S. government is immune.

What to Do

Is there anything churches and individual Christians can do about government reaching into church pockets?  The answer is "Yes."

First and foremost, churches and Christians must monitor their local governments for proposed measures that would add additional fees and payments for churches and nonprofits.  Local budgets must be passed by local legislatures.  Make sure your community elects legislators and chooses regulators who are friendly to churches and ministries.

Second, churches must continue to “earn” their favored status as the best citizens in any local community.  How?

1) Churches can do projects to serve their communities.  “Many hands make light work.” 

• Churches can take special days to engage in projects like picking up trash on streets, highways, beaches or parks in their neighborhoods.  Become one of those “Adopt a Highway” participants and make sure your stretch of highway looks better than anyone else’s.   
• If there is a local park or playground no longer being maintained by government because of budget cuts, why not take a day and have your youth group or other volunteers go and clean it up?  
• Your church can assist low income families in your community to fix and maintain their homes and property.  Older individuals can be assisted with home repair projects.  The church can help and provide the Gospel message at the same time.  Why send your youth groups and volunteers only to far-away places to offer these people-to-people blessings?
• Many churches already provide food banks, soup kitchens, thrift shops, and addiction programs within their communities.  All of this, done well, can help the church make friends of their neighbors.

2) Churches should make sure government officials know they are appreciated and prayed for.

• Pastors and church leaders should become friends with local, state and national representatives.  Invite them to lunch.  Send letters letting them know your church prays for them and their families.  Let your government officials know you are there to support and help.  Not every official will react favorably to this type of outreach and support.  But there is certainly no way government officials can prevent your church from praying for them anyway.  
• Churches should take special Sundays to honor local government officials and local service providers such as police and fire departments.  
• Church members can run for office themselves.  At the very least, church members or committees can be appointed to monitor local legislative groups and alert the church if problems are developing.
• Take refreshments periodically to legislative meetings to bless local officials.  Be sure to do this at a time when the church does not have an ultimate motive of seeking a favor.

3) Pastors and church leaders must be careful to maintain their reputation and personal witness in the community

• Pastors, church staff and members should be the best citizens in the community and the best examples of honorable men and women.  
• Make sure your word is your bond.
• Make sure your commitment to your spouse and family is beyond reproach.  
• Look around for any good you can do for your neighbor.  
• Church members should make sure they are the best, most loyal and most cooperative workers in their workplace.  
• Church members with businesses or who are managers should make sure they are the best bosses in the community and that their workers are treated better than anyone else’s.  

These suggestions are all Scriptural commands and expectations.  Christians should do them no matter what the reward.  But very often, the reward will be the regaining of respect for the church in America and more money kept in the church’s pocket for its own ministry.

Make the Past the Future

Our nation is facing a crossroads that could turn into a crisis for everyone, including churches and ministries.  But this crisis is not inevitable.  America was not always a country hostile toward Christians and the Bible.

As recently as 1982, Newsweek magazine’s cover story discussed the Bible’s impact on America.  Here is what they said.

[F]or centuries [the Bible] has exerted an unrivaled influence on American culture, politics and social life. Now historians are discovering that the Bible, per-haps even more than the Constitution, is our founding document: the source of the powerful myth of the United States as a special, sacred nation, a people called by God to establish a model society, a beacon to the world.


There was a time, early in the history of our nation, when rugged settlers piously named their newly founded towns and cities after places in the Bible—Salem, Canaan, Philadelphia, Shiloh, Nazareth, Bethlehem and even Eden and Paradise.  There were times, too, when Bible study was the core of public education and nearly every literate family not only owned a Bible but read it regularly and reverently.

A few years later, Time magazine published a similar article called, “Looking to Its Roots.”  It described the spiritual origins of America.

Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea. That good idea combines a commitment to man’s inalienable rights with the Calvinist belief in an ultimate moral right and sinful man’s obligation to do good. These articles of faith, embodied in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution, literally govern our lives today.

Why should we concede that the best days of America’s churches and ministries are behind us?  The Christian Law Association does not concede that point.  We continue on the front lines of the battle. We encourage you to stand with us, remembering to be “wise and serpents and harmless as doves.”

Strong local churches not under the control or taxation of the government are necessary for our nation to return to its heritage and once again honor God in our land.  At CLA, we are honored to stand with and serve the Bible-believing local churches of our land.