Daniel Darling, who serves in pastoral ministry while navigating these tensions, noted in a 2024 ERLC panel: “Our church provides practical resources that people can utilize alongside their study of Scripture and their prayerful engagement of challenging political issues.”
The keyword is “alongside”—not instead of, not before, but alongside. Scripture remains primary.
Phase 3: Community Reconfiguration (Months 5-7)
Jon Kelly, a pastor who participated in the SBC’s panel on hopeful political engagement, offered brilliant practical wisdom: “Your church will only be as unified as your dinner table and couch. If everyone that sits on your couch thinks like you, votes like you, talks like you, you just won’t see that in your church.”
He continued: “I would challenge you: who’s at your dinner table, and who’s on your couch? Your neighbors, people down the street, people at the gym, families who go to your kids’ school? Be careful because we often reflect those things.”
This is strategic genius. You cannot program your way to unity. You must model it.
Phase 4: Structural Simplification (Months 8-10)
Thom Rainer’s research on “Simple Church” reveals that focused congregations—those that excel in a few areas rather than merely being adequate in many—demonstrate higher spiritual vitality. The concept is straightforward: eliminate distractions and focus.
Rainer explains: “The essence of it all is the desire for the church to be focused and not distracted, to grow disciples instead of increasing busyness.”
This means evaluating every ministry through one lens: Does this cultivate devotion to Christ or devotion to something else? If political discussion forums consume more energy than prayer meetings, something must change.
Phase 5: Sustained Leadership (Months 11+)
The final phase is not an endpoint but a new beginning. Leadership Network surveys show senior pastors spend increasing time managing political conflicts rather than focusing on spiritual development and evangelistic outreach.
The solution requires what business strategists call “strategic alignment”—ensuring that every decision, every allocation of resources, every use of time supports the primary mission. For churches, that mission is clear: making disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Hope in the Data
Here is the encouragement buried in the research: Congregations demonstrating balanced political engagement alongside strong spiritual formation show healthier vitality markers than churches where political concerns dominate.
Translation: This is fixable. Not easy, but fixable.
