Archive for month: January, 2017

Evangelical leaders, pastors and churches were a huge factor in the election of President-elect Donald Trump in November. Now, just days from his inauguration, this same group is wondering what to expect under a Trump-Pence administration.

For one, says the American Pastors Network, Trump stated on the campaign trail, namely at this summer’s Republican National Convention, that he would “work hard” to repeal the Johnson Amendment.

“An amendment,” Trump had said, according to MSNBC, “pushed by Lyndon Johnson, many years ago, threatens religious institutions with a loss of their tax-exempt status if they openly advocate their political views. I am going to work very hard to repeal that language and protect free speech for all Americans.”

Many important issues for Christians—including religious freedom, abortion, and marriage—have been making major headlines since the election, and will continue to do so after Trump is sworn into office on Friday.

Sam Rohrer, president of the American Pastors Network, says that with the election of Trump, pastors and churches now have a responsibility as well.

“God answered the pleas and the prayers of His people and provided a reprieve,” Rohrer said. “His continued blessing will be linked directly to our level of obedience. Yes, He has given us a stay, but the length of that stay is dependent on whether God’s people will be obedient or will go back to sleep. We will very easily return to the same comfortable, status quo ways if we fail to lead appropriately. This is about much more than winning an election; it’s a complete lifestyle shift and a change in the hearts of God’s people. And it starts at the pulpits of America’s churches.”