My grandmother used to always quote the old mariner’s saying: “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.  Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.”  While meteorologists will debate whether this saying is accurate, one thing about it is true.  Before the days of radars and satellites, the sailors of old would always keep an eye on the horizon to judge whether gathering clouds were harbingers of bad weather.

We also have a saying at Alliance Defending Freedom: “While you shepherd your flock, we’ll watch the horizon.”  The sentiment behind this statement is that pastors frequently lack time or expertise to watch the horizon and judge what poses a legal threat to the church. That’s why God placed Alliance Defending Freedom in this place at this time. We are watching the legal horizon.

This year, marriage is a hot topic in legal circles. The United States Supreme Court is deciding cases involving the definition of the institution created by God in the Garden of Eden even before the fall of man. How can you as a pastor best respond in these challenging times?

Before the Court has its say, America’s pastors must have their say

The Supreme Court decision is expected to be handed down by the end of June. In its decision, the Supreme Court will have its say on how our laws will treat marriage. But before the Supreme Court has its say, America’s pastors must have their say. That’s why we are conducting Pulpit Freedom Sunday on June 9, 2013. On that day, pastors across the country will stand united to proclaim with one voice what God’s design for marriage is and why our country should honor that design and resist the siren’s call to redefine this most basic of human institutions.

If you have not yet signed up for Pulpit Freedom Sunday, please do so. The sign-up process only takes a minute.  If you cannot preach on June 9, then pick a Sunday as close to that day as possible and indicate the date of your message in the sign-up process.

In this crucial time in our country’s history, the voice of God from the shepherds of God’s flocks must be heard proclaiming biblical Truth about marriage to a society that far too often seems on the verge of forgetting marriage altogether.

What’s the state of the marriage battle?

Given the complexities of the legal process, many pastors feel daunted by the prospect of communicating the state of the marriage battle. However, we’ve made it easy for you.  This simple map will show you the current state of the battle to protect marriage in the United States.

There are also numerous sermon preparation resources on our website to help you effectively communicate about marriage to your congregation. There are resources about God’s design for marriage, and the threat that same-sex “marriage” poses to religious freedom.

We also have created a resource highlighting the positions certain elected officials took before the Supreme Court on the issue of marriage. You can use this resource to praise elected officials who fought to protect marriage as God intended, or to call out with biblical Truth those officials who took a public stand against marriage.

What do I need to do to protect my church?

We also receive many questions about what proactive steps churches can take to protect themselves.  There are a couple of things all churches can do to best position themselves for the future.

First, read our resource Seven Things all Churches Should have in their Bylaws. We also have some suggested bylaw language on marriage and human sexuality that will help churches in this regard.

Second, we advise every church to adopt a facilities usage policy that governs use of church facilities for wedding ceremonies. We have created a sample policy for you to use to ensure your church is protected.

Even in those states that adopted same-sex “marriage” or some equivalent, such as civil unions, churches do not have to allow use of their facilities for wedding ceremonies that are inconsistent with their faith. But there is an effort underway in some areas — such as Hawaii and Hutchinson, Kansas — to force churches to allow use of their facilities for same-sex “weddings” if they open their facilities for use by non-members for weddings at all. Passing a facilities usage policy provides a good defense. Put simply, no government official has the right to force a church to allow its facilities to be used for events that violate its religious beliefs.

Never forget that Alliance Defending Freedom is “watching the legal horizon.” We will continue to keep you updated and provide the best ways you as a pastor can respond to protect your church from legal threats.

America is in the midst of a debate on the definition of marriage, the foundation for a stable society and a stable home.  Americans desperately need to hear from their pastors what God says about marriage, the institution He created.

This year, our country faces one of the most pressing issues in our history as efforts are underway to radically redefine the institution of marriage, the relationship that God established long ago in the Garden of Eden even before the Fall of mankind.  The United States Supreme Court is scheduled to hear two cases where plaintiffs are hoping to radically redefine marriage to include same-sex couples.  Oral argument on these cases will be in late March and a decision by the Court is expected at the end of June.  These are the first cases ever where the Supreme Court will address the definition of marriage directly.

With all this in mind, Pulpit Freedom Sunday 2013 will be a Sunday focused on marriage.

Even though this year is a non-election year, that does not mean it is a non-engagement year for pastors.  The heartbeat of Pulpit Freedom Sunday has always been to remove legal restrictions on what a pastor can say from the pulpit and by doing so, to empower pastors to speak boldly and courageously on the pressing issues of our day that are addressed by Scripture.

As many of you know, Alliance Defending Freedom launched Pulpit Freedom Sunday in 2008 as a legal challenge to the Johnson Amendment. The Johnson Amendment is a 1954 law that grants the IRS the power to censor what you as a pastor say from your pulpit about candidates during an election season.  The law is hopelessly unconstitutional.  Yet despite this fact, no court has ever been presented with a constitutional challenge to the law.

Courageous pastors stood in their pulpits as part of Pulpit Freedom Sunday and proclaimed biblical truth as it relates to candidates and elections.  They recorded their sermons and sent them to the IRS in hopes of sparking a legal challenge to the Johnson Amendment to have it declared unconstitutional.

You may be wondering what the IRS response has been.  In a word, silence.  Not one of the pastors who have participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday has been censored or punished by the IRS in any way.

Despite this fact, the Johnson Amendment remains in effect and the IRS continues to maintain publicly that it has the power to enforce the law against a pastor’s sermon.  Because of this, Pulpit Freedom Sunday is still necessary to keep up the pressure on the IRS and to regain the freedom of America’s pulpits.

• When is Pulpit Freedom Sunday 2013?

Pulpit Freedom Sunday will be on Sunday, June 9, 2013.  We want every pastor available to speak on that same day, if possible, to declare with one voice God’s design for marriage.  If you cannot speak on that day, please pick another day close to that day and sign up to participate.

• What will pastors do on Pulpit Freedom Sunday?

Pastors who sign up to participate will preach a sermon on God’s design for marriage.  Pastors can also take the opportunity to address the threat to religious freedom posed by same-sex “marriage,” or to call out their elected officials who are on record supporting same-sex “marriage.”

• What resources are there to help me prepare for Pulpit Freedom Sunday?

There are sermon preparation materials, sample sermons on marriage, resources to help you understand how same-sex “marriage” poses a threat to religious freedom, and information about elected officials that are either supporting or opposing same-sex “marriage.” All of these can be found at www.pulpitfreedom.org

• Where can I sign up to participate?

Sign up to participate at  www.pulpitfreedom.org The sign up process only takes a minute to complete.

Now, more than ever, Americans must hear from their pastors regarding what God says about marriage.  Pastors have always guided the conscience of America through troubled times when the country faced a moral dilemma.  Pastors must once again assume that role as the conscience of America, guiding her into biblical truth.

Will you stand with thousands of your fellow pastors on Pulpit Freedom Sunday?  Sign up today at www.pulpitfreedom.org.

Pastor Olden Thornton discusses the attacks on pastors when following God’s direction and standing up for Biblical Truths.

Watch & Listen >> http://alln.cc/XNcYfS
Protect and promote the rights of our churches.

Pastors and church leaders always face an interesting combination of pressures when election season rolls around. And the 2012 election is no exception. How much do you discuss the issues in the election or should you as a pastor even discuss them at all?  The legalities of discussing issues in the election are sometimes difficult to figure out. And then there are the potential reactions of your church members to consider as well.  All of these combined may push you as a pastor to simply refrain from including anything about the election or the candidates in your sermon on Sunday.  But it is in fact vitally important for you as a pastor to speak up during the election and to be a voice for biblical truth and morality.

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.  But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” (Prov. 29:2).  This verse means that elections have consequences that matter for people.  And in our republican system of government, the consequences flow directly from the people we select to lead us.  Perhaps more than any other time in the history of nations, the consequences of leadership fall directly on the American people.  If we select unrighteous rulers, then we alone bear the responsibility for the consequences (the “groaning”) that will follow.

We have seen the consequences in the past of selecting leaders who fail to uphold biblical morality and truth.  And we continue to see those consequences today.  That’s why we want to connect you to resources to help you understand the issues and your right as a pastor to stand for biblical truth during the election.

If you are concerned about what your legal rights are, please download our guidelines for pastors and churches that will help you clarify what is legally allowed.  The bottom line, though, is that no pastor or church should ever fear the IRS when they stand for biblical truth.

If you want to understand the various attacks to religious freedom and the church, watch this video entitled “Legal Threats Facing the Church” The video outlines a mere fraction of what we see happening today that threatens the Church and religious freedom.

If you need guidance about the issues in this election, Dr. Wayne Grudem, a respected theologian, and author of “Politics According to the Bible” provides clear cut biblically based details for the positions of both parties. Use this resource as a guide for applying biblical truth to the issues confronting our nation today.

Dr. Jim Garlow, Pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego, has a timely and urgent message for pastors in the video “The Call to Stand.” This video, produced in part by the Family Resource Council, encourages pastors that the time to stand boldly for biblical issues is now.

Overall, our desire is that you, as a pastor, be equipped, encouraged, and emboldened to stand as a voice for biblical truth during this election.  Pastor, you are needed now more than ever.  It’s time to speak up.

Speaking out on political and social issues requires special courage for pastors, many of whom walk a tightrope entwined of strands both practical and theological.

Persecution of churches is a subtle but very real – and growing – threat around the U.S. today. Pastors and church leaders who speak out boldly can suddenly find themselves facing new tax laws, zoning challenges, and even graffiti and vandalism from groups opposed to what a church teaches. American Christians long immunized from such aggressive opposition are often loath to see persecution as a privilege (Acts 5:41).

Nor is all the opposition external. Many pastors are understandably concerned that making strong, declarative statements about political candidates and/or politicized issues will alienate significant persons in or percentages of their congregation. The price for that kind of alienation may be measured in anything from tithe checks withheld to memberships dropped.

And yet: speaking out on the character of our leaders and the issues of our time is a clear mandate of Scripture, modeled throughout the Bible by prophets like Nathan and Jeremiah and preachers like Stephen and John the Baptist – not to mention Jesus Himself, who answered questions on still-hot topics like the meaning of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6), taxes (Matthew 22:21), and the character of public officials (Mark 8:15, Luke 13:32).

Clearly, those vested with the responsibilities of church leadership are expected to speak truth to – and about – power, whether that power is represented by political authority or other Christians en masse.

One of the most fascinating explorations of what it means to confront ungodly political leadership is detailed in the adventures of Elijah, in the book of 1 Kings, as he duels for the soul of Israel with weak-souled, selfish King Ahab and his implacably evil queen, Jezebel.

Both in one-on-one encounters (17:1, 18:8, 21:20) and before all the people (18:20ff.), Elijah bluntly confronted the monarch with his sins. But the prophet also offered Ahab messages of hope (18:41), and even looked out for his personal safety and welfare (18:44). His actions are reminiscent of those of then-still-private-citizen David toward King Saul, as recorded in 1 Samuel, and of Paul toward Felix and Agrippa (Acts 26).

The Bible never prompts us to mock our leaders, hate our leaders, or pray for their destruction – indeed, we are directed to treat all those in authority with unswerving respect (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:17). But the Bible also teaches that the highest respect we can give to anyone – government official or fellow church member – is to speak the truth to that person, in love (Ephesians 4:15).  Jesus declared Himself the ultimate embodiment of truth (John 14:6), so to speak truth is, quite literally, to speak – to reveal – Christ to the one we address.  Indeed, it’s impossible to give a faithful witness to anyone, whatever their station of life, unless we are willing to tell them the truth.

As spiritual leaders, pastors face an extraordinary and unique responsibility in this critical season, as Christians join their neighbors and strangers in communities coast to coast in making the choices of the ballot box, deciding not only candidates for national, state, and local offices, but political questions with enduring import for our country. Our prayers are with every conscientious pastor who braves the dangers of the pulpit and the public square …

… working to speak the truth of Christ not in vague generalities, from the safety of charming ecclesiastical clichés, but in firm, clear, straightforward, biblically-grounded specifics that take an unwavering stand on even the most divisive issues of our day.

May God give each of His servants, coast to coast, the courage and wisdom to discern His truth, communicate it in love, and accomplish His purpose for the people of America.