Should Preachers Be Politicians?

Written by Steven J. Smith

"Nor can the preacher more than any other citizen plead his religious work or the sacredness of that work as an exemption from duty. Going to the Bible to learn the relation of the pulpit to politics, and accepting the prophets, Christ, and the apostles and the pulpit of their times, and their precepts and examples as the guide of the pulpit today." (From sermon preached by Rev. James Poindexter - Pastor - Second Baptist Church, Columbus, Ohio in the year of 1885, as he spoke to the Pastors' Union of Columbus)

Throughout history pastors have been involved in the political process of governance at the local, state, national and even international level. They have held both elected and appointed governmental positions. Even with the long history of the pastor politician the debate still remains as whether the two roles are morally and ethically compatible.

Some of the famous ministers who have held, ran for or currently hold governmental offices include Andrew Young, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter and mayor of Atlanta, GA. Ambassador Young is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and disciple of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ministers as congressmen include Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. from Harlem New York, who was pastor of the Abyssinia Baptist Church. Rev. William Gray, Jr. from Philadelphia, pastor of Bright Hope Baptist Church, rose to be the powerful House Majority Whip and was also Chairman of the influential House Budget Committee. Other congressmen include Rev. Floyd Flake, N.Y., Rev. Walter Fauntroy, District of Columbia, and currently Rev. Bobby Rush, Chicago.

We all remember the presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 of Rev. Jesse Jackson and more recently the presidential candidancies of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and PTL host Pat Robertson. Here in Illinois Rev. James Meeks is an Illinois State Sentator and pastor of the mega church Salem Baptist Church. He along with many others around the country have held or are currently holding positions in government. Many are very influential policy makers that shape and dictate laws that effect our lives on a daily basis. State Sentator Meeks currently has legislation pending that will eliminate the local school councils in Chicago and offer vouchers to parents of students in low performing schools. The parents can take the vouchers and use them to pay tuition at private schools based on Meeks proposal.

Are these pastor politicians following in the Biblical footsteps of Moses, Joshua and David who held these dual positions?

In Ohio in 1885 Rev. James Poindexter was ending his career as a public servant (Columbus City Councilman, Columbus Board of Education President, Ohio Forestry Board Member) and pastor when he stated "the conclusion will be that wherever that is a sin to be rebuked, no matter by whom committed, and ill to be averted or good to be achieved by our country or mankind, there is a place for the pulpit to make itself felt and heard. The truth is, all the help the preachers and all other good and worthy citzens can give by taking hold of politics is needed in order to keep the government out of bad hands and secure the ends for which governments are formed."

Rev. Poindexter's on the mark preachers and all other concerned citizens should work to make government better for the people.