This week the IRS issued a Joint Motion for Entry of Consent Judgment. The National Religious Broadcasters, Intercessors for America, and a couple churches had sued the IRS over the Johnson Amendment, and this was the settlement offered to the court. It basically stated that the IRS will not apply the Johnson Amendment to Churches.
In this video, we explain what the Johnson Amendment is (an amendment to the 501(c)3 section of the tax code) and look at what the joint motion actually says.
Ultimately, this should not change anything we do or say, because we should always be speaking the truth and doing what is right. The IRS is simply stating that they recognize this and that a pastor speaking to his congregation is similar to a family conversation. Therefore, he can safely instruct them on political issues and candidates. The document also states that applying the Johnson Amendment to churches would violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
