Prevailing Political Climate’s Influence on Practical Ministry
Politics continues to affect practical ministry and evangelism efforts in many ways. Church members ascribe to various political persuasions, and some more vocal members may often seek to sway the faithful along their lines of thought. The American political system is comprised of two dominant political parties: the Democrats and the Republicans.
Historical records and assertions suggest that Democrats tend to rely more on science and evidence during their administrations. On the other hand, Republicans emphasize religion and its impact on society. Such differences often have a significant impact on practical ministry during the reign of the political parties.
Following the presidential elections of 2016, President Donald Trump sought the counsel of many Church leaders, especially evangelicals, concerning the intention to restore America to its former glory. Thus, Church members became more interested in political matters and policies to legislatively enforce morality than in visiting with the people, even in door-to-door campaigns. Hence, during the Republican rule, Churches primarily embarked on working with the state to ‘restrain evil and promote good’ (Stroope et al., 2021). Due to such open collaborations between the Church and state, there are fewer rebukes of leaders’ excesses, waywardness, and corrupt tendencies, as seen in biblical accounts like those of the ministries of John the Baptist and Elijah.
On the other hand, there seems to be much more effort aimed at preaching to the masses directly when the ‘non-religious’ Democrats assume office. There are more calls from pulpits and streets on issues that affect society, urging people to influence their personal decisions rather than relying on government policies to dictate their actions. Furthermore, politicians often come from diverse religious backgrounds. During their campaigns, they seek the approval of Church congregants by making donations and spearheading Church projects to influence voting patterns (Murat, 2019). Such actions during campaign periods and political party differences significantly impact practical ministry time.
International conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, often provoke the Church into missionary work abroad to spread the gospel and alleviate suffering in affected regions. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the government’s influence on Church activities. Many Churches closed at the height of the infection due to lockdowns, even as attendance became meager in pursuit of compliance with COVID regulations. The laws on public gatherings severely affected practical ministry. Furthermore, the issue of mandatory vaccinations saw many preachers steer away from talk of religious liberty and personal freedoms, which are critical tenets in Christianity during ministry, for fear of retribution.
Understanding of Practical Ministry
Jesus Christ outlines the goal of practical ministry in the Great Commission, found in Mathew 28:19-20, where He instructs His followers to go to every part of the nation and the world to make converts to Christianity. Practical ministry involves evangelical/ preaching/ Bible study efforts to bring more into the belief (Ksiazkiewicz & Friesen, 2021). It is a work given to the Church and aided by the Holy Spirit as Christ promised during His ascension. Hence, there should be fewer efforts to use government agencies to influence people, as such would inevitably lead to coercion and not peaceful evangelism. Christ said to give Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s, implying a separation of roles between the Church and state.
Practical ministry involves visiting with the sick, prisoners, and afflicted during their times of need, as espoused in Scripture. James 1:27 speaks of a spotless religion. He recognizes that faith involves visiting the fatherless and the widows in their troubles and keeping oneself free from the world’s corruptions. As such, practical ministry should derive its influence from the Bible, rather than from political leanings, as is currently the case.
References
Ksiazkiewicz, A., & Friesen, A. (2021). The higher power of religiosity over personality on political ideology. Political Behavior, 43(2), 637–661.
Murat, U. (2019). From politics to the pews: How partisanship and the political environment shape religious identity. Insight Turkey, 21(1), 239.
Stroope, S., Froese, P., Rackin, H. M., & Delehanty, J. (2021). Unchurched Christian nationalism and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Sociological Forum, 36(2), 405–425.