Pastors to Run for Political Office as Election Season Looms

A month ago, I appealed for pastors to commit to pray for 30-45 days, in order to discern if the Lord is calling them to run for city council, county commissioner, school board, mayor or congress in 2016. By simple arithmetic, if the Lord called 1,000 pastors to run in 2016 and if they averaged 300 volunteers per campaign, then that would mean 300,000 ground-level evangelicals working within their local precincts. When my own pastor, Rob McCoy, ran for office this fall, he saw 625 volunteers join in his campaign. A similar grassroots evangelical movement—from coast-to-coast—would change America for good.

Why? Because “politicians will save America”?

No, let’s just go ahead and remove that objection upfront. Nobody I know is under the illusion that politicians are going to save America. The Christian recognizes that “there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but victory is of the Lord” (Prov. 21:30-31). Or as Bible scholar Michael Fox wrote: “Human wisdom counts for naught in God’s eye. Because of this, strategists and armaments will be ineffectual unless God provides the victory. Nevertheless, one should not be passive but should take counsel and make preparations for war.”

When Absalom, the son of King David, revolted and caused an insurrection against his father, David quickly began to muster and marshal his troops. A.W. Pink, in his classic, The Life of David, wrote: “Yet let it be duly noted that strong faith did not produce either sloth or carelessness. David acted with diligence and wisdom: marshaling his forces, putting them in good order, dividing them to best advantage and placing them under the command of his most experienced generals.” Though King David knew that God would be with him in battle, he also knew that God expected a King to prepare the soldiers for the battle.

Absalom was 29 years old when he was killed during this failed insurrection. Therefore, Solomon, his step-brother some nine years younger, had firsthand experience in the muster and marshaling of forces. As a result, it was Solomon who wrote, “A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and casts down the strength of its confidence” (Prov. 21:22). Solomon also testified,”Wisdom is better than strength; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard,” and “Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but only one sinner can destroy much that is good” (Eccl. 9:16, 18).

If we advance spiritual men and women into the public square-people who know wisdom, then we improve America’s chances for remaining free. We trust in the Lord and we marshal the army. Or as John Quincy Adams said, “Duty is ours; results are God’s.”

Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.” Godly wisdom has inestimable superiority to military might and gold. A key to sustaining freedom is the launching of spiritual men and women from behind the pulpit and four walls of the church … right on into City Hall.

“Freedom can no more take a holiday from history than from gravity, and the plain fact is that it is harder to be free than to not be free, for freedom’s fire has not only to be lit once but must be kindled and rekindled all over again in each succeeding generation.” —Os Guinness, A Free People’s Suicide

If you feel called, then we hope to see you in Baton Rouge on Jan. 23, 2015. The Friday Pastors’ Briefing will be called “Issachar Training The Men and Women of Issachar.”