Distribute voter education material, including issue-oriented voter guides with the voting records of candidates.
Hold candidate forums where all candidates are invited to speak.
Allow candidates and elected officials to speak in the church, but if the speaker speaks about the race, “equal time, equal opportunity”laws prevail.
Freely discuss issues and pending legislation.
Lobby for or against legislation and spend and an “insubstantial”amount of the churches budget (approximately five percent) on “direct”lobbying efforts.
Have individuals within the church, including the pastor, endorse candidates as private citizens –not on behalf of the church.
Work with political organizations or committees that are not part of the church (such as California Family Council and Pastors Information Resource Council).
Churches CANNOT
Endorse candidates.
Contribute church funds or services to candidates or Political Action Committees.
Contribute church funds for political events that are clearly partisan.
Allow candidates or political parties to solicit funds on church property.
Create a Political Action Committee for the purpose of distributing funds to a candidate or political party.
Distribute candidate information that clearly favors one candidate (or political party) over another.
For a more detailed list of church guidelines CLICK HERE
