Tuesday Jan 20, 2026

66: Divine Endorsements? Churches & the Johnson Amendment - w Todd McFarland & Orlan Johnson

The saga continues over the fate of the so-called Johnson Amendment—a provision in the U.S. tax code that prohibits tax-exempt houses of worship from endorsing political candidates. What would greater political involvement mean for American churches, and what are the potential benefits and risks? And why has the Seventh-day Adventist Church historically taken a somewhat different approach than many other Protestant denominations in the United States?

This episode was recorded Nov 25, 2025.

Explore More

Article | "Divine Endorsements," Liberty magazine (September-October 2025) https://www.libertymagazine.org//article/divine-endorsements
 
Article | "Preaching Politics," Liberty magazine (January-February 2025) https://www.libertymagazine.org//article/preaching-politics 

Article | "The Johnson Amendment and the First Amendment--A No-Nonsense Protection" (January-February 2018) https://www.libertymagazine.org//article/the-johnson-amendment-and-the-first-amendment-a-no-nonsense-protection 

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Guests:

  • Todd McFarland, General Counsel, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
  • Orlan Johnson, Director, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, Seventh-day Adventistst Church in North America

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