Here are four reasons why I believe that churches should not align themselves (as organizations) with political parties, campaign for political candidates from the pulpit, or become involved in a culture war:

1. Such positions do not align themselves with the Church's mission. The Great Commission, Jesus' instruction to his disciples to spread his teachings, provides our marching orders as evangelical churches, and nowhere does it mention a mission to influence the culture or support particular political positions. The Great Commission is not just the primary mission. It is the only mission. Certainly, cultural influence may result as a byproduct of carrying out the mission. But that's just it. It is a byproduct.

2. Whenever the churches organize for one party and against others, whenever they organize themselves for a culture war, they also organize themselves against many of the very people we were sent to rescue.

This is related to the first reason, but is important to point out since our political stances as organizations place not just individual Christians, but the entire body of Christians at further odds with some people who are already set against the truth of the Gospel. Why would we want to further complicate the distance between us and the lost world? Still, this is what we have done since we decided that our mission was to promote political candidates and fight a "war" against human beings.