IRS Ruling Allows For “Massive” Church GOTV Effort, Kinloch’s Campaign Says

July 10, 2025

Triumph Church pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. , who is running for mayor, is strategizing how to leverage a recent IRS rule change that now allows pastors to campaign for candidates from the pulpit.

Who is affected

Church congregations, particularly at Triumph Church
Voters who attend churches
Political candidates like Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr.
Other pastors and religious leaders
Religious organizations and churches with tax-exempt status
Special interest groups like Right to Life Michigan
Church members who attend services regularly

What action is being taken

Kinloch's campaign is actively brainstorming ideas to leverage the new IRS rule
Church members at Triumph Church are wearing "Kinloch for Mayor" t-shirts
Kinloch is currently maintaining a balance by keeping direct campaign mentions out of services
The IRS is implementing a change to allow political activity from church pulpits
Political strategists are analyzing how this change will affect campaign strategies

Why it matters

The rule change eliminates a longstanding restriction (Johnson Amendment) that prevented tax-exempt organizations from political campaigning
Churches can now become more direct centers of political influence and organization
Pastors can now explicitly endorse candidates from the pulpit without risking tax-exempt status
The change could significantly impact get-out-the-vote efforts and candidate visibility
Churches with large congregations could become powerful political organizing platforms
Political messaging could potentially affect religious services and church attendance

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle