In an interview with CNN, a prominent pastor who heads up one of the nation's largest megachurches in suburban Atlanta warned that the Evangelical movement in the U.S. is in a "state of emergency" for multiple reasons, principal among them is the "politicization" of the church by some pastors which as led to polarization among church attendees.
Andy Stanley, author of "Not In It To Win It: Why Choosing Sides Sidelines the Church" and head of North Point Community Church in Georgia is sounding the the alarm that the evangelical movement needs to get back to its roots and leave politics outside the churchhouse door.
Speaking with CNN's John Blake, Stanley -- who wrote that he is "embarrassed" by some of his colleagues -- got right to the point by stating, "I was so frustrated as I watched, primarily evangelical leaders, politicize their church. They limited their ability to reach people because they alienated half the people in America by politicizing their church. And by politicizing, I mean they came out as saying we're Christians, and we're Republicans, and we're Republicans because we're Christians."
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Adding, "most white evangelicals are not extreme. You sell things in the extremes. You raise money in the extremes. You get elected in the extremes, but most people you can't live in the extremes unless you have one of those jobs where the only way you're going get paid is by ginning up fear," he continued, "As a pastor I'm responsible for preaching the whole counsel of God. But talking about an issue is different than aligning with a party or aligning with a candidate. Even to say: 'This is what Jesus teaches on this particular issue, this is what we should do, and that's why I'm voting for...' Nope. We should just stick with those specific issues without wholesale buying into a political party."
According to the pastor, he believes that the teachings of Jesus need to move back to the forefront, explaining, "But then I look at the life and impact of the teachings of Jesus had on Western civilization, I know it's the right approach, but it's the long game. I'm a hypocrite if I do otherwise. That's not to say there's not hypocrisy in me or I'll flinch or lose my nerve in certain moments. I'm not above that. But I don't fear that."
"Maybe it's confidence or arrogance, but I'm so convinced that if I'm not right, I'm closer to right than what I see on the far right or what I see on the far left," he concluded.
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