Sermon Central
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The Supreme Court Fight And Your Church: What To Say In This Divided Time
By Ed Stetzer on Oct 11, 2024
This weekend, the United States Senate is scheduled to vote to confirm President Trump’s nomination of Judge Kavanaugh...As a pastor, how should you respond?
About half the country thinks that a grave injustice is about to happen. Outrage is everywhere.
This weekend, the United States Senate is scheduled to vote to confirm President Trump’s
nomination of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Regardless of what part of the country
you live in, you are likely to face a mixed reaction from your people this weekend. Get ready for
another weekend of outrage.
Over the last few weeks, many of your church members have developed strong feelings, one way
or another. Some are hurting because they have been assaulted. Some are upset because they
believe an injustice has been perpetrated against the nominee. As a pastor, how should you
respond?
At a time when the dam continues to break on decades of sexual assault and harassment allegations,
the political import of the nomination has taken an already challenging issue and supercharged it with
tribalism. The result is that many church leaders are unsure how to respond. Yet this is precisely the
time when pastors and ministry leaders need to stand with courage in leading their people.
The question is:
- Where should we lead them? How should we respond? Or, for that matter, should we say anything at all?
Scrolling through social media, I see a nation and church divided. Do we speak out on issues
such as the accusations against Judge Kavanaugh? Do we defend his primary accuser, Professor
Ford?
Or do we simply keep silent?
How do we spiritually lead our people in a culture charged by polarization and discipled more by
diet of cable news and social media than the scriptures?
Let me share just a few considerations for pastors navigating this issue.
First, you don’t have to say anything, and that may be the right decision in some contexts.
We live in a time when leaders who don’t instantly respond to current events on social media are
accused of hiding or ignoring the issue. There is a perception that we have to speak into
everything. The truth is, we just don’t.
You are not a senator. You are a pastor. Your calling is to lead your congregation, not to
comment on the news. Don’t demean the importance of the former in favor of an impulse
towards the latter.
What you say about this issue, one way or another, simply will not make that much of a
difference. However, it may make a difference in your ministry if you are not careful with your
words.
In the cases where you believe it might be necessary to comment, don’t buy into the public
pressure for immediate reaction. Stop and make sure you understand the situation, and be careful
with your words. So often things are unclear when news is emerging and we should be cautious
of speaking in absolutes. We don’t know all the facts. We didn’t read the FBI report, and we
didn’t even read a summary of the report, and neither did your people. Often, we are less
knowledgeable about facts than we are willing to admit, so be careful in what you say.
A deliberate word spoken in due time is infinitely better than a hasty word spoken simply to have
the appearance of cultural engagement. At the same time, be careful of those who use the excuse
of “getting all the facts” to disparage or discredit those who come forward with accusations of
sexual assault or harassment.
In all such situations, we must hold in tension the accusations and the presumption of innocence
as simultaneously legitimate.
Conversely, silence is never an option when accusations or incidents occur in your church. When
pastors remain silent in response to the needs of their own people, they are abdicating their
obligation to shepherd God’s people with wisdom and courage.
They are, as Jesus describes, hired hands who desert the sheep at the first sign of trouble. And, if
the message your church gets from your comments this Sunday is that you will mock or dismiss
accusations of assault, that will drown out the message of hope that we all want to bring.
Second, remember that we tend to defend those we support.
If you follow me on social media or know me in person, you know that I tend to be politically
conservative. I supported Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination--in writing--because I think a
conservative Supreme Court is better for the country. The Atlantic magazine even quoted my
words and support, so it’s been clear where I’ve stood in regard to his nomination.
But we must always remember how these political biases can shape our reactions, sometimes in
ways that subvert our witness and leadership. Right or left, if your immediate reaction is
to overlook accusations against politicians you support or to revel in accusations against those
you oppose, you need to consider how political tribalism is shaping your worldview.
Put another way: I do, indeed, have an opinion here. But, more important than my opinion in this
situation is my responsibility to my congregation. Scripture tells us that pastors will be called to
account to God for how they have led, protected, and sacrificed for their people (Heb. 13:17).
Being a pastor is a high calling, one that demands sacrifice in the name of Christ for the
provision of his people. As a pastor you must remember that you owe no obligation to a political
party, politician, or policy; you owe it to Christ and he has charged you to feed his sheep (Jn.
21:17). My community comes before my opinion if I am truly a Christian leader.
We must remember that our (and my) impulse to look past the criticisms or faults of our allies
can provoke rather than solve difficulties. We’ve seen in the church with the recent example of
Willow Creek Community Church, where the failure of leadership to respond effectively to
accusations against Bill Hybels caused untold damage. The elders later confessed—all
resigning—because their impulse to defend overshadowed their need to hear someone from
outside.
So recognize that you have biases, assess how they have and continue to shape your thinking,
and develop relationships that can help you engage these blind spots. We need to develop
relationships with believers of different communities and politics and then listen first instead of
jumping to conclusions. When we do not, our defenses or indictments of public figures are far
more likely to be based on our own personal biases.
And, then decide how (and if) you need to respond, considering that impact on your
congregation, your community, and your family.
Third, know that women—and men—in your church are listening and watching how you
react.
Pastors are in uncharted territory as we respond to accusations of sexual impropriety both in and
out of the church. So much of this is good as sin that had been covered and ignored for so long is
brought to light.
Yet that the persistent cloud of confusion around how to receive and weigh allegations reveals
that no matter how much we may want it, no simplistic answer is going to solve the problem.
Those in your church are looking to you to see how to respond to the news. Sadly, too many are
intimately familiar with sexual assault and with how little is done to support those who have
been victimized. Many are familiar with how victims are questioned and not believed.
This cannot be the case for us as believers. Whether with the accusations against Judge
Kavanaugh or in any other case, the allegations must always be heard and taken seriously. That’s
just common sense. And, you can (and should) say that if you are going to speak.
This does not mean that allegations are simply accepted as true, but it does mean they are taken
seriously. The accusations need to be heard and considered.
And a quick note on jokes related to issues of sexual abuse, harassment, and the investigation of
such: they are NEVER appropriate. In the past few weeks I’ve seen too many as I scroll through
my social media channels. People are taking these very serious subjects too lightly, and it’s time
to stop. Can you imagine Jesus laughing off a sexual assault victim? I can’t.
Even if you don’t take part in these jokes, it’s important to ask yourself if your silence is helping.
You don’t need to get all the facts to know that these jokes are foolish and hurtful to those who
have survived sexual assault. Pastors: understand that allowing these jokes to go unchallenged
stains your integrity as a leader, regardless of whether others are around to see.
Finally, dig deeper for your sake—and the sake of others.
If you haven’t yet done so, check out all the posts related to #whyIdidntreport on Twitter. The
stories are real and heartbreaking, and they are just the tip of the iceberg. There are still countless
numbers of people in (and out of) the church who haven’t reported.
When those burdened with this hidden hurt and shame read how people are responding to the
allegations against Kavanaugh with jokes and insults, it further solidifies their belief that they
can’t share their own stories and that they can’t have the healing and restoration that the gospel
offers and that we profess to preach.
This is horrifying to me, and it should be to you, too. If one member in any of our churches has a
story they cannot feel safe sharing, we have failed as leaders.
If your words this weekend, or your comments on social media, cause people to be less confident
to come to you in an assault crisis, then your words will have added to the pain of
others—regardless of what Judge Kavanaugh did or did not do.
In the case of Kavanaugh and others, due process should always occur. And, in the church,
during that time of due process, both the accused and the accuser should be ministered to by the
church.
We need to follow that due process now and always. No one should have his or her name raked
through the mud. This goes for pastors as well. There should be a process. If someone brings an
accusation, we must take this accusation seriously, but make sure to hear all sides. By doing so,
we help ensure due process.
So dig deep. Be patient. Learn. Pray. And ask God to give you an impartial heart that allows you
to lead well and care for your flock. Only then will we model Christ to our world, and to those
under our care.
Your flock needs you. Remember their souls are entrusted to your spiritual oversight and care.
Don’t disappoint them with casual and flippant comments that undermine their trust in you and
the church. The gospel itself is divisive; don’t allow your politics to muddy the waters.
If you are interested, I talk more about engaging difficult topics well in my new book, Christians in the
Age of Outrage. Or, you can download our free resource, Ten Steps to Engaging Controversial Subjects.
Ed Stetzer holds the Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton
College, serves as Dean of the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership at Wheaton College, is
executive director of the Billy Graham Center, and publishes church leadership resources through Mission
