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Jon Avery is the pastor of Living Water Community Church in Oakland.
In the town of Oakland, faith is more than just a word — I believe it’s what has breathed life into this community. It means being able to worship without fear, and it means serving others because we are called to by God, not because we’re told to by our government. As the pastor of Living Water, I’ve seen firsthand how God has used faithful communities like ours to strengthen the fabric of rural life through steady, humble service.
The church isn’t here to chase headlines. We are here to care for the lonely, the lost, and the elderly. We host food drives, we volunteer our labor, we offer comfort in times of loss, we provide for those in need — the list goes on. Our doors are open to anyone looking for a new start: families and individuals who have fled hardship, who have been broken and left behind, who have been misunderstood, who have been burdened by shame and sin.
In all of this, we’ve never asked for government permission. We’ve simply followed our faith. We’ve simply followed our Lord Jesus Christ, who offers healing and redemption to all who seek Him.
This is why I’m so troubled by recent efforts in Congress that threaten to bring politics between our government and the Church by restricting our ability to live out our faith.
Several legislative proposals under consideration sound harmless, even helpful, on the surface. They claim to protect democracy and prevent misuse of charitable funds. This is a noble claim, but when read closely, you’ll find language that would give unelected federal officials an alarming new power to decide which religious voices are acceptable and which are not.
These bills would allow the government to strip churches or faith-based nonprofits of their tax-exempt status, freeze donations, and even shut down outreach efforts simply because their beliefs don’t line up with those in power. That’s not how this country was built, and it’s certainly not what the First Amendment guarantees.
One particularly troubling example is the Stop Terror Financing Act (H.R. 9495), which — under the guise of national security — could give the president sweeping authority to determine what constitutes a “terrorist organization.” In the wrong hands, this could be used to target groups that simply disagree with the administration in power. It sets a dangerous precedent where political differences could be recast as threats, and it opens the door for religious institutions to be unfairly scrutinized, punished, or even shut down based on ideological bias. Our leaders in Washington must resist this kind of overreach.
Our Constitution affirms that every American — not just the powerful and the popular — has the right to worship freely and speak openly. That right doesn’t disappear when a church speaks out on moral or social issues. If anything, that’s when it matters most. To operate faithfully, in full submission to God, the church must stand on timeless truths.
Thankfully, the IRS recently reaffirmed that principle in a meaningful way. Earlier this month, the agency clarified its position on the Johnson Amendment, the rule that has long restricted political speech in churches. In a new court filing, the IRS said that religious leaders may speak on political candidates to their congregations through the normal means of communication.
I believe this shift recognizes something many of us have always known: that “separation of church and state” is designed to protect houses of worship from the government, not the other way around. I think the Trump administration deserves credit for helping provide clarity here. By removing the threat of punishment for faith-based speech, they are honoring the principle that churches should not be policed by politics. However, while the IRS is moving in the right direction, some in Congress are moving the opposite way.
If Washington is serious about protecting our ability to worship, it should start by protecting religious institutions from vague and punitive government overreach, not expanding it. Churches and nonprofits should not live under constant fear that a sermon, a statement of belief, or a charitable act could bring federal scrutiny.
Our church’s mission, to love God and love thy neighbor, isn’t dictated by what’s popular or politically correct. It’s grounded in something much older and deeper. When we speak out against injustice and stand up for the truth, we do so because scripture compels us to, once again in the name of love and justice. These are not political gestures. They are acts of faith.
Congress should take note of the example set by the IRS and ensure that religious leaders can speak freely and serve faithfully without fear of retribution. We don’t need new restrictions dressed up as reforms. We need a renewed commitment to the freedoms that allow churches to be churches — not targets of culture wars, but servants of the people.
At the end of the day, our doors are open to anyone in need of hope, healing, and help. Not because the government allows it, but because God calls us to it.
