Should churches speak out on what’s happening in the news? If so, how often? And who decides? These questions have been around for a while and they were evident in a recent piece from John Pavovlitz.
Well, actually, Mr. Pavovlitz already answered those questions. So much so that he assumes the answers to those questions and harshly judges any Christian or church which might still be wrestling with them. This is all evident in his March 1, 2025, Substack newsletter post titled “If Your Church Doesn’t Mention Ukraine This Sunday, You May Need to Leave.”
Before we get to his piece, here’s a little about the man: John Pavovlitz is an author, social media influencer, and former youth pastor. He approaches Christianity from a liberal or progressive perspective. If you want to know what means, see my article “Are You a Conservative, Liberal, or Progressive Christian?”
Pavovlitz is a passionate, frequent critic of Donald Trump and all those who support him. Indeed, he has called for severing ties with Trump supporters. I don’t believe such an approach is consistent with the Bible’s calls for humility, Jesus’ command to love your neighbor (and even your enemies), or the Golden Rule. I strongly oppose ending family relationships and friendships over political differences. But…
For now, let’s focus on Pavovlitz’s contention that churches should speak up for Ukraine and denounce President Trump – and those who don’t are unworthy of your attendance or fellowship. I encourage you to read all of Pavovlitz’s article and then come back and read my response.
For what it’s worth, I agree with Mr. Pavovlitz that when it comes to the Russia- Ukraine War, Russia is the aggressor, and Ukraine is the victim. I agree that Trump’s treatment of Zelenskyy in the Oval Office was disappointing. And I said so here and here. Since this war began, our church has prayed for Ukraine, and one of our members even went on an OBC-supported missions trip to Ukraine to offer aid and comfort to those suffering.
I also agree with Mr. Pavovlitz and others who say that churches should show “moral courage” and stand for truth. While Mr. Pavovlitz and I probably differ on some of the issues that qualify as such, let me say that I agree with him that churches should speak against hate, racism, and bigotry in all forms.
Had Mr. Pavovlitz made an appeal for churches across America to pray fervently for reconciliation between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy and for a peaceful and just end to the Russia-Ukraine War, I would have said “Amen.” I probably would’ve shared his article with my strong support.
That’s not what he did.
Instead, Mr. Pavovlitz says the following…
Every pastor, priest, and minister should be standing before their various communities this weekend and specifically naming the clear threat issued to the people of Ukraine and of Gaza and of Canada and Mexico…
They should be explicitly condemning these violations against humanity and calling their communities to do the same.
They should be directly confronting the privilege they have benefitted from and participated in.
They should be specifically naming the stoking of prejudice-born violence and the abuse of power we’re seeing, as fully antithetical to the heart of their faith tradition.
And if they don’t do this, then it’s because “of cowardice, self-preservation—or worse yet, agreement with our warmonger leadership.”
What!?
So, if I don’t see the world exactly as you do, Mr. Pavovlitz, and I don’t speak up accordingly, then…I’m a coward, or I’m evil!? Is that it?
To be clear, I’m praying for peace. I want the Russia- Ukraine War to come to an end. I want the Israel-Hamas-Gaza conflict to come to an end. I want peace. I pray for peace. I have encouraged others (including those in the church I serve) to pray for peace. But that doesn’t seem to be enough for Mr. Pavovlitz.
I’ve also preached and written (countless times) against racism, hate, and bigotry.
Yes, periodically, our church has addressed current events — most commonly via prayer. We’ve taken time in our services to pray for Ukraine, to pray for the people caught up in the Israel-Gaza-Hamas conflict, to pray for our federal workers, to pray for the victims of natural disasters (floods, fires, etc.), to pray for victims of mass shootings, to pray for our leaders, to pray for our first responders, and on and on. And we will continue to do these things.
But this doesn’t mean that every single Sunday needs to be devoted to current events!
And when our church fails to (from Mr. Pavovlitz’s point of view) adequately pray for a particular development in the news or when I (as the pastor) don’t focus on said item in my sermon, that doesn’t mean we’re being cowardly, negligent, or complicit with evil!
I realize that people like Mr. Pavovlitz are fixated on what’s happening in the news. But what’s happening in the lives of the people in the church I serve is also important. What’s happening in the church family I’m honored to serve and be a part of is my primary focus, not what’s being talked about on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, or Mr. Pavovlitz’s Substack.
Churches are not political commentary platforms. They are places of worship, discipleship, and spiritual growth. If we start measuring a church’s faithfulness based on how well it tracks the headlines, we shift the focus from God’s eternal truth to the urgency of the moment.
And urgency is a dangerous standard—what is urgent today will be replaced by another crisis tomorrow.
Not only that, but one of the most glaring inconsistencies in Pavlovitz’s argument is the selective application of this standard. Many of the same voices who demand churches address issues like Ukraine or Gaza will criticize churches for speaking against abortion or for defending traditional Christian teachings on marriage and gender.
The truth is, though, at Olney Baptist Church, I try to keep the pulpit as non-partisan as possible. And I try to limit the number of times politics is talked about in our church. I don’t want our church known as a Republican church or Democrat church. I want us to be known by the Lamb — not the donkey or elephant!
A church’s credibility should not be measured by whether it aligns with the political concerns of a particular group. Shame on anyone who says otherwise.
Jesus didn’t preach against every injustice happening in His time. Instead, He focused on the heart, the Kingdom of God, and the eternal truth that transforms lives.
To insist that pastors must speak about a specific issue on demand is to replace the leading of the Holy Spirit with the expectations of social commentators.
The true measure of a church’s faithfulness is not how often it aligns with public outrage but how consistently it magnifies Christ and follows the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for Reading!
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