A liberal Lutheran pastor and activist in Wisconsin resigned after his bishop told him endorsing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for president in a Sunday sermon would violate denominational guidelines.
Former Pastor Jonathan Barker resigned from Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha and shed his credentials as a minister in the progressive Mainline Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, according to a letter from Bishop Paul D. Erickson of the Greater Milwaukee Synod.
Erickson said he learned last Wednesday that Barker, 41, was planning to preach a sermon endorsing Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the informal far-left faction in the U.S. House of Representatives known as the Squad. Ocasio-Cortez has not announced a run for president in 2028, but is now 35 and eligible to run for the White House.
Barker cited the recent declaration by the IRS under the Trump administration that it would not enforce the Johnson Amendment on pastors who endorse political candidates. This longstanding restriction puts the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status of churches and nonprofits at risk if they endorse political candidates or engage in political campaigns.
Critics have argued that the law infringes on the First Amendment rights of religious leaders and ministries to speak out about what’s taking place politically in society. Supporters of the restriction see it as a necessary measure to keep church and state matters separate.
The bishop called Barker last Wednesday to discourage him from making the endorsement, saying that the Johnson Amendment, passed in 1954, is still the law of the land even if it isn’t being enforced. Erickson said the U.S. Justice Department’s declaration made in a legal filing last month is non-binding and the government’s position could be revoked under a different administration.
Additionally, Erickson stressed that the denomination has adopted a “Social Statement on Faith and Civic Life” that expresses support for the Johnson Amendment and “discourages rostered ministers and congregations from making political endorsements.”
“The statement also acknowledges that the Johnson Amendment does not prohibit issue advocacy, and the ELCA and the Greater Milwaukee Synod has and will continue to advocate for justice and peace,” Erickson said. “Grace Lutheran Church, like most ELCA congregations and ministries, receives its tax-exempt status by being part of a group ruling from the IRS. Engaging in partisan political activity could jeopardize not only Grace Lutheran Church’s standing but the standing of all congregations and ministries included in the group ruling.”
At the conclusion of their call last Wednesday, Barker told Erickson that he would pray about his request not to make an endorsement. Erickson said that Barker called him the next day to resign from the church and the ELCA roster of ministers.
“This resignation takes effect immediately, meaning that he is no longer considered a pastor in this church,” Erickson said. “I ask you to hold Jonathan and his family in prayer as he discerns how best to fulfill his baptismal calling in this world.”
Barker told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that his endorsement would have stood as a contrast to what he believes will be thousands of conservative pastors endorsing Republicans in the 2026 midterms following the IRS’ declaration in the legal brief.
“It’s really like a war for Christianity,” Barker was quoted as saying. “The soul of Christianity is at stake in this moment.”
As a social activist, Barker has a history of advocating for progressive-leaning policy issues he finds important, such as climate change, universal health insurance and raising the minimum wage. The newspaper notes that he was arrested during a Trump campaign rally in Waukesha, while wearing a bright green shirt that stated “Jesus Would Demand a Green New Deal,” a reference to the policy framework sponsored by Ocasio-Cortez. He is also the author of the 2020 book Jesus Would Demand a Green New Deal: The Story of Why One Christian Pastor Went On a 12 Day Fast for the Green New Deal.
Barker was arrested and cited for disorderly conduct in August 2023 after he super-glued his feet to the pavement near a parking garage in Milwaukee on the day of the Republican primary debate, preventing drivers from exiting and entering the garage, according to arrest records.
Other progressive pastors have voiced their support for relaxing the enforcement of the Johnson Amendment. Doug Pagitt, a Minnesota pastor and executive director of the progressive Evangelical grassroots organization Vote Common Good, said last month that the IRS’ decision “levels a playing field that has been lopsided for decades.”
“For too long, Republican politicians and their allies have spoken freely from pulpits, while too many Democrats and faith leaders held back, worried they would cross an invisible line. This decision removes that roadblock,” he wrote in a statement to The Christian Post.
“We view this as a significant opportunity for Democrats to engage faith voters en masse. With 80 percent of Christian voters open to voting for a Democrat, this change opens the door for more honest, values-based conversations in faith communities across the country.”
Tony Perkins, president of the national Christian conservative advocacy organization Family Research Council, called the IRS’ move “a long time in coming.”
“After years of education, agitation, and the efforts of many, churches will now be unshackled from the Johnson Amendment — free to speak biblically on cultural issues and candidates without fear of the IRS,” stated Perkins on social media.
Kelly Shackelford, the president and chief counsel for the conservative legal group First Liberty Institute, said the Johnson Amendment has been weaponized “to silence churches and pastors for decades.”
