Across Oklahoma, a wave of political campaign materials has swept into residential mailboxes and onto television screens, showcasing candidates prominently touting their religious credentials. These election advertisements frequently depict politicians strolling through church sanctuaries or distributing literature that explicitly equates a vote for their campaign with an endorsement of core Christian principles. In response, several religious leaders across the state are expressing profound unease about the ways sacred beliefs are being leveraged to secure electoral support.
Rather than remaining silent as political candidates use religious identity as a campaign strategy, local pastors are taking to their pulpits to address the issue directly. Clergy members report growing alarm over the reduction of complex spiritual principles into simplistic partisan slogans. They argue that this trend risks distorting religious teachings and alienating congregants who see a sharp divide between campaign rhetoric and lived Christian ethics.
Among the vocal critics is the Rev. Mark Foster, senior pastor of Acts 2 United Methodist Church in Edmond. Foster has openly questioned the substance behind the political campaign materials arriving in local homes. He observed that while campaign mailers routinely proclaim that choosing a particular candidate represents a vote for Christian values, these advertisements consistently fail to define what those principles actually require in practical terms.
Foster raised foundational questions about whether these political definitions of faith encompass active assistance for the marginalized. He questioned whether the values claimed by politicians include feeding the hungry, supporting neighbors, and extending compassion to strangers and immigrants. According to Foster, political candidates too often selectively pick and choose elements of faith to suit electoral goals rather than embracing the full scope of Christian teachings.
Specifically, Foster highlighted the teachings found in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, which contains the Beatitudes. He noted that the virtues emphasized in this foundational biblical passage are rarely the ones highlighted by political candidates seeking to project piety. Instead of reflecting the humility, mercy, and peacemaking outlined in the scriptures, campaign messaging often ignores these core moral imperatives in favor of partisan posturing.
To address these concerns within his own congregation, Foster launched a dedicated sermon series titled "Separation of Church and Hate." The primary objective of this instructional effort is to help members of Acts 2 United Methodist Church develop the discernment needed to navigate the politically charged season. Foster aims to assist churchgoers in distinguishing between individuals who genuinely practice Christian values and those who merely adopt religious language to advance political ambitions.
During the inaugural message of the series on September 6, Foster delivered a pointed warning about the trajectory of political campaigning over the subsequent nine weeks leading up to the election. He told his congregation that it is both wrong and dangerous for politicians to take the Christian message of divine love and twist it into an instrument of political hostility, effectively attempting to merge Jesus with meanness.
The series at Acts 2 United Methodist Church also incorporates diverse ministerial voices to help convey this message. Following a recent presentation in the "Separation of Church and Hate" series, Foster engaged with guest speaker Julian Davis Reid to further unpack how Christians can maintain a faithful witness while resisting the divisive and hateful rhetoric that often characterizes modern political campaigns.
The efforts in Edmond are part of a wider pushback among Oklahoma faith communities confronting divisive political rhetoric and related ideologies, including Christian nationalism. Multiple churches across the region are actively seeking ways to challenge the notion that Christian faith can be co-opted as a tool for political division or used to justify exclusion and animosity toward others.
Joining this collective pastoral response is the Rev. David Wheeler, senior minister of New Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Wheeler is introducing his own thematic preaching initiative designed to engage these pressing cultural and political tensions. His sermon series is titled "Faith Was Never Supposed to be Silent: Justice is What Faith Sounds Like in Public," with its launch scheduled for Sunday, September 13.
Wheeler's series underscores the belief that genuine religious expression should not withdraw from the public square, but must instead manifest through a commitment to public justice rather than political partisanship. By framing public faith around justice, the initiative seeks to redirect the conversation away from political exploitation and toward constructive moral engagement in society.
These coordinated educational and pastoral efforts reflect a growing determination among Oklahoma ministers to defend their traditions from political co-optation. By directly challenging campaign tactics that weaponize faith to generate division, these leaders are urging their congregations to evaluate political appeals critically and remain anchored in authentic religious values.
As campaign materials continue to circulate and television broadcasts feature candidates appealing to religious sentiments, pastors like Foster and Wheeler remain focused on guiding their flocks through the political season. Their overarching message urges believers to reject political meanness and prioritize love, justice, and the compassionate treatment of neighbors over partisan allegiances.
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