By Shawn Hyland
Last night, I stood alongside Pastor Chris Durkin at Colts Neck Community Church to update the congregation on what is happening in Trenton and to encourage believers to faithfully steward their civic responsibility to vote. We opened the Word of God. We prayed. We sought wisdom.
But we all know this: if that had been a progressive church, the pulpit would not have been used for biblical teaching; you would have a Left-wing progressive political candidate who is on the ballot running a Get Out the Vote campaign event, complete with the blessing of the clergy.
As I look across the political landscape in our nation, I see progressive candidates shaped by theological frameworks that depart from historic Christian teaching. We see it in Texas. We see it in Kansas. And we see it here in New Jersey. Some use the pulpit to promote values that directly contradict the explicit teachings of Scripture.
Meanwhile, conservative candidates, many of whom hold positions far more aligned with biblical truth, are denied access, denied platforms, and denied the opportunity to speak to church congregations.
Why is it acceptable for churches to be used as venues for political and government activity only when it advances progressive priorities, but suddenly treated as dangerous, extremist, or unconstitutional when the same space is used to inform parents of their rights or support conservative civic engagement?
When Governor Mikie Sherrill (D), Senator Andy Kim (D), Senator Cory Booker (D), Congressional candidates Rebecca Bennett (D), and Rachel Peace (D) stand in church pulpits across New Jersey to rally voters, the media is silent.
When the New Jersey Attorney General, the Department of State, or Democratic legislators hold official government events inside churches, there is no outrage. No accusations of pushing a Christian agenda. No headlines warning that their presence is “concerning.”
Caption: Pastor Chris Durkin of Colts Neck Community Church and Shawn Hyland of New Jersey Family Policy Center, Oct 28, 2026
This double standard exposes a deeper problem. If churches are welcomed as venues for civic engagement when it aligns with progressive political priorities, then the objection is clearly not about protecting the separation of church and state. Rather, it appears to be about controlling which viewpoints are permitted in the public square.
The church should not be expected to remain silent on issues that Scripture addresses simply because those issues have become politically controversial. Biblical teaching does not cease to be biblical when it intersects with public policy. In fact, Scripture speaks to every area of life, including our responsibilities as citizens.
Jesus affirmed paying taxes in the gospels, and the Apostle Paul appealed to his “rights” as a Roman citizen three times in the book of Acts.
Scripture makes clear that Christians have civil duties and rights they should neither ignore nor take for granted.
We should use those rights faithfully, just as Paul did – including the right to vote.
Visit iVoterGuide.com to learn more about the candidates running for Congress and the U.S. Senate in New Jersey. Then share this valuable resource with your friends, family, and church community.
Did you know that Justin Murphy is the most socially conservative candidate to run for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey in many election cycles?
In an election where the stakes are high and every vote matters, this is not the time to sit on the sidelines. Be informed, make your voice heard, and encourage others to do the same.
