This election season, after a few heated conversations, I chose to be quiet. I stopped sharing my views because I realized I was a minority in a majority that wouldn’t understand my position. But what does this say about the church—or even specifically the Black church?
Let’s go back to the 2012 election: Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney. As a person of color, many assumed I would support Obama. I did, but maybe not for the reasons people expected. I had a personal stake in some policies that Democrats were pushing. Within certain advocacy circles, we believed this term might bring significant change.
Being a down-south, Georgia-bred woman, I grew up in a state with traditional values, which I felt acutely in 2004, when Georgia doubled down on defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. At that time, I was faced with a reality: if I wanted to stay here, I’d be giving up the possibility of marriage to the woman I loved.
By 2012, I was engaged to marry a woman, openly identifying as same-sex loving. My partner and I had been together for eight years. Like much of the LGBTQ community, we hoped that a second term for Obama could mean the chance to legally marry. The only way to achieve that was likely through a Supreme Court decision, and with Obama’s influence shifting the court in a more progressive direction, re-electing him felt like a hopeful move for us.
Then in 2014, everything changed for me. I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was all in (My Testimony: Battles and Trials: A Fight For Deliverance). Part of that transformation was that I no longer aligned with many of my former beliefs and convictions. My heart and mind were changed. But in the summer of 2015, same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide, even though my beliefs had already shifted.
This past week, I heard a message from Donnie Swaggart (son of Jimmy Swaggart) where he challenged the Black church and some of its leaders, saying that many were voting based on race rather than spiritual convictions. His comments stirred controversy among Black pastors, especially those who are committed to both their faith and the Democratic Party.
I don’t affiliate myself with any political party, but I’ve often been uneasy about the strong alignment between many Black churches and the Democratic Party. Let’s go back to the example of same-sex marriage. As someone who once openly and proudly identified as a Black lesbian, I grew up listening to sermons where pastors would say things like, “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” Some messages from the pulpit were harsh toward the LGBTQ community, and it left me wondering: If these issues are so serious, why would those same churches back a party that supports the very things they preach against? I think this is part of what Donnie Swaggart was getting at—the inconsistency on certain deeply important issues, especially when things like abortion come up.
If I haven’t offended anyone yet, this next part might. I’ve heard many sermons recently about the body of Christ lacking power. I’ve seen an increase in deliverance ministries, but too often without genuine deliverance. And while I’m using the election as an example, I’m speaking to a much deeper issue in the church—a matter of agreement. We can’t agree with sin and expect to defeat it at the same time. That’s what a divided house looks like. How can we lead others to freedom when we agree with the very thing that binds them? It’s a spiritual trap.
Someone became upset with me recently because I said I couldn’t vote blue for religious reasons. When they asked why, I explained that if Christ delivered me from same-sex attraction and identity struggles, why would I support a party that fundamentally endorses the very thing I was set free from? How could I vote to make it easier for someone else’s loved one to fall into the same spiritual bondage? As believers, we’re called to live out our faith consistently—not just in the convenient areas.
So what does this have to do with the church’s lack of power and revival? Simply this: the church can’t bring true freedom to the world if it isn’t first aligned with God’s will. We can’t pray for spiritual deliverance and vote for spiritual bondage. We wrestle not against flesh and blood—this is a spiritual battle. I’m not saying voting red is the answer either, but I am saying that something has to change.
As the body of Christ, it’s time to wake up. True revival will come only when we live what we preach—unwaveringly and with love. Our allegiance is to the Kingdom of God, not to a political party. May we seek His wisdom above all else, and move forward with surrendered hearts, committed to seeing lives genuinely transformed. Let’s act, pray, and stand together as the unified church that God has called us to be.