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Shepherding Courage in Divided Communities

In early 2026, I was invited to participate and help facilitate a conversation with clergy from around the country as a part of a Zoom conversation hosted by Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. My breakout session was on how to shepherd courage in politically divided congregations and communities.

Since that time, I have continued to reflect on our conversation and what are best practices for pastors and church leaders in these polarizing times. Below are some suggestions to consider as you approach upcoming local elections and continue to lead in your context.

 

Stay spiritually grounded. Both personal and collective religious practice are important in maintaining relational connection with God and others. Private prayer, meditation, solitude, scriptural study and being in creation are valuable to stay in tune with yourself and God. Likewise, practicing a rhythm of worship, therapy, socialization, accountability and authenticity with others is vital for cultivating wholeness and maintaining influence.

Remain informed. There is so much happening in the local, state, national and global landscape. It is hard to find objective information and remain aware of what is actually occurring. We are inundated with news on every platform from social media to cable networks. Yet, having verifiable, factual data is critical. Seek out sources that stick to facts and provide balanced information as much as possible.

Know yourself. Determining how much bandwidth you can allocate to advocacy and solidarity is largely dependent on your personality, time constraints, professional responsibilities and familial surrounding. Maintain a personal self-check on how you are managing. Take breaks when needed and prioritize an effective strategy over the long-term.

Understand your denominational structure. If you serve as clergy or lay leadership in your local church, you need to know how ecumenical decisions are made, what policies your church and denomination have stated and who is involved in these decisions. When advocating within these parameters, vocalize and reinforce these theological statements.  When advocating outside these stated positions or when there is no stated position, proceed with greater caution and discretion.

Keep leadership informed. If you are a church member or lay leader, speak to your pastor about your concerns and desires to advocate on a particular issue of concern. Moreover, if you are a pastor, be sure to include the governing/supervising body in what you are doing. If you find support from your leadership, it will provide confidence and assurance to proceed. If they are cautious, you may still elect to proceed, but you can do so better understanding the potential implications.

Advocate as a person and not a professional. It is hard to differentiate your role as a church leader from that of a citizen. We cannot always change other people’s perceptions of us; they may always see us from our professional roles in the community. However, we can take intentional steps to provide clarity when acting personally. For example, unless you have authorization to do so, refrain from using your title when speaking and avoid wearing vestments at a protest.

Be selective. There are so many potential causes for us to advocate for in these troubled times, and most of us cannot effectively be in every arena. Prioritize the issues closest to your heart and most impactful to your family, friends, church and community. Devote the majority of your time in solidarity to these causes and remember there are others fighting and defending on other fronts.

Contact representatives. Sometimes it may seem your communication with elected officials falls on deaf ears. If any response, you may receive a form letter that signs you up for campaign communication. Nonetheless, calling and emailing your representatives is important. If you have access, speaking to them or their offices may have an even greater impact. The goal is not to change the outcome but to have your voice heard.

Focus on issues and not parties. It is easy to oversimplify and come out swinging along political lines, but even in these polarized times there are nuances within political parties. Generalizing is dangerous and rarely leads to productive conversation. Once you are informed on an issue, you can speak accurately and effectively about that topic. Utilize the preparatory work you did and stay focused on the impact of the particular laws/policies on you and the people of your community. Talk about actual people you know and how these decisions will affect their lives.

Foster open dialogue. Social media oftentimes circumvents open dialogue and tempts us to avoid meaningful conversations; use it sparingly for discussion and debate. Instead, look for personal opportunities to have conversations with people of diverse perspectives. Approach these conversations with an openness to understand where someone else comes from. The goal is not to convince someone else how wrong they are but to have an engaging conversation. If you begin with open-ended questions and actively listening, you are much more likely to have a productive and civil conversation.

Speak respectfully. Whether in preaching/teaching or in personal interactions with others, the “measure” we use is likely what will be reciprocated (Mark 4:24). Calling names, being defamatory or speaking slander are non-effective to influence others, resulting oftentimes in defensive postures and retaliatory responses. However, when we speak with respect, kindness and appreciation, we cultivate a safe place for agreeableness even when we hold dramatically different viewpoints. When you have opportunity, create spaces for respectful dialogue in your church or small group.

Prioritize local influence. Our sphere of influence is much greater in our local communities than in broader circles. Lasting change typically begins at the local, grassroots level. If we spend most of our time mulling over national and global affairs at the expense of the things happening in our city and school government, we can be distracted from these more regional opportunities to serve the people of our community.

 

Regardless of how much you choose to invest your time and resources into political and social change, it is important for each of us to do something. Only you can decide what is the right and best thing to do. Avoid feeling obligated to do what you see someone else doing, but also cultivate courage within yourself to step outside of what is comfortable and normative to make a difference. Move the needle.

 

Patrick Wilson has served as a pastor 25 years in Dallas and Austin, Texas, and most recently in in Rolla, Mo., where he now leads a community of faith, CrossRoads. He is a graduate of Baylor University, earned two master’s degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Logsdon Seminary.