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Church in Los Angeles is struggling to balance politics, leaving some members of the congregation divided.
The Rev. Jonathan Hall tried to figure out “what is ‘too political’ for a place of worship — or whether ‘politics’ is the essence of the gospel,” according to The Washington Post.
Hall First Christian Church of North Hollywood“a politically mixed congregation,” has struggled with political divisions before and after the presidential election, when President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in a landslide victory.
hall, a native of Alabamaled a church north of Los Angeles for two years. He seeks to unite the church, but this has been a problem.
The First Christian Church of North Hollywood, a “politically mixed congregation,” struggled with political differences before and after the presidential election. (Google Maps)
“Convincing Republicans, Democrats and independents on his benches to stay and pray with each other is becoming increasingly difficult,” the Post reported.
The post went on to report, “When he preaches what the Bible says about the duty of care for migrants, Hall focuses on the story of Mary and Joseph, not on modern-day travelers. every Sunday so that no one can doubt that his choices are making a political statement.”
“And when someone tells him they think the sermon was directed against a particular politician, he says, ‘That’s one way to look at it!'”
Los Angeles has been a generally liberal city for decades. The city does not have voted for the republican mayor since 1993.
Presidential election data in November shows that Los Angeles residents voted more for Trump than many polls predicted.
According to The Washington Post, the Reverend Jonathan Hall tried to figure out “what is ‘too political’ for a place of worship – or is ‘politics’ the whole point of the gospel.” (iStock)
Trump won more of the popular vote in Los Angeles than he did in 2020, with roughly 40% of the vote, up from 34%. In addition, Trump increased his share of the vote across the country, starting in conservative districts but expanding to deeply Democratic states.
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Several parishioners left the church due to political differences. One participant referred to a film planned to be shown at the Hall about Christian nationalism as “too one-sided” and “anti-republican”.
Others left after learning their peers were attending Trump’s inauguration.
“Someone else walked out of services early on the Sunday after the election, feeling the leader on stage was too focused on comforting the people who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris,” the post added.
“When you’re at a football match, one side wins and everyone leaves. With the church (and the election), it doesn’t matter that everyone is still there,” Hall said.
He went on to say: “Popcorn still on the ground, Coke cups, a mess. Fifty percent of people are upset and we have to pick up the pieces.”
First Christian is part of the Disciples of Christ denomination and serves more than 1,000 members. The denomination’s origins were founded to “unify Christian groups that differed in theology and worship styles.”
One member of First Christian left the church after they discovered their peers were attending President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
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“If I am a good pastor, I comfort you and confront you at the same time. But I have to be a prophet too, right? You should come to church looking for questions that will change your life.”
“Prior to Hall, the same pastor led First Christian for 52 years. Congregants say the late Rev. Robert M. Bock did not speak about contemporary political issues in the church — even during the Vietnam War that marked the beginning of his tenure. Hall is trying to forge a new way,” the Post reports.
