Judge rejects Johnson Amendment settlement, keeping ban on pastors endorsing candidates

A federal judge rejected a settlement that would have lifted an IRS ban on pastors endorsing candidates, saying the court had no authority to approve an agreement, in a surprising end to a decades-long battle.

Judge J. Campbell Barker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas also dismissed the lawsuit filed by the National Religious Broadcasters, a Christian communicators group, and two Texas churches that was at the heart of the anticipated settlement. The plaintiffs had argued that the ban on endorsements violated their religious liberty. Under the IRS rule, known as the Johnson Amendment, tax-exempt nonprofits are barred from taking sides in political campaigns.

In dismissing the case on Tuesday (March 31), Barker said courts are barred from “providing declaratory relief with respect to federal taxes,” and therefore the court could not approve the settlement, as it required the court to make a decision that affected the plaintiffs’ tax status.

Religion & Politics

Photos of the Week: New archbishop of Canterbury, Palm Sunday

Sarah Mullally, left, arrives for the Enthronement Ceremony installing her as archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury, England, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, the first woman ever to lead the Church of England. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

In Opinion

And finally, Hindu-inspired eco-village reimagines sustainable, spiritual life in North Carolina

Businessman Prakash Buchireddy grew up in small villages near Tirupati, India, a hillside pilgrimage site surrounded by lush green mountains and a Hindu temple once known to give potted plants as prasad, or sacred offerings.

These self-sustaining villages of his childhood — where cows, chickens, greenhouses and vegetable and fruit gardens provided communities with the nourishment they needed — inspired Buchireddy to start one of his own for the modern American era.

He had planned to build his sustainable development company, Sustaino LLC, in his home country but came to a realization in 2021. “Rather than in India, it’s more needed here,” he told RNS.

Having lived in the United States for more than 20 years, Buchireddy noticed grocery stores increasingly saturated with what he called “slow poison” — ultraprocessed foods with chemicals and preservatives that can be linked to health issues, he said.

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