40 AUGUST 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition COMMUNITY NEWS In a significant legal turn with major implications for America’s churches, the Internal Revenue Service has formally clarified that pastors and churches are free to address political issues and to endorse candidates from the pulpit to their own congregations without violating their tax-exempt status. The official recognition came via a court filing on Monday, July 7, in response to a lawsuit brought by two Texas churches and the National Religious Broadcasters. While the plaintiffs sought a broader exemption for all nonprofits, the IRS instead issued a focused but historic clarification: the IRS will treat church endorsements not as prohibited campaign activity, but as protected internal communication — “a family discussion concerning candidates.”. “This is a long-overdue acknowledgement of what was already true,” said Erik Dellenback, President of Florida Family Voice. “For decades, pastors were lied to — deceived into believing they couldn’t speak about political candidates from the pulpit because of something called the Johnson Amendment. But in reality, the IRS had long treated that rule as unenforceable when it came to internal church communication. Now, for the first time, that ‘unspoken policy’ has been made public.” The 1954 Johnson Amendment has long been used to intimidate faith leaders and suppress the Church’s voice in the public square. But the truth is: the First Amendment protects the right of pastors to preach the whole counsel of God — including on political issues. The IRS’s clarification now reinforces that religious liberty. This ruling does not extend to all nonprofits, nor does it allow public campaign advocacy outside of a church’s membership. But it does formally protect what churches should have always known: biblical preaching that intersects with politics is not only lawful — it’s protected. Learn more at flfamily.org Physicians, leaders and clinicians at Holy Cross Health are proud to announce that their Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Program has been awarded the prestigious Center of Distinction award by Healogics®, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The program achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for twelve consecutive months, including a patient satisfaction rate higher than 92 percent. “This is based on the achievement of quality metrics and is a testament to the exceptional care we provide our patients every day,” said Margie Garland, Program Director of the Wound Healing and Hyperbarics Program at Holy Cross HealthPlex. “I’d like to thank our medical director, Dr. William Ward, and clinical coordinator, Joly, for their leadership and dedication to our patients and team.” Holy Cross Health’s Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Program is a member of the Healogics network of over 600 Wound Care Centers® and offers highly specialized wound care to patients suffering from diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections and other chronic wounds. Visit holy-cross.com. Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Program Receives Center of Distinction Honor Erik Dellenback The Holy Cross Health Wound Care Team and members of the Executive Leadership Team BiG Children's Foundation provided a fun and enriching experience in July for at-risk youth, particularly those in foster care, aging out of the system, or experiencing homelessness, during their Summer Splurge 2025 summer camp. The program aims to improve the well-being of these youth by focusing on their mind, body, and spirit through various activities and skill-building opportunities, and the teens had a blast! Beginning with icebreakers and team-building activities to loosen them up and get them interacting with each other, campers did some therapeutic group work to ease their anxiety and give them a safe environment to share their feelings. Then let loose with some fun and silly stuff to get them laughing and building meaningful relationships with teacher-mentors and volunteers. Since many of these youth come from 'hard places'--a term often used to describe their exposure to abuse, neglect, violence, delinquency, trafficking, etc.-- they begin to feel hopeful again, seeing a ray of sunshine peeking through a dark cloud. To learn more, visit bigchildrensfoundation.org Youth Experience Summer Splurge 2025 Joyce Feldman, president and CEO of BiG Children’s Foundation, teaches teens how to measure and calculate via a culinary lesson making pancakes from scratch. Ben Klinge, program manager, leads group time where youth are encouraged to be vulnerable, and share their emotions and feelings, cultivating a powerful time of exploration and healing. IRS Affirms Churches Can Speak Boldy from the Pulpit
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