Heather Kimmel, the General Counsel for the United Church of Christ, has posted a reminder to churches about the importance of understanding the difference between being political and being partisan.

"With the election year in full swing, Local Churches of the United Church of Christ can check out these great Our Faith Our Vote resources from the United Church of Christ Office of Public Policy and Advocacy in Washington, D.C. In particular, the Guidelines for Congregations on Political Action can help congregations make informed decisions about how to be politically involved . . . without jeopardizing their status as tax-exempt organizations under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)," she wrote. "Remember: organizations which are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may not engage in activities that are considered to be political campaign interventions."

Kimmel goes on to explain what type of statements, such as identifying particular candidates for given offices, can jeopardize a church's tax exempt status.

Read her post here.