A Pastor with a Passion for Politics

According to Emily Post, people of polite society should not discuss politics or religion because it makes people uncomfortable. If our family were to follow that recommendation, we would have nothing to talk about, for I am married to a pastor. And I am married to a politician.

I am often greeted with surprise (and sometimes pity) when I mention my husband’s two interests. Many people feel that politician and pastor do not belong together in the same sentence, let alone in one person’s skin. In Kevin’s current run to be on Chandler’s City Council, he is often advised by people of faith to downplay his role in government when preaching on a Sunday morning and he is advised by people in politics to downplay his role as a pastor for fear that he won’t be taken seriously as a politician.

Both of these groups seek to divide my husband, to split him in two, to only look at what fits in their minds’ paradigm, rather than to embrace the thought that men of integrity, faith and with an interest in government belong both in the church and in politics. In the life of my husband, these two sides have lived in harmony for many years.

In the 25 years we have lived in Chandler, Kevin has volunteered on various boards and commissions, with many diverse people, giving his time, expertise and leadership to tackle various community problems. He has a desire to see Christians be involved in all elements of society and be an influence in areas of government, education, business and in neighborhoods.

This is not a new concept.

Paul writes in Romans 12:1-2, “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering….Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.”

Kevin has shown it is possible for a man of faith to affect the culture around him. He has shown it is possible for one man to serve a church and a community.