The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling on the IRS to investigate an Oklahoma church after its pastor, congressional candidate Jackson Lahmeyer, publicly stated that supporters could pick up campaign yard signs directly from his church.

In a complaint filed with the IRS, FFRF reports that Sheridan Church in Tulsa appears to be using its facilities and resources to support Lahmeyer’s congressional campaign, a practice prohibited for tax-exempt churches under federal law.

“Tax-exempt churches are not permitted to function as campaign headquarters for political candidates,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “When a pastor tells supporters they can pick up campaign signs at his church, it shows that the church is providing tangible institutional support for a political campaign and it also inappropriately links the church with the candidate.”

FFRF’s legal complaint notes that this is not the first time concerns have been raised regarding political activity at Sheridan Church.

FFRF previously alerted the IRS to violations of the tax-exempt code after Lahmeyer hosted Tulsa mayoral candidate Brent VanNorman at Sheridan Church and solicited campaign donations from congregants in 2024. Lahmeyer has publicly joked about the repeated complaints filed against his church, remarking: “If I had a dollar for every time somebody reported my church to the IRS, I’d be a very wealthy guy.” The apparent lack of IRS enforcement or action clearly has emboldened the pastor to continue violating the law.

Federal law is clear that organizations receiving the privilege of tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may not “participate in, or intervene in … any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.” That protection, commonly known as the Johnson Amendment, has been part of federal law since 1954 and helps ensure that tax-deductible charitable contributions are not used to subsidize partisan political campaigns.

The FFRF complaint comes at a time when the Johnson Amendment is under renewed attack by the Trump administration and Christian nationalist groups seeking to transform churches into tax-subsidized political organizations. Earlier this year, a federal court rejected an effort by the National Religious Broadcasters and allied churches to effectively nullify the Johnson Amendment through a proposed settlement with the IRS. FFRF hailed the decision after warning that it would open the door for churches to become virtual tax-free PACs while retaining their tax-exempt status.

FFRF notes that churches are financial “black holes,” already enjoying unique privileges under federal law, including exemptions from many of the financial reporting requirements imposed on other nonprofit organizations. The Johnson Amendment provides one of the few safeguards that ensures that tax-deductible donations intended for religious or charitable purposes are not diverted to partisan electioneering.

FFRF clarifies that 501(c)(3) organizations are free to participate in politics, but in that case should not receive special tax advantages while doing so. Likewise, pastors and other religious figures as individuals are free to endorse or fund candidates, but may not do so using any charitable resources.

FFRF’s complaint emphasizes that the situation is particularly concerning because Lahmeyer is both a church leader and a candidate for federal office, creating an obvious risk that church facilities, staff, communications channels and other tax-exempt resources are being used to advance his personal political ambitions.

FFRF is asking the IRS to investigate the extent to which Sheridan Church resources are being misused to support Lahmeyer’s campaign and to take appropriate enforcement action against any violations found.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 41,000 members (including hundreds in Oklahoma), FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

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