In court filings July 7, the IRS has largely backed down on a decades-old rule that barred churches from engaging in political activity.

A 2019 survey by Pew Research found that 76% of Americans and 70% of Christians say clergy should not endorse candidates from the pulpit, though evangelicals (62%) and Black Protestants (55%) are less likely to disapprove. Nearly two-thirds of Americans wanted churches to stay out of politics.

The IRS veered away from banning political endorsements in houses of worship, spurring differing views from Houston's religious leaders.