Pastoral Pondering
Written by Rev. Martha Langford, Senior Pastor at Second/First Church of Rockford, IL
The Intersection of Church and State
July of 2026 brings with it a national celebration. The foundations of the United States of America were set 250 years ago at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We celebrate Independence Day every year on the Fourth of July; yet this year our nation hits a milestone—we’ve been a nation for one-quarter of a millennium.
This year also brings some distinct challenges because of the rise in Christian nationalism: that blurring of lines between allegiance to the flag and allegiance to Christ.
Christian nationalism fuses religious authority with political authority, seeks power and dominance in the political realm. It advances several central themes: Christianity in America should hold a privileged place;
separation of church and state should be eliminated; social
laws should reflect conservative biblical interpretation. In America, Christian nationalism often serves as camouflage for white supremacy as it seeks dominance over groups and persons who don’t align with Christian nationalist norms and ideals.
That’s what Christian nationalism is.
What Christian nationalism isn’t… it isn’t biblical, it isn’t Christ-like, it isn’t democratic, it isn’t American.
At our founding, the leaders of this nation remembered its colonial history—where the voting rolls and church membership rolls were often the same thing. For example, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the vote was limited to adult males who were members in good standing in the Puritan Church. This disenfranchised and marginalized those who didn’t fit that mold.
Among the earliest amendments to the Constitution was a Bill of Rights. The Constitution’s First Amendment makes this statement:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
This nation established—at its very founding—freedom of religion and separation between church and state. This is the fundamental freedom that Christian nationalism seeks to end.
So what do we do with all this?
As people in these United States, we can petition the Government and as people of God, we can pray.
Your Invitation:
This is your invitation to join me at the intersection of S. Church Street and W State Street at 11:00am on Thursday, July 2, to pray for the preservation of religious freedom, the promotion of equity and justice, and the advancement of the general welfare for all who live in these United States.
In Christ,
Martha