Dr. Jeffress Testifies Before the Religious Liberty Commission

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. I want you to know how much I felt them yesterday as I testified before the Religious Liberty Commission here in Dallas.

It was a landmark moment, not just for First Baptist Dallas but for every church and pastor who seeks to preach God’s Word freely and without fear.

Joined by my Senior Executive Pastor, Dr. Ben Lovvorn, I had the opportunity to share how our church was wrongfully targeted by the IRS after our Celebrate Freedom worship service in 2020. Although we fully complied with every legal guideline, we endured an intrusive, year-long investigation that ultimately confirmed we had done nothing wrong.

Commission members, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and national leaders like Franklin Graham and Dr. Phil McGraw, listened intently as we called for an end to the unequal enforcement of the Johnson Amendment.

We made a clear appeal: pastors must be free to speak biblical truth without government intimidation, and the Johnson Amendment should no longer be weaponized against the church.

Decisive action is needed to protect the constitutional rights of churches across America. Please join me in praying that yesterday’s hearing will ultimately result in new legislation that either repeals or amends the all-too-often misapplied Johnson Amendment.