The Foursquare Gospel Church is a global evangelical Christian denomination that was founded by Aimee

Semple McPherson in 1923. As a non-political organization, the church does not endorse any political
party or candidate for political office.

The official statement of the Foursquare Gospel Church on politics and political involvement is as follows:

"The Foursquare Church does not endorse political candidates. We believe that the role of the church is
to proclaim the Gospel and to be a prophetic voice to society, calling for justice, mercy, and
righteousness. We encourage our members to be involved in the political process as responsible citizens,
to vote according to their conscience, and to pray for those in authority."

Foursquare Gospel Church does not support any political party or endorse any specific political
candidate. The denomination upholds a non-partisan stance and encourages its members to exercise
their right to vote and participate in the political process in a manner that aligns with biblical principles
and values.

This statement is consistent with the Foursquare Church's commitment to sharing the love of Jesus
Christ and promoting the principles of the Christian faith. The church believes that Christians should be
engaged in society and should seek to positively impact their communities, but they do not believe that
politics should be the primary focus of the church's mission.

References:

- The Foursquare Church. (n.d.). What is The Foursquare Church? Retrieved April 12, 2023, from
https://www.foursquare.org/about/what-is-the-foursquare-church

- The Foursquare Church. (n.d.). Our Beliefs. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from
https://www.foursquare.org/about/what-we-believe

www.foursquare.org

Politics refers to the activities associated with the governance of a country or area, including making
decisions that affect its citizens, managing its resources, and setting policies and laws. It involves the use
of power and influence to achieve certain goals or objectives, and it often involves competition and
conflict between different groups and individuals with different interests and values.

The study of politics is a broad and interdisciplinary field that encompasses a range of topics, including
political theory, political philosophy, comparative politics, international relations, public policy, and
political economy.
“if rulers are wicked, God will raise avengers to punish them BUT THIS IS NOT OUR TASK; to us no
command has been given except to OBEY AND SUFFER” (emphasis mine). I agree with this idea, even
Paul in his writings, did not even suggest to rebel against the tyrant rule of the Romans, rather instructed
them to submit and in other passage to pray for the rulers. To me, if God allows a wicked ruler over a
society, this is His way of calling people to repentance as in the time of the Old Testament, when Israel
backslide, he gives them evil king, but when they repent, He raises up a noble one. So, one of my
measuring tools to know the spiritual status of a nation or group is look at its ruler or leader, if they have
a good leader, I would say they are in good track (of course this is not the only to consider it). That’s why,
except if God will tell us to confront a ruler, our duty not only to them, but also because of the Lord, is to
submit, to pray and seek their well-being as well as of the community.

In this, the Church and the State, Dr. Isabelo Magalit, lays a historical foundation for understanding the
development of the relationship between Church and State. Beginning with a look at Romans 13:1-7, he
affirms the importance of Christians thinking carefully about their responsibility and attitude towards
government and authority. Scripture teaches that the Church and government structures are both
ordained by God; therefore, we must maintain a God-honoring posture towards both. Critical to this is
having an understanding of how Church and State relations developed. In the first three centuries of the
early church, believers were living in a pagan world controlled by the Roman Empire. No one was under
the illusion that the Church and State were one entity. They were at odds towards one another. This
changed, A teacher teaches, when Constantine came to power and instated Christianity as the official
religion of the State. What follows is a power struggle between Church and State. Listen to this
compelling sermon by Dr. Magalit as he equips his listeners to understand the historical struggle for
authority and power that shapes our current understanding of the relationship of Christianity and
government.

Church and State: Romans 13:1-7

One of the tenets of the Church of the Foursquare Gospel as stated in the Declaration of Faith (What We
Believe), by its founder Aimee Semple Mcpherson, is Civil Government- “We believe that civil
government is established by divine appointment; civil laws should be upheld at all times except when
they are in opposition to the Word of God (Romans 13:1-7)”. I strongly believe with John Calvin, like
Martin Luther, the need for obedience to rulers. If rulers will become wicked, I agree that God will raise
avengers to punish them, but it is not our task (the Church); to us (the Church) no command given except
to obey (and suffer). First Timothy 2:2, urges us to pray for kings and all those in authority, that they may
live peaceful and quite lives in all godliness and holiness.

“Church and State: Romans 13:1-7” by Dr. Isabelo Magalit (book chapter, pp. 7-10)

"Submission is broader than simple obedience. Even when we disobey an unjust law that is contrary to
God's word, our attitude to our ruler is still submissive." This statement hit my heart that as a Christian
yes its true, we should not compromise our faith in obeying laws that contradict the Scriptures as we are
instructed not to be conformed to this world however we can do it in a right manner and attitude, right
approached without disrecpecting nor challenging their authority being our rulers. It reminded us the
right way of doing it to focus on the injustice/unlawful acts but not on the person itself,on that note we
can condemned/criticize the act but never condemned the person for we know that they are our
neighbors also, Gods creation whom He loves. I hope that many Christians would be able to understand
this matter in order for our integrity as church scattered will not be tarnish with how we act. I salute to
the author of this book, Dr. Isabelo Magalit for the wisdom He share to the body of Christ, a job well
done and To God be the glory.

Some key topics and concepts in politics include:

- Government: the system or organization that has the authority to make decisions for a society or group
of people.

- Power: the ability to influence or control the behavior of others, often through the use of force,
coercion, or persuasion.

- Democracy: a form of government in which the people have a say in the decisions that affect their lives,
often through the election of representatives or direct participation in decision-making processes.

- Political parties: organizations that seek to influence government policies and gain control of
government through the election of their candidates to public office.

- Interest groups: organizations that represent specific interests or causes and seek to influence
government policies and decisions.

- Public policy: the decisions and actions taken by government to address specific problems or challenges
facing society.

- International relations: the study of relationships between different countries and the ways in which
they interact and cooperate or compete with each other.

References:

- Heywood, A. (2013). Politics (4th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.

- Roskin, M. G., Cord, R. L., Medeiros, J. A., & Jones, W. S. (2017). Political science: An introduction (14th
ed.). Pearson.

- Orvis, S. A., & Drogus, C. W. (2018). Introducing comparative politics: Concepts and cases in context
(4th ed.). CQ Press.

XVII. CIVIL GOVERNMENT

We believe that the civil government is of 1

divine appointment, for the interests and good order

of human society; and that governors and rulers should be prayed for, obeyed, and upheld, at all

times except only in 2things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the 3ruler of the

conscience of His people, 4the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.

Scripture References

1. “...the authorities that exist are appointed by God...For rulers are not a terror to good works,

but to evil...” (Rom. 13:1,3) (Also, Deut. 16:18; 2 Sam. 23:3; Ex.18:21-23; Jer. 30:21)

2. “‘...We ought to obey God rather than men..’” (Acts 5:29) “...do not fear those who kill the body

but cannot kill the soul.” (Mt. 10:28) (Also Dan. 3:15-18;6:7-10; Acts 4:18-20)

3. “...One is your Teacher, the Christ...” (Mt. 23:10)

4. “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF

LORDS.” (Rev. 19:16) (Also, Ps. 72:11, Rom. 14:9-13