Coming soon to a church near you: petition drives concerning war, school funding or outrageous remarks at this year's Emmy Awards. I wrote about the latter this week—a wire service story about a petition drive formed by cast and crew at The Miracle Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Dubbed the "Million Voices for Christ," the drive attracted nearly 60,000 signatures its first week. Organizers hope to gather one million.

"When the culture is unwilling to show any respect for our Lord, it's like a call to action," says General Manager Russ Hollingsworth. "The issue is timeless: How do you stand for Christ in a hostile culture?"

Making a statement

The Christian actors were upset about offensive comments by Emmy Award winner Kathi Griffin. Last month the "Best Reality Series" winner used profane language and made a blasphemous remark, declaring, "This award is my god now."

Hollingsworth was particularly upset at the laughter and applause that greeted Griffin's comments, and the lack of media follow-up objecting to them: "We thought it was the right thing to do to make a statement."

Churches around the Southeast and Midwest may have a chance to sign the petition in coming weeks. Hollingsworth has been working to send several cast and crew members on a church barnstorming tour to gather more signatures and generate additional publicity.

Signing petitions at church seems as American as apple pie. This year congregations have expressed views about such causes as supporting upgrades of public schools, placement of a presidential library at Southern Methodist University, or opposing the war in Iraq.

And, Griffin's remarks seem so outrageous that signing a petition objecting to them would seem to be (as one church consultant put it) "a slam dunk."

Proceed with caution

However, before stepping forward, consultants advise proceeding with caution. They suggest deciding whether a petition fits with the congregation's core values, has widespread support and doesn't thrust the church into contentious areas.

"If it comes to political issues…you're crossing a line there," says Rob Lee, a religious education consultant in Utah. "Politics serve to divide and not unify. I would say to a church, ‘Is this going to divide if you get involved?' That's going to lead to a church not being healthy."

Lee generally favors shunning petitions because they can detract a church from its mission. That said, he mentions a Southern Baptist pastor who led a petition drive a few years ago that led to a judge's ouster, an outcome he calls "positive."

Still, over the past 25 years Roy Pina says of a dozen drives he's observed, their popularity generally revolved around the personality of the petition's supporter rather than the topic under consideration.

"It can cause rancor within the body, depending on how someone feels about those issues," says the California pastor, who is just starting his consulting practice.

Making peace

Labeling himself a "peacemaker," Pina says he favors reconciliation over confrontation. He says it is tricky for the Church to take a stand in a way that doesn't further alienate believers from a culture where a large gulf already exists.

For example, his wife has worked at a crisis pregnancy center for a dozen years, a cause he supports because of the group's compassionate care for troubled women. But Pina cringes over the public image of placard-carrying, screaming pro-life picketers.

Still, there are times when a church feels it is important to voice their views about a pressing social or community issue. In such cases, Lee thinks it is better for that decision to swell up from within the ranks.

"If your polity is set up where the pastor makes the decision, you go with that," Lee says. "I personally favor a congregation needing to be part of this. Folks need to have a chance to voice their opinion as to whether they should be involved."

Before they speak, though, it would seem prayer is in order to make sure following a church's first impulse is the right move.