WATERLOO - When Doug Smith moved his family from Michigan to Iowa eight years ago he was thrilled, if not surprised, by the political climate. Candidates up close and personal. Energized constituents. Especially leading up to caucus time.

Smith enjoys keeping tabs on the candidates and hearing about the issues. Just not at church.

As president this year for the Black Hawk County Association of Evangelicals, Smith's position may surprise some. On a national scale, evangelicals as a whole get a lot of ink for being politically active, and some may assume politicking is alive and well on Sunday mornings.

But not all evangelicals, or other Christians for that matter, are comfortable with such a picture.

At a Thursday luncheon for Cedar Valley clergy and lay leaders, Smith shared his concerns.

Smith, manager for the Christian radio station 101.9 KNWS, believes Christians are entitled to strong opinions on a range of moral issues. He also defends a Christian's right to be involved in politics.

"We need Christians in public office in both parties," he said.

Smith, however, believes asserting allegiance to a political party is unwise. Such a practice risks alienating, excluding and offending members and newcomers who hold minority viewpoints.

"I maintain any perception of partisanship or politics will cause drastic harm to your outreach," Smith said.

During Thursday's talk, he addressed blatant endorsements from the pulpit - illegal, since churches are nonprofit and tax-exempt. He also pointed out gray areas churches may want to avoid - inviting a political candidate from only one party to speak or handing out voter guides. The first may be viewed as a de facto endorsement and the latter are typically "crafted in such a way to be clear about who the 'right' and 'wrong' candidates are," Smith said.

He also challenged the notion of ranking the moral issues.

Ultimately, Smith feels partisan politics on earth take away from the church's primary mission: bringing souls to Christ.

"That's where we need to keep our focus in ministries: On the eternal," Smith said.

After the meeting, Armond Floyd, a pastor at Bridge of Hope Church, said it is easy for churches to get distracted by fads and fitting in.

"Politics isn't the only thing churches end up losing focus on," Floyd said.

The Rev. Lyle Wilgenbusch, a Roman Catholic priest, said parishioners should strive to address issues within the context of a congregation, such as social justice, abortion and the death penalty, without falling into divisive, hostile camps.

"We have to be very careful," Wilgenbusch said.

Several ministers said it is understandable people want to champion heart-felt causes via the avenue of politics. Such conversations may run the risk of hard feelings but not always, clergy say, particularly when the conversation is handled respectfully among friends.

Thursday meeting marked the third in a series of monthly luncheons that will continue through May 2008. The Black Hawk County Association of Evangelicals hosts the event. All clergy and church leaders are welcome.

Contact Karen Heinselman at (319) 291-1581 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.