Why Our Church Doesn't Have An American Flag

A few years ago, I stumbled into the buzzing church lobby on July 4th weekend. As I was making my way toward a seat in the back, a small orchestra began to play. The wooden pews creaked as the congregation stood to sing “God Bless America.” Every element of the service was an ode to patriotism. The choir earnestly sang military anthems as red, white, and blue banners adorned the sanctuary. The sermon was something about honor and courage. Unfortunately, this kind of church service is not uncommon in the United States when the 4th nears.

Even more entrenched in our churches is the American flag that collects dust at the front of many sanctuaries year-round. Even questioning its presence in churches is often taboo. I once heard a story of a seminary grad hired to pastor a church in Florida, and during his first month, he decided to remove the flag from the sanctuary. The church board asked him to resign. There is no doubt that the American flag is a powerful symbol for Americans for a variety of reasons. I vividly remember when my family received a folded American flag from the United States Navy when my grandfather passed away. I recall the profound sense of pride after 9/11 when nearly every house in the neighborhood flew the stars and stripes in their front yards and placed stickers on their car bumpers. But despite being a meaningful national symbol, the American flag has no place in a church. 

“The KKK stands for two of the greatest gifts that heaven has bestowed, namely the Holy Bible and the American flag.”
A 1922 letter composed by 10 Klansmen

There's a complicated and troubling history of how American flags became a staple in our nation’s churches. Many churches began to display American flags during WWI because the flag tested the loyalty of immigrant churches and their pastors to the United States. After D. W. Griffith's film Birth of A Nation, the KKK experienced a revival in the 1920s rooted in bigotry toward black and immigrant communities, and they used the American flag as a promotional symbol. Their propaganda efforts included visiting churches to distribute Bibles alongside American flags. As the flag and the Bible began to hold hands in the 20th century, more churches incorporated flags into their sanctuaries during WWII to honor and remember those fighting in the war. Patriotism and Christianity continued to thrive in post-WWII America, and in 1954, Eisenhower added “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” to all American currency in 1955. Churches bought more flags.

First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas

“The tacit dominant narrative of our American society is military consumerism. It is propelled by greed and anxiety and violence. And that narrative is a lie. It cannot produce life.”
Walter Brueggemann

Not long after Jesus’ death, as his followers attempted to live the way of their friend and rabbi, Peter said, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality….” Jesus’ life involved bringing good news for the poor, healing those shamed by society, including those excluded by his religion, and loving those considered unlovable. In Acts of the Apostles, Peter realized what was often misunderstood by the disciples: God loves everyone with absolutely no distinctions. Paul would later consider this a grace that “brings salvation to all people." We must remember that God’s love is not partisan, American, Christian, or anything but a generous universal embrace for people of every ethnicity, nationality, identity, culture, and religion. So, even as we celebrate the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence, we remember that the document proclaiming "all men are created equal” also includes Thomas Jefferson’s terrifying description of indigenous peoples as “merciless Indian savages,” which is a far cry from the opening words of Genesis, “God created all of humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them.” God’s embrace includes all of humanity, and when churches merge Christianity with nationalism on any level, the message is clear: there is partiality in God. This God that has favorites or shares our particular identity and worldview can quickly begin to justify our beliefs, our partisanship, our wars, and our prejudice. After all, Nazi banners were commonly displayed outside or draped over the altars of churches in Germany.

Stormtroopers holding Deutsche Christen propaganda during the Church Council elections on 23 July 1933 at St. Mary's Church in Berlin, Germany

In Acts, Peter communicated that Jesus’ inclusive message of love extends to all people. When this kind of Christian faith is embodied, our love works for justice to prevent nationalism or any divisive movement whose goal is for one group to hold power and privilege over another. As Christians, it is imperative to embody Christ’s love and shape our institutions not for power but for generosity and harmony with the vulnerable, marginalized, immigrant, and outcast.

At best, an American flag in a sanctuary symbolizes that the United States occupies a place of extremely high value for a church community. But it can also communicate who and what we truly worship as American Christians. We do not have an American flag in our church, but we’re not necessarily free from the idolatry of nationalism either. I hope that as Christians, we will continue to be challenged by God’s radical love and welcome that has no boundaries and shows no partiality. May our spaces of worship communicate the same message.

Ryan Pryor