[gdani]

Tax-exemption laws for churches contain language that prohibits campaigning from the pulpit. A church can risk losing its tax-exempt status if they are blatantly stumping for a candidate

Those tax exemption regs prohibit campaigning from the pulpit when it's done by the pastor or other representatives of the church.

The regs do not prevent other people not associated with the church from campaigning from the pulpit.

[Abe Froman]

This is what the IRS defines as prohibited "political campaigning": "participating or intervening, directly or indirectly, in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office."

Allowing Bill Clinton to stump for Gray Davis definitely fits the definition of "participating indirectly on behalf of a candidate for public office."