A wise District Superintendent once said in a gathering of fellow-workers in denominational leadership something that has stuck with me as prophetic. He said 
beware of government election years in a church because what is happening in politics spills over into the church. Now he worked with congregational churches but the background cultural dynamics may also apply to other types of church governments. Keep reading to discover what can happen in churches during time like this.
During government election years, voters take sides about who will lead the country, state, and local political structures. On most ballots, someone wins and someone loses. Vote counts are taken. Incumbents may be left in office, or they may have to leave to make room for the new person. Everyone has a vote and candidates for office must campaign for voters who will take their side. One vote, one voice. The problem is that's not found in Scripture as a guiding principle or a way of selecting church leadership. God's plan for selecting church leaders is by divine guidance, not politics.
When government elections go through a campaigning and election period, there can be greater division such as we see in our country at the current time. People take sides and argue for their candidate or political party. Unfortunately, this culture also spills over into the church. God's design for the church is for Jesus to be the Head, the Holy Spirit to be our guide, the Word of God to point us toward issues worth defending and following, and our Heavenly Father to be glorified. When you see division in the Body of Christ, it's usually from politics, political principles, and personal preferences. The only exception is when division occurs over clear biblical truth (not personal interpretation of biblical truth).
Much of the voting that takes place during government elections happens when people make choices over personality and charisma. This too can overflow into the church. In the Scriptures, choices over church leadership always should take place over character first (see 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1). We need to be wary of church elections where personality, experience, charisma, or any other characteristic that's not based on biblical teaching guide our choices as the primary reason to mark the ballot.
Another carryover in the church is the idea that "we should vote on that" becomes the rule instead of "we need to pray about that." The church is not a democracy. It is ruled by a King and is to be a visible demonstration of His Kingdom governed by His rules, not ours.
This election year, beware of the times we are in and make sure your voting and your church reflect the Kingdom of God.
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