The local leaders they train run the campaigns, and new programs are usually spun off as separate entities. Faith-based groups represent perhaps the only political institution in the country whose professional staff is devoted to cultivating democratic participation. The dynamic energy of these groups comes largely from the interaction between professional organizers and the people of faith who emerge as leaders. The interfaith prayers at the Southwest IAF 25th anniversary convention illustrate the powerful contributions that faith makes to politics, providing energy, passion, and vision to democratic action. But faith-based organizing also continually struggles with faith institutions to make their theological commitments real.
Some congregations resist the overtly political stance of organizing groups.
Many, but not all, evangelical groups remain other-worldly focused. There is also sometimes tension between the goal of fostering participation and empowerment among the broad ranks of lay leaders, especially women, in religious communities and the traditional authoritarian role of male pastors. Despite Americans' famed individualism and distaste for authority, the kind of authority that religious leaders wield is not all negative. That is no easy task, as traditionalist pastors are not the only ones who resist sharing power. With its emphasis on developing such leadership, faith-based organizing is working to develop new models for combining participation and authority.