From a conversation with a young pastor friend in Uganda:
Regarding pastors and politics, yes. Their job is to prepare the saints for the work of ministry—everything we do in life (Ephesians 4:11-12). America’s early pastors understood that Jesus is Lord! He rules from the right hand of the Father, in the midst of His enemies, through His volunteers (us—Psalm 110). The Father granted Him all power and authority in heaven and earth and He commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 2816-20—Yes, whole peoples such as when Nineveh repented, or Israel.) Because all of life—everything we do—either contributes to the Gospel and Christ’s Kingdom over detracts from it, we must learn how to live Biblically in everything we do, so that whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we do it self-consciously to God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). Thus, early American pastors were the best educated in every subject so that they could teach the people how to apply all Scripture and the Gospel in every area of life according to God’s will, by faith. Faith is required because by ourselves we cannot please God, so our Savior bridges the gap for us by His Holy Spirit—the Comforter, that is the Empowering One. But we must do what we with every effort to work and live on His terms.