This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The Internal Revenue Service has reinterpreted its rules to now allow churches to endorse political candidates to their congregations without losing their tax-exempt status.

Reports described the adjustment as a formality since the regulation rarely was enforced anyway.

But the new standard was made clear in a court filing, a consent judgment, in a Texas federal court in a case brought by the National Religious Broadcasters and Intercessors for America, Sand Springs Church and First Baptist Church Waskom.

A report at Just the News explained those plaintiffs sued over the Johnson Amendment because it requires "certain organizations, including churches, to refrain from participating or intervening in campaigns for public office as a condition for their non-profit, tax-exempt status."

That was instigated by Lyndon Johnson who, as a senator, was facing opposition from faith groups in his campaign.

"When a house of worship in good faith speaks to its congregation, through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith in connection with religious services, concerning electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith, it neither 'participate[s]' nor 'intervene[s]' in a 'political campaign,' within the ordinary meaning of those words," the federal agency confirmed.

Analysts confirmed it was the first time the IRS formally confirmed such statements are legal, not just tolerated or overlooked.

"The agency has for years been wary of punishing religious leaders for political statements made during worship," the report said.

The contention from churches and Christian organizations has been that the IRS rule violated the First Amendment right they have to speak and to exercise their religion, as well as their Fifth Amendment rights to due process and equal protection.

The IRS said that stretching the Johnson Amendment to cover church statements regarding issues of faith and candidates "would create serious tension with the First Amendment's Establishment Clause" as it "would treat religions that do not speak directly to matters of electoral politics more favorably than religions that do so."

The Washington Examiner noted, in the case, both sides "asked a federal judge to order the Trump administration and future presidential administrations not to enforce the ban on political endorsements against the groups that sued."

The report noted President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have been trying to overturn the amendment for years.