Bush Opponents Kicked Out of Church
 

Just saw this on the news. I think it's just being reported locally right now.

Minister ex-communicates members for not backing Bush

The Associated Press

The minister of a Haywood County Baptist church is telling members of his congregation that if they're Democrats, they either need to find another place of worship or support President Bush.

Already, the Reverend Chan Chandler has ex-communicated nine members of East Waynesville Baptist Church. Another 40 members have left in protest...

...One former church member says Chandler told some of the members that if they didn't support George Bush, they needed to resign their positions and get out of the church, or go to the altar, repent and agree to vote for Bush.

Another article:

Church members say they were kicked out for being Democrats

By Andre A. Rodriguez
STAFF WRITER
published: May 6, 2005 6:08 pm

WAYNESVILLE – Nine members of a local church had their membership revoked and 40 others left in protest after tension over political views recently came to a head, church members say.

Some members of East Waynesville Baptist Church voted the nine members out at a recent scheduled deacon meeting, which turned into an impromptu business meeting, according to congregants.

Chan Chandler, pastor of East Waynesville, had been exhorting his congregation since October to support his political views or leave the church, said Selma Morris, a 30-year member of the church.

“He preached a sermon on abortion and homosexuality, then said if anyone there was planning on voting for John Kerry, they should leave,” she said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard something like that. Ministers are supposed to bring people in.”

hmm. You know this opens the door for that church to lose their nonprofit status.

no kidding.

wow, last time i checked we lived in america -- you know, where people have the freedom to believe what they want and the freedom to associate with people they want to.

who does this guy think he is?

Wow, I think I would leave just because the preacher was doing that to other people, even though I did support Bush. You can't do that! Next thing you know, he'll be forcing all those who die their hair to leave because it's not "Godly." Well crap, I guess I'd have to find somewhere else!

A related issue:

Rep. Walter Jones of N.C. have introduced a measure that would allow clergymen endorse a candidate from the pulpit while still maintaining the church's tax examption status.

Read the Legislation Here (PDF warning)

Way to go on separation of church from state:rolleyes:

This is why some churches should be taxed. The Word of Bush has no place in the house of God.

There are folks out there that believe that church interfering in the state was something that the founding fathers intended.

Just saying..

Reverend Says It's a Misunderstanding

Rev.: Political Ousters a Misunderstanding By PAUL NOWELL, Associated Press Writer
48 minutes ago

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. - Calling it a "great misunderstanding," the pastor of a small church who led the charge to remove nine members for their political beliefs tried to welcome them back Sunday, but some insisted he must leave for the wounds to heal.

The Rev. Chan Chandler didn't directly address the controversy during the service at East Waynesville Baptist Church, but issued a statement afterward through his attorney saying the church does not care about its members' political affiliations.

"No one has ever been voted from the membership of this church due to an individual's support or lack of support for a political party or candidate," he said.

Nine members said they were ousted during a church gathering last week by about 40 others because they refused to support President Bush. They attended Sunday's service with their lawyer and many supporters.

Chandler noted their presence in his welcome to the congregation, saying, "I'm glad to see you all here. ... We are here today to worship the Lord. I hope this is what you are here for."

But Chandler's statement and his welcome didn't convince those members who were voted out that things would soon change, and some called for him to resign.

This made it's way to the news in north texas just yesterday.. interesting how he is now singing a different tune..

I saw it over here on the news today. It was National News, not the local stuff, but still.

He probably didn't wan't to loose his nonprofit status.

I'm not surprised.

I don't agree with the action but why should we be up in arms about it?

I remember many a times Sen. J. Kerry and Sen. J. Edwards along side of Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson having many things to say about their political views in church services. So much so that it was called into question about the regualtions about church speaking. There is a difference when they attend their own church or at least the same denomination but Sen. Kerry is far from free will or southern baptist.

I think this is the same. When I go to church I don't want it to be political but it seems churches have been used in this manner for some time.

Separation of church and state.

Regarding, Jackson and Sharpton; it's true that they praised their political affiliations in their services but did they threaten or tell people to leave their services and/or churces if they didn't support a certain candidate? There's a difference there. The pastor of the church has every right to voice whatever opinion about whichever candidate he supported. When members have their memberships threatened or revoked a serious problem is at hand.

It's almost like my fraternity. Most of my brothers supported a certain candidate and a certain political party while I chose to support another. I was one of the few that went the other route and if the fraternity threatened to make me conform, well there would be a serious problem there.