N.C. church removes members for political views

I don't agree with what was done, but I am not surprised. I have seen churches where the pastor became supreme commander and cleaned out the "chaff" so he would have less opposition.
The important part of this news story is that churches are allowing their pulpits to be used for politics and NOT proclaiming God's Word!

 

from the Biblical Recorder --
Quote:
Church member Bill Rash, who has been attending the church for about 29 years, said he stayed through the meeting, but has since resigned from his positions and decided to leave the church. He said another church member initially asked if all church members could come to the altar, pray together, forgive each other and get on with the Lord's business.

Chandler responded by saying if those who disagreed would repent, then they could get on with the Lord's work, Rash said. The pastor said if they weren't going to repent they should leave, Rash said.

That's when Lowe and the others left.

After they left, the remaining members voted to take their names off the roll, Rash said everyone voted for the measure except he and his wife, who didn't vote.

The remaining members decided that if another church wrote for the letters of those who left, East Waynesville would reply saying they had left in bad standing. Members also discussed changing the church bylaws to state that all members had to sign a statement saying they supported the pastor's political views, Rash said.

During the last presidential election, the pastor said that anyone who was supporting John Kerry should repent or resign from the church, Rash and Lowe said. The pastor offered to hold the door for them to leave, Lowe said.

 

Actually,

According to their own story, yes they did:

Joseph Botwinick </font>[/QUOTE]---------------------
Joseph,
They didnt leave the church, they left a meeting.
----------------------------

The controversy at the church reached a climax Monday, May 2, when the pastor invited all church members to a deacons meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, according to Lowe, the pastor said anyone who didn't agree with his political views should leave the meeting.
-------------------------
According to their by-laws, an illegal meeting.

 

N.C. church removes members for political views, deacon says

Date: 05/06/2005
Source: 05-43

By Steve DeVane and Greg Warner

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (ABP) -- A Baptist deacon says he and eight other members of a North Carolina church were removed from membership because they disagreed with the pastor's political views.

Frank Lowe said he had been a member of the 400-member East Waynesville Baptist Church for 43 years before he and the others were voted out May 3 for not agreeing with the conservative political views of pastor Chan Chandler.

In October, one month prior to the November 2004 presidential election, Chandler announced in a sermon that anyone who was supporting John Kerry should repent or resign from the church, Lowe said, and then the pastor offered to hold the door for them to leave.

The controversy at the church reached a climax Monday, May 2, when the pastor invited all church members to a deacons meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, according to Lowe, the pastor said anyone who didn't agree with his political views should leave the meeting.

Lowe said he and eight others, including his wife, Thelma, left. The pastor then called the church into a business session and the congregation voted to terminate the memberships of those who left, Lowe said. Among those dismissed were three deacons, he said.

The pastor's apparent endorsement of a candidate for president prior to an election could endanger East Waynesville's tax-exempt status. Federal law prevents churches and other charities organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code from officially endorsing political candidates or parties.

Chandler, the pastor, could not be reached for comment. WLOS-TV in nearby Asheville reported that Chandler declined an interview but said "the actions were not politically motivated."

Janet Webb, a church member who was at the meeting, declined to say what happened during the meeting but said that Chandler is "a man of God who only preaches against sin and to win people to Jesus Christ."

Lowe said he usually votes Democratic, while his wife votes Republican. But Chandler "says my political views support abortion and homosexuality, therefore that would be enough to turn me out of the church," Lowe said. "I am not -- positively not -- for either one."

If indeed Chandler's pulpit statement was made before the November election and did not indicate he was speaking only for himself, it would be a "pretty clear" violation of Internal Revenue Service rules against political endorsements by churches, said Brent Walker, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. That could lead the IRS to revoke East Waynesville Baptist Church's tax-exempt status.

Ralph Neas, president of the People for the American Way Foundation, called the report about the church's actions "terribly sad." "What have we come to when the doors of a church are closed to longtime members because of their political beliefs, when a pastor equates political support for the 'wrong' candidate with a sin before God?" he asked in a statement.

"Men and women of faith have every right to advocate for their political beliefs," Neas continued. "While churches, of course, can set their own membership standards, no one should punish people of faith for their political beliefs."

A North Carolina congressman has introduced legislation that would lift restrictions on political speech in churches. The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, introduced by Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), is supported by many conservative Christian groups but opposed by supporters of church-state separation.

Walker of the Baptist Joint Committee said the Waynesville church controversy "is why so many organizations are opposed to the Jones bill, because it would be so divisive -- our churches becoming 'red' churches and 'blue' churches and dividing along party lines," referring to the color designations used for political parties.

Lowe said he and his wife have been invited to other churches since the May 2 meeting. He expects they'll start attending somewhere else but wouldn't rule out an effort to "retake" the church.

Another church member, Selma Morris, said she believes the vote to remove the members isn't valid because the church bylaws weren't followed. The bylaws say a called meeting should be announced on Sunday morning. The meeting Monday was announced at the Sunday evening service, she said.

The bylaws also say a called meeting should be held two weeks after the announcement, according to Morris. The meeting was held the next night.

Morris said she wasn't at the meeting, but would have walked out with the others if she had been there. "I can't support that," she said.

 

There are other legitimate reasons why the pastor might be silent:

1. He feels this is a private Church matter and wishes to deal with it one on one in private.

2. He knows that there are close minded liberals out there ready to judge him based on the story of disgruntled troublemakers alone, and it probably won't matter what he says.

I am not necessarily saying this is absolutely what is happening, but it is possible.

Joseph Botwinick </font>[/QUOTE]

 

NO WAY should the SBC do such a thing. If the church truly was a BAPTIST church they would expel the pastor on his ear!!

 

gb93433- what you state is one reason I stopped pursuing local church ministry. So many congregations are so warped in their belief system. They will do anything to grow, and I am sure the Lord would spew many from his mouth.

 

You are correct that there are some Baptist Churches who make Baptists look bad because of their beliefs and practices. There are some "Baptist" Churches who ordain homosexuals and defend the rights of a mother to murder her child. That is disgusting. There are other churches who teach many of the heresies of Spong and other heretics along the same lines. However, as I have said many times, we have heard one side of the story from a group of disgruntled members. Perhaps, we should wait to hear both sides before casting judgment, or even, gasp...maybe it is none of our business whatsoever.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Joseph- how can you continue to "defend" the other side when it is obvious the pastor won't speak to the media. Apparently, he stands by his actions...

The controversy at the church reached a climax Monday, May 2, when the pastor invited all church members to a deacons meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, according to Lowe, the pastor said anyone who didn't agree with his political views should leave the meeting.

Sounds pretty plain to me...it is HIS way or the highway!

 

That is one side of the story.

Joseph Botwinick

 

There are other legitimate reasons why the pastor might be silent:

1. He feels this is a private Church matter and wishes to deal with it one on one in private.

2. He knows that there are close minded liberals out there ready to judge him based on the story of disgruntled troublemakers alone, and it probably won't matter what he says.

I am not necessarily saying this is absolutely what is happening, but it is possible.

Joseph Botwinick </font>[/QUOTE]

 

I have seen people, including decons leave churches over many other issues when pastors abuse their power. This is just another example of the danger of the unbiblical practice of having a Senior pastor run a church.

 

I agree we shouldn't accept this story at face value, especially since the story says, "Janet Webb, a church member who was at the meeting, declined to say what happened during the meeting but said that Chandler is "a man of God who only preaches against sin and to win people to Jesus Christ." This quote seems to contradict what the story accuses Chandler of doing.

That said - if it is true - remember, there is no "legal requirement" anywhere that says "to call your church Baptist you must .... " which is why Second Baptist exists in my city.

 

Followup story from CNN mentions he is young:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/07/church.politics.ap/index.html

 

Unfortunatley a number of control freaks seek to be ministers, and this type of thing is the damage that they do in the local community. The sooner they throw him out the better.

 

Presumably the fallout of this could mean that the IRS will get to remove that church's tax-exempt status.

 

Fair Enough

 

Joseph is right: we have only heard one side of the story. [Wow, I cannot believe that I am taking the same side as someone who has publicly identified me as an enemy. ]

If this is not true, the Pastor is owed an apology. I would have to say that I admire him for keeping silent if this is the case. It would be extremely difficult to keep silent about such a disparaging comment.
If it is true, then the Pastor's Christianity is subordinate to his politics, which speaks volumes about his character.

As someone has already noted, we may never know the validity of charge.

Regards to all of you,
BiR