Minister ex-communicates members for not backing Bush

[Derby FALs]

http://newsobserver.com/news/ncwire_news/story/2378881p-8756854c.html

The Associated Press

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. -- 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.

During last Sunday's sermon, he acknowledged that church members were upset because he named people, and he says he'll do it again because he has to according to the word of God.

Chandler could not be reached for comment today, but says his actions weren't politically motivated.

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.

A former church treasurer says she's at church to worship God and not the preacher.

(Russ Bowen, WLOS)

[stevelyn]

The Baptist Taliban is alive and well.

[Typhoon]

What happened to the concept of the secret ballot?  

And, maybe not all of want to be overt political activists?  

And, MYOB?

And...And...

Sheesh...

[Sergeant Bob]

The Baptist Taliban is alive and well.

Eight boys, killed because they laughed at soldiers. An entire family burned alive. And 100 Afghans, slain and hung from lamp posts to warn would-be defectors.

the Taliban captured Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul, castrated the country's president, and killed and tortured his brother,

massacre of 600 Uzbek villagers.

execution of scores of men and boys and the rape of women and girls

A 2001 massacre in Yakaolang, which included, according to Human Rights Watch, the executions of at least 170 men

CNN.com


Somehow, I doubt the Baptists, even in Waynesville, N.C. are hearly as bad as the Taliban.
Given how completely unbiased the mainstream media is, (especially towards evil right wing religious fundamentalists) I wonder if maybe they left out some pertinent details, or maybe embellished the with some of their own opinion.

[Guest]

I'd be surprised if they don't get in some hot water with the IRS over that one.

[Ron]

The free market applies to churches also.  The kicked out members will be welcomed somewhere.

The church will survive or maybe not with a preacher that attempts to micro-manage his flocks behavior.

Baptists are a independent bunch and its not unusual for churches to split over one issue or another.

To compare them (and me even though I haven't attended in years) to the Taliban says more about you than us.

I suppose all Muslims are terrorists also.

[RevDisk]

The free market applies to churches also.  The kicked out members will be welcomed somewhere.

Uhm, indeed free market might start applying to this church.  By discriminating based on political party, they might lose their tax excemption status.   If they wanna kick out Dems, fine.  But they should do so and still expect govt special treatment?  Heh.

Call me cynical, but with the Republicans controlling all branches of govt, the IRS will not yank this church's tax excemption.   Yay, one party govt!

[Chuck Jennings]

From other stories I have read about this incident, there are a number of older members of the congregation that were not necessarily big Dem supporters they just didn't want that kind of political nonsense in a church they had worked hard to build.  

Also, one of the ousted members was the treasurer, who refused had pointed out the serious ramifications that political endorsements could have for their non-profit status.

[Antibubba]

I would think that voting for Kerry would demonstrate the highest degree of faith-since there can be no rational reason to vote for the man.

[RevDisk]

The priest in question has resigned.


I read an article on it, and noticed one quote about a member that resigned in protest.   "I'm not going to serve with the ungodly," an angry Misty Turner declared.   Obviously Misty must have flunked her Bible Study, as she needs to re-read Matthew 9:10-12, as well as Mark 2:15-17.  

The whole debate started with Rev. Chandler's desire to turn East Waynesville Baptist Church into politically active church.   Which is fine with me.  If they want to be a political active church, they're likely going to run into problems with the IRS over their tax excemption.   Non-profit charity organizations are only allowed to do certain kinds of political activities.  No one is claiming they shouldn't be allowed to say whatever they wish to say.   They choose to limit themselves by applying for tax excemption status as a non-profit charity.

[Tallpine]

IMO getting kicked out of a church is the best thing that could happen to someone  

[roo_ster]

Well, Pastor Chowderhead got his just reward.

If the IRS has a problem with him & his church's advocacy, I guess they'll have to get in line behind the thousands of black inner city churches the Dem candidates can be found in the months before election day.

[lee n. field]

The priest in question has resigned.

Not a "priest".  Protestants in general  do not call the guy up front talking "priest".

[RevDisk]

The priest in question has resigned.

Not a "priest".  Protestants in general  do not call the guy up front talking "priest".

Ah, sorry.  I'm pagan, not Protestant.  Whatcha call the guy that leads the ritual?    

[Ron]

Ah, sorry.  I'm pagan, not Protestant.  Whatcha call the guy that leads the ritual?

Wrong again my friend.

Baptists don't perform "rituals" except for baptism which is a physical picture of the spiritual washing that occurs at salvation (trusting in Christ for salvation).Baptisms take place at the end of a service if the church has a baptismal.

And of course the Lords Supper which has no mystical power other than being a rememberance of Christs sacrifice. This is observed usually monthly or so.

The guy up front is called the paster or preacher and he delivers a sermon.

Like I said earlier,  the "market" would sort this out.  I am suprised at all the people calling for or expecting the IRS to get involved.

I guess the wall of seperation only works one way.

I don't understand why churches are required to be incorporated in the first place.

Seems to me that incorporating religious institutions and making special rules for them is exactly what the founders didn't want.

If you are a corperation you have to do what the government says,  your church is a creature of the government.

[lee n. field]

Whatcha call the guy that leads the ritual?

A pastor or a minister, with a title of "Reverend", usually.  Conceptuallly, at least among Presbyterians (what I was raised as) he's a teaching elder, as distinct from a ruling elder.

Being a priest involves intercession bettween God and the people.  The emphasis in the bodies that seperated from the Roman Church during the Protestant Reformation has been on the unique priestly intercessory role of Jesus ("after the order of Melchizedek", ie. not from the official Jewish Aaronic priesthood.  See the New Testament letter to the Hebrews.).  
 
That's our take on it, anyway.  

The various Orthodox bodies, the Church of Rome, and Anglicans all refer to their guys as "priests".