Preachers and politics
Chan Chandler, pastor of East Waynesville Baptist Church, ought to be fired -- despite his protestations of a "great misunderstanding."
He's embarrassed his church and the friendly mountain town of Waynesville, where I lived for a couple of years in the late-'70s.
The question that intrigues me is whether the ousted members of his church have a legal case ...
They've reportedly been talking with attorneys, possibly with the notion of lawsuits in mind.
Do they have a case?
Churches are entitled to set their own membership standards, which usually are based on matters of faith. For example, no law can or should force a Christian, Jewish or Muslim congregation to admit an avowed atheist as a member.
Political views normally aren't considered matters of faith, and most of us would say emphatically they never should be. But can a church be prohibited from doing so?
Sure, if it does, it should be stripped of its tax-exempt status by the IRS.
But suppose a church does adopt a political philosophy as part of its set of religious beliefs and bestows or removes membership accordingly. Can a court intervene on behalf of an individual protesting his expulsion by the governing body of the church?
Wait a minute. What business would a court, or the government, have in telling a church what belief system it can require of its members? Isn't there a 1st Amendment issue here?
On the other hand, these ousted church members may have made significant contributions to the church -- financially and otherwise -- for many years. Then in comes some hotheaded young minister who starts beating a drum for political causes, persuading leaders of the church to conduct a purge of dissidents. What rights do those dissidents have to protect the investments of time, talent and treasure they've made in that church? Can it all be taken away from them at the whim of the preacher and a few deacons? Maybe they have some kind of legal case on those grounds.
Of course, no legal case will be necessary if Chandler resigns or is fired. That would be the best resolution.
Comments (7)
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Most small independent churches are set up as non-profit entities governed by a board that sets the standard for membership. The minister is an employee of the church and could generally be hired or fired by the board. A minister would not have the inherent power to dismiss members. But the board could set criteria for membership or expel church members. How this took place would depend on the church's bylaws.
Posted on May 10, 2005 9:32 AM
I wonder if Chandler also expelled those with political beliefs that are even more Christian than the middle-of-the-road Republicans. A Consitution Party advocate, for example.
Posted on May 10, 2005 11:38 AM
I wonder if Chandler also expelled those with political beliefs that are even more Christian than the middle-of-the-road Republicans. A Consitution Party advocate, for example.
Posted by: Rusty Sheridan at May 10, 2005 11:38 AM
Posted on May 10, 2005 12:35 PM
The pastor should submit to church discpline, both his church and presumably the Southern Baptist Conention's. In many ways this is much harder than simply being fired.
Such discipline is normally designed to restore the individual. This means the pastor must show remorse, repentance and humility to God and man. (Man tends to be more harsh and far less merciful, loving and forgiving than God.)
Simply firing the pastor gives him an easy way out. Seeking legal damages will make a martyr out of him. I blogged on this point as well.
Posted on May 10, 2005 5:58 PM
Just read & re-read your entry. You seem to beleive a person's activities within a church, (you mentioned financial gifts), are directed to the church itself. This is rarely the case. I think you are insulting the folks who were kicked out of that church.
Liberal and conservative Southern Baptists would all say their investment of time and money to their church home is for God. In fact, your article seems to leave out God altogether.
Posted on May 10, 2005 8:07 PM
unoitso,
Thanks for your comments. I'm not presuming to know the motives of the ousted church members. Yes, believers give to God through their gifts to a church.
Yet, one might have made a gift of, say, a piano. Or helped pay for a new roof. Those kind of gifts represent an investment in the church. If I had done that, and then was expelled from the church for political reasons, I might think I had some kind of legal claim.
Posted on May 11, 2005 8:38 AM
Understood. Jesus made it clear that when you give- say- a piano to the church for any other purpose than to glorify God, your reward has already been received. So yes, you could try and get your money back since it was not for God in the first place.
Jesus specifically discouraged giving that way. It was common practice for religious leaders to give so people would see their generosity in those times. He told us to give to God in secret and He would reward us in heaven.
As I think about it, even if a gift is misused by the recipient, this teaching exonerates the giver...
Posted on May 11, 2005 10:12 AM