NC Pastor kicks out Democratic members of Church
WAYNESVILLE, N.C. - A pastor who led a charge to kick out nine church members who refused to support President Bush was the talk of the town Saturday in this mountain hamlet, with ousted congregants considering hiring a lawyer.
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Pastor Chan Chandler greeted people at the door of tiny East Waynesville Baptist Church on Saturday evening as the church choir practiced and even welcomed them to attend services Sunday morning — if there’s room inside. But he was not prepared to talk about his mixing of religion and politics.
“On the advice of counsel, I’ve been advised not to have any comment at this time,” Chandler told The Associated Press. “We will have a statement later.”
Members of the congregation said Chandler told them during last year’s presidential campaign that anyone who planned to vote for Democratic nominee John Kerry needed to leave the church.
Longtime member Selma Morris, who was treasurer at the church, said Chandler’s sermons remained political after Bush won re-election. This past week, his comments turned to politics again at a church gathering that ended with nine members voted out.
Some ousted members to meet with lawyer
Morris said Saturday that some of the ousted members planned to meet with an attorney on Monday to discuss their options. “We’re hoping he (the attorney) will make him leave so that the church members can come back,” she said.
“This is very disturbing,” said Pastor Robert Prince III, who leads the congregation at the nearby First Baptist Church. “I’ve been a pastor for more than 25 years, and I have never seen church members voted out for something like this.”
Those who are still members did not know if the church would be open for services Sunday, or if Chandler would be in the pulpit to preach.
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