Evangelical churches accused of illegal political activities

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-22/113740284260360.xml&storylist=cleveland

1/16/2006, 4:07 a.m. ET
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Local clergy from nine mainstream denominations have accused two evangelical churches of illegal political activities involving an Ohio candidate for governor and want the Internal Revenue Service to investigate, The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday.

The 31 religious leaders met Sunday night and signed a letter asking the IRS to determine if the churches should lose tax-exempt status over what they claim to be improper campaigning for Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican.

The Rev. Rod Parsley of World Harvest Church in Columbus and the Rev. Russell Johnson of Fairfield Christian Church in Lancaster improperly used their churches and affiliated entities for partisan politics, according to the complaint to be faxed to IRS Commissioner Mark Everson...


The complaint alleges that Blackwell was the only gubernatorial candidate showcased in church-sponsored events conducted by Parsley and Johnson. It also alleges that the evangelists' voter-registration campaign was done to support Blackwell and "biased" voter education materials were distributed by the churches for Blackwell's candidacy...



Churches could face IRS probe
Pastors Parsley, Johnson exploited pulpits to play politics, ministers’ complaint alleges

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/01/16/20060116-A1-00.html

Monday, January 16, 2006
Mike Harden and Joe Hallett
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

ADAM CAIRNS | DISPATCH

More than 30 local pastors last night officially accused two evangelical megachurches of illegal political activities.

In a rare and potentially explosive action, the moderate ministers signed a complaint asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate World Harvest Church of Columbus and Fairfield Christian Church of Lancaster and determine if their tax-exempt status should be revoked.

The grievance claims that the Rev. Rod Parsley of World Harvest Church and the Rev. Russell Johnson of Fairfield Christian Church improperly used their churches and affiliated entities — the Center for Moral Clarity, Ohio Restoration Project and Reformation Ohio — for partisan politics, including supporting the Republican gubernatorial candidacy of Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell.

The complaint asks the IRS to seek a court injunction "if these churches’ flagrant political campaign activities do not cease immediately." It was signed by 31 pastors from nine denominations during a meeting last night at the North Congregational United Church of Christ in Columbus and was to be faxed late last night to IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson...


Group Seeks I.R.S. Inquiry of Two Ohio Churches

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16/national/16church.html

By STEPHANIE STROM

Published: January 16, 2006

A group of religious leaders has sent a complaint to the Internal Revenue Service requesting an investigation of two large churches in Ohio that they say are improperly campaigning on behalf of a conservative Republican running for governor.

In their complaint, the clergy members contend that the two Columbus-area churches, Fairfield Christian Church and the World Harvest Church, which were widely credited with getting out the Ohio vote for President Bush in 2004, have allowed their facilities to be used by Republican organizations, promoted the candidate, J. Kenneth Blackwell, among their members and otherwise violated prohibitions on political activity by tax-exempt groups.

They are asking the I.R.S. to examine whether the churches' tax exemptions should be revoked and are requesting that Mark W. Everson, the federal tax commissioner, seek an injunction to stop what they consider improper activities.

Both churches denied that any of their activities violated limitations on nonprofit political activity. "We endorse values, but not candidates," said the Rev. Russell Johnson, Fairfield's leader...

[NJCher]

1. First "Smile of the Day" Award

...goes to you, Algorem, for posting that.




Cher

[Crazy Dave]

2. Should this also apply to Democratic candidates...

...when they go to black churches while campaigning, promising the ministers political favors for votes, or people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton who do nothing but preach political agendas?
I don't believe in hypocrisy or double standards when both sides are breaking the rules. In my opinion it's a non-issue if we're doing the same thing. Do you feel we (dems) should be allowed to break the rules but not them (neo-pugs)?

Let's stick with the Abramoff scandal. So far no democrats are involved to my knowledge.
:popcorn:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. only if

the churches are as blatantly partisan as these two were. I don't recall hearing of any Dem going to a church and talking and then that church distributing biased literature in favor of that particular Dem. I think that's the difference-these two churches were candidate specific in what they were doing to the point of passing out campaign literature. I think that's the difference. I would personally have problems if any church became a branch campaign office for anyone, Dem or repuke.

Also, having read here a couple of weeks back where the IRS was investigating yanking tax exempt status from a church just because the minister gave an anti-war sermon, this news today was a bit of fresh air.

[izzie]

5. IN the USA anti-war seems to be anti-Christian now.

Does it ever stop?

[Crazy Dave]

7. Never, it also means you're anti-american, you hate the troops, etc.

Even if you are only a democrat all the above applies.

[Crazy Dave]

6. >>the churches are as blatantly partisan as these two were

And they are. I'm sorry that I can't point you specifically to a sound clip but I did hear plenty during '04 and I've heard about it frequently on NPR. Some black ministers will not put up with it as it is strictly partisan and not only breaks political and tax laws, it shows a complete disrespect to their church and the ministers that do allow their church and it's members to be used as political toys get or are promised some type of political favor down the road.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. My order will not allow anything political be done in its name

but members of my religious order are allowed to pariticipate in politics to any extent they please. So when I lead a religious ceremony, no mention is made of politics-the closest we get talk of Peace, and that is always general. I am sure the mainline ministers who started this action belong to denominations that have a similar guideline to my order.

[Crazy Dave]

9. Very good.

This is an issue that I have a lot of disdain for, churches with political agendas and most of them do. Anti-abortion, gay oppression, anti-alcohol, anti-gambling, what YOU (not them) can watch on TV and especially, telling you who you should vote for.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. It's about time mainstream churches

started standing up to the fundies. I think that many mainstream ministers are finally waking up to the fact that these churches are hijacking Christianity.

[MelissaB]

10. More info from a while back that I keep handy

'Patriot pastors' recruited
Churchgoers will be urged to vote

By Howard Wilkinson
Enquirer staff writer


KINGS MILLS - The luncheon Thursday at the Kings Island Conference Center could easily have been mistaken for a political party affair, with politicians, speaking over the clank of forks and knives, exhorting the guests to go out and register new voters and make sure they get to the polls.

...snip

They were, for the most part, men and women of the clergy - evangelicals, Pentecostals, Baptists and a smattering of Catholic clerics and laymen.

They were being recruited for the Ohio Restoration Project, the brainchild of the Rev. Russell Johnson, pastor of a 2,500-member evangelical church in the southeastern Ohio town of Lancaster. He wants to build a force of Christian conservatives - the "values voters'' who oppose abortion, want to protect traditional marriage and oppose higher taxes - to dominate Ohio politics, starting with the 2006 gubernatorial election.

...snip

And he plans to do it by recruiting an army of more than 2,000 pastors - "patriot pastors,'' as he calls them - to do the grassroots work.


More: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050826/NEWS01/508260404/-1/CINCI

Since the Ohio Restoration Project is a non-profit organization it can't endorse candidates, but it was clear that their favorite candidates for governor is Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. Read how he quotes MLK, JR and Mother Teresa and gets a standing ovation as he strongly encourages Christian conservatives to "get involved in the political process."


Not concerned yet?

Christian group protests proposed amendments

MASON — Christian conservatives rallied Thursday against four proposed state constitutional amendments that would change how Ohio residents vote and how elections are supervised statewide.

The Ohio Restoration Project invited about 500 religious and political leaders to the Kings Island Resort and Conference Center, encouraging them to register voters and organize against the amendments proposed for the November ballot by Reform Ohio Now.

“I believe the hinges of history are turning on our watch,” said pastor Russell Johnson of Lancaster.

More: http://www.middletownjournal.com/hp/content/news/stories/2005/08/26/mj0826reform.html

About Reform Ohio Now

Link to their website: http://www.ohiocitizen.org/moneypolitics/ron/ron.htm

[MelissaB]

11. That second link doesn't seem to be working. Try this one.

http://www.reformohionow.org/news.jsp?news_item_KEY=1667&t=news