Author: The Associated Press
Publication: The Dispatch, Lexington,
NC
Date: May 6, 2005
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.