East Waynesville Baptist Church

The church was built in 1965.{{cite news |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/faithvalues/2002267307_church08.html |date=May 8, 2005 |title=North Carolina church torn by pastor's partisan passion |first1=Paul |last1=Nowell |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Seattle Times |quote=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.|accessdate=October 3, 2016}}

The church received mass media attention in May 2005. During a May 2 deacons' meeting, its pastor Chan Chandler allegedly told any members who had supported John Kerry in the 2004 United States presidential election to leave. This statement was reportedly captured on audio tape.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4648182 |title=Pastor Accused of Political Partisanship Steps Down |date=May 11, 2005 |work=Day to Day |first1=Alex |last1=Chadwick |publisher=WDET National Public Radio |accessdate=September 30, 2016}} Nine members of the church, including at least one deacon, left the meeting at that point. Chandler then allegedly declared an impromptu business meeting, and a majority of the 20 church members present voted to expel those who left.{{cite news |url=http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050507/NEWS01/50506036/1001 |title=Members say church ousts Kerry supporters |location=Asheville, North Carolina |newspaper=Citizen-Times |publisher=Gannett}}{{dead link|date=September 2016}}

Chandler had been vocal in earlier months that he considered voting for the Democratic Party tantamount to supporting homosexuality and abortion. Forty church members threatened to terminate their membership in protest against the actions taken at the meeting.{{cite news |title=Political Split Leaves Church Sadder and Greyer |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 16, 2005 |first1=Shaila |last1=Dewan |location=Waynesville, North Carolina |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/16/us/political-split-leaves-a-church-sadder-and-grayer.html?_r=0 |accessdate=September 29, 2016}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/07/AR2005050700972.html |title=N.C. Church Kicks Out Members Who Do Not Support Bush Nine members were voted out of the church May 2 at Pastor Chan Chandler's urging, members say. Forty others quit in protest. |first1=Andre A. |last1=Rodriguez |newspaper=The Washington Post |agency=Associated Press |date=May 8, 2005 |location=Waynesville, N.C. |accessdate=September 30, 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://staugustine.com/stories/050905/nat_3066398.shtml#.V-5S5eArK70 |title=Pastor calls ousting of members a 'great misunderstanding' |first1=Paul |last1=Nowell |agency=Associated Press |date=May 9, 2005 |newspaper=St. Augustine Record |accessdate=September 30, 2016}}[http://www.biblicalrecorder.org/content/news/2005/5_9_2005/ne090505achurch.shtml Church removes members for political views, deacon says] The Biblical Recorder {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050510085858/http://www.biblicalrecorder.org/content/news/2005/5_9_2005/ne090505achurch.shtml |date=May 10, 2005 }}

The BSCNC called the actions attributed to the church leadership "highly irregular" and warned that they could threaten the church's tax-exempt status.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/09/AR2005050901026.html Politics Prompt Church Tax Questions]{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Washington Post {{Cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/09/AR2005050901026.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2005-05-10 }} Groups campaigning for church-state separation called for the Internal Revenue Service to consider removing the church's tax-exempt status on the grounds that it engaged in political advocacy.[http://www.bscnc.org/insidebscnc/pressroomnewsletters/membersousted.htm East Waynesville Action 'Highly Irregular'] North Carolina Baptists {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050512081539/http://www.bscnc.org/insidebscnc/pressroomnewsletters/membersousted.htm |date=May 12, 2005 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-aug-20-le-sunday20.2-story.html |title=Politics in the church pews |first1=Larry |last1=Tamblyn |first2=Ellen P. |last2=April |date=August 20, 2006 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=September 30, 2016}} A writer in Christianity Today said the negative comments about John Kerry cross a line and could have fomented negative tax action. He noted, however, that the parish suffered from a demographic split. Dubbing it "Chandlergate" he noted that according to the Raleigh News and Observer, 35 Chandler followers left the sanctuary when Chandler resigned.{{cite news |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/mayweb-only/31.0a.html |title=Baptist Pastor Accused of Expelling Kerry Voters Quits |first1=Ted |last1=Olsen |date=April 13, 2006 |quote="For me to remain now would only cause more hurt for me and my family," he said at a special business meeting last night. "I am resigning with gratitude in my heart for all of you, particularly those of you who love me and my family." He admitted they left the church, "For me to remain now would only cause more hurt for me and my family," he said at a special business meeting last night. "I am resigning with gratitude in my heart for all of you, particularly those of you who love me and my family." |accessdate=October 4, 2016}}

In speaking to the Baptist Press, Chandler attempted "to clarify whether the nine people were in fact voted out of the church, Chandler said they initially left voluntarily." He also told the Baptist Press: "I don't know how these folks voted," Chandler told Baptist Press. "And I never endorsed any candidate." But he admits he preached about the "unbiblical values" of John Kerry, particularly in regard to abortion and homosexuality. He also claimed to have "mentioned two Republicans' names" as unbiblical examples. He opined that he made "negative endorsements" but "never a positive endorsement" of a candidate.>

On May 10, 2005 Chandler resigned as pastor.{{cite news |url=http://www.bpnews.net/20768 |title=Embattled N.C. pastor resigns, says he was misunderstood

|first1=Norm |last1=Miller |date=May 11, 2005 |newspaper=Baptist Press |accessdate=October 4, 2016}}[http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=1031970&tw=wn_wire_story Pastor Accused of Running Out Dems Resigns] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050514045012/http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=1031970&tw=wn_wire_story |date=May 14, 2005 }}{{cite news |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-05-11-church-politics_x.htm |title=After rejecting Kerry voters, North Carolina pastor quits |location=Waynesville, N.C. |agency=AP |newspaper=USA Today |date=May 11, 2005 |accessdate=September 30, 2016}} He denied that the actions at the meeting were politically motivated, but did not give his version of events.{{efn-ua|One source claimed the "not politically motivated" statement was a sap to the Internal Revenue Service, lest the tax exempt status of the church be jeopardized.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-13-oe-sullivan13-story.html |title=Commentary: Vote 'Wrong,' Go to Hell? |date=May 13, 2005 |first1=Amy |last1=Sullivan |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=October 3, 2016}}}} The BSCNC offered to assist the church in healing the rift between the factions.{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7769149 |title=Political North Carolina pastor resigns: Pastor was accused of ousting members who voted against Bush |date=May 10, 2005 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=NBC |access-date=September 29, 2016}}

At least some of the former parishioners continued to be disgruntled, and contemplated taking further actions, including hiring an attorney.{{cite news |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/05/08/members_voted_out_of_church_weigh_steps/ |title=Members voted out of church weigh steps: Alleged pastor told them to back Bush steps |first1=Paul |last1=Nowell |agency=Associated Press |date=May 8, 2005 |newspaper=The Boston Globe |accessdate=September 30, 2016}}

The dispute focused attention on the limits, if any, on the relationship of sermonizing from the pulpit and the political activities of religious practitioners.{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0512/p03s01-ussc.html |title=Limits of pulpit politics tested in N.C.: First, the pastor told Democrats to leave the church. Now he has left, leaving simmering debate in his wake. |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |first1=Patrik |last1=Jonsson |quote=If the rupture of this congregation was an extreme event for a church, it is also part of a simmering debate nationwide about how politicized the pulpit should be. Even in an era of intense partisan divides, the reaction of parishioners here suggests that even in the heart of "red-state" America, many want to see some boundary drawn between the demands of their faith and their ballot-box choices.|date=May 12, 2005 |accessdate=September 30, 2016}} An opposing view is that a church, being a voluntary association, has an inherent right to discipline and choose its members incidental to its rights of Freedom of religion and Freedom of association, which should not be interfered with by the state.{{efn-ua|Understanding, however, that there was no Action of state involved and no legal interference with this process.{{cite news |url=http://www.libertymagazine.org/article/incident-at-east-waynesville |title=Incident at East Waynesville |date=September–October 2005 |work=Liberty |first1=Chase |last1=Adams |accessdate=October 3, 2016}}}}

• Baptists in the history of separation of church and state

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Category:Baptist churches in North Carolina

Category:Churches in Haywood County, North Carolina

Category:Separation of church and state

Category:Waynesville, North Carolina