May 27, 2002
BGCT Executive Board sees danger in two House bills
___DALLAS--Legislation proposed in Washington that would allow churches to engage in partisan politics and make contributions to political campaigns is a bad idea, the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board warned May 21.
___At the conclusion of the board's spring meeting in Dallas, members approved without dissent a resolution proposed by Don Wilkey, pastor of First Baptist Church of Onalaska. The resolution addressed House Resolution 2357, the Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act, and House Resolution 2931, the Bright-Line Act of 2001.
___Current law does not regulate what churches and church leaders may say on social or moral issues. However, Internal Revenue Service laws prohibit churches from engaging in partisan politics, including endorsement of candidates and contributions to political campaigns. Church violating these prohibitions may lose their tax-exempt status.
___Under the proposed legislation, churches not only could endorse specific candidates, they also could contribute up to 5 percent of their gross annual revenues to candidates' campaigns and up to 20 percent of church funds to efforts intended to influence legislation.
___The BGCT resolution claims the proposed legislation would "authorize direct partisan political action by churches" and make churches "a tool of political parties or candidates."
___"Such legislation would cause monumental strife and divisiveness within congregations," the resolution adds.
___Phil Strickland, director of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission, also addressed the matter in his report to the board.
___The two bills proposed in Congress would "turn churches into soft-money conduits," he warned, allowing individuals who already have given the maximum contribution to a candidate to launder additional contributions through churches.
___Further, the bills would "turn churches into agents of partisan politics" when churches instead should be prophets, Strickland said.
___The stated intent of the bills, to allow churches to speak freely to moral and policy issues, is a right churches and church leaders already have, Strickland added.
___The changes proposed would be "hugely, highly, radically divisive" in congregations, he predicted, and would "place churches in the midst of political struggle over every political candidate."
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