Nothing Improper With Upcoming 'Values Voter Summit,' Say Organizers
by Fred Jackson and Jody Brown
September 19, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Pro-family groups are dismissing warnings that a campaign they're launching this week could result in churches losing their tax-exempt status.The conservative groups and their supporters will gather in Washington, DC, this week for what they are calling the "2006 Values Voter Summit." Among those slated to speak are pro-family leaders Dr. James Dobson, Gary Bauer, Rev. Don Wildmon, and Tony Perkins -- and national leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback. The stated objective of the three-day event (September 22-24) is to "educate and equip Values Voters on today's family issues."
But Barry Lynn's group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, claims efforts by these conservative leaders to enlist clergy and their flocks in this year's election campaign could violate government rules for non-profit organizations. Lynn believes the upcoming conference may be used to recruit churches for a campaign to keep Republicans in control of Congress -- and he wants churches to know that endorsing or supporting political candidates could cost them their tax-exempt status. But organizers of the Values Voter Summit deny they will be asking churches to do that.
Lynn tells Associated Press that his group is mailing its warning to 117,000 churches in 11 states where he claims Dobson and other conservative leaders are mobilizing to elect like-minded candidates. "We want to alert religious leaders throughout the country to the efforts of Focus on the Family [Dobson's group] and other Religious Right groups to lure churches into partisan political activity," he says. "This new thrust is dangerous and could put at jeopardy the tax exemption of many of America's individual churches."
Lynn describes Dobson as no longer "simply a grandfatherly giver of advice to families," but now as a "hardball political operative" who has become deeply engaged in partisan politics. Dobson's involvement, as well as that of other pro-family leaders, obviously concerns the Americans United leader, who says he is convinced the Focus on the Family founder and other "Religious Right leaders" desire to build a "church-based political machine on behalf of favored Republican candidates."
"There will be breakout sessions [at this week's conference] on organizing in local churches," Lynn shares, "and that's where we suspect the rubber really will hit the road when it comes to this kind of potentially illegal activity by local churches."
Empty Threats, Say Summit Participants
But Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, who clarifies that no churches will be asked to endorse candidates, says he will not be intimidated by Barry Lynn's threats. And churches, he adds, will not be frightened into silence on political issues. "Barry Lynn's a playground bully," says Minnery during an AP interview. "He would like to clear the playground of everybody except those who believe as he does. And we, of course, would never want churches to risk their tax-exempt status."
Likewise, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins -- whose group is hosting the Values Voter Summit -- says churches will not be intimidated by Lynn's warning letters. "There are now thousands of pastors all across the country who understand not only do they have a right to participate in our process of government, but as Christian leaders they have a responsibility to speak to the important issues of our day -- and that's exactly what they're doing," states the FRC head.
And as for Lynn's observation that the Washington conference is a partisan event where only Republicans will be allowed to speak? Perkins says he cannot help it if only Republicans support the issues that conservative Christians care about. He offers an open invitation, saying "if there's a Democratic candidate who marches to an independent drum beat and will stand on these issues, we'd love to have them."
Both Perkins and Minnery insist that churches will not be asked to endorse candidates, but only to have voter registration drives and distribute non-partisan voter guides as ways of participating in the upcoming election campaign. "The general theme," says Minnery, "would be to recruit people to get involved -- and if people want to contact their pastors and [suggest their church] do a voter registration drive, there's nothing improper about that whatsoever."
Associated Press contributed to this story.
