Barry Lynn Questions Pro- Bush Church's Tax Status

IRS urged to review church's tax status

By Paul Nowell,The Associated Press

The Internal Revenue Service should reconsider the tax-exempt status of a Baptist church where nine members say they were expelled in a political dispute with their pastor, an advocacy group said yesterday.

The Rev. Barry Lynn, director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, sent a letter to the IRS in response to reports that the Rev. Chan Chandler led an effort to expel members of East Waynesville Baptist Church in western North Carolina because they did not support President Bush.

"The IRS cannot afford to ignore such blatant disregard for our nation's tax laws, as it sends a signal to other religious leaders that they, too, can engage in partisan politicking from the pulpit without fear of sanction," Lynn wrote.

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