BUENA PARK, Calif. (ABP) — An early candidate for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention has called on Baptists to pray for misfortune to befall employees of a church-state watchdog group.
Wiley Drake, a pastor, radio crusader and Baptist gadfly, issued an Aug. 14 statement calling for “imprecatory prayer” from his supporters against two communications staffers for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The term “imprecatory prayer” is used to describe prayers, mostly in the Bible's Old Testament, that the righteous used to call down God's wrath against their enemies.
Americans United, based in Washington, advocates for a strict interpretation of the Constitution's ban on government support for religion. They asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the tax-exempt status of Drake's congregation, First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, Calif., after Drake used church letterhead and a church-supported radio show to endorse a Republican presidential candidate.
Drake, who served as the SBCs second vice president in 2006-2007, also became the first person publicly announced as a nominee for the SBC presidency Aug. 13. That day a member of Drake's church, Robert Bosworth, announced his intention to nominate his pastor for the SBC presidency at the denomination's next annual meeting, in June in Indianapolis.
Drake sent out the statement endorsing former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee Aug. 11, and later endorsed him again on his radio show. On Aug. 12, Huckabee surprised many observers by coming in second place in the Republican field in the Iowa Straw Poll.
The federal revenue code prevents churches and other non-profits organized under certain sections of the law from endorsing political candidates or parties. However, they are allowed to speak out on ballot issues.
“Federal tax law is clear,” Barry Lynn, Americans United executive director, said in a press statement on the investigation request. “Churches and other non-profits may not endorse candidates, if they want to keep their tax exemption. I am confident that the vast majority of Americans do not want to see their houses of worship politicized.”
In Drake's written endorsement, he said that of all the candidates running for president, “Mike Huckabee will listen to God.” Before serving as governor, Huckabee was pastor of several prominent Arkansas Baptist churches. He also served as president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.
“After very serious prayer and consideration I announce today that I am going to personally endorse Mike Huckabee,” Drake wrote. “I ask all of my Southern Baptist brothers and sisters to consider getting behind Mike and helping him all you can. First of all, pray and then ask God, ‘What should I do to put feet to my prayers?' Do what God tells you to do.”
Lynn wrote that Drake may express personal views on political candidates but said federal tax law prohibits such endorsements by religious leaders acting as officials of non-profit religious groups.
“Use of church letterhead to endorse a candidate for public office appears to violate the provisions of federal tax law that prohibit non-profit intervention in political campaigns,” Lynn said. “Drake's endorsement of a candidate on a church-based radio show raises the same concerns.”
In the past, churches that faced similar charges have lost their tax-exempt status, although often the IRS simply warns tax-exempt organizations against further violations.
The letterhead Drake used for the Huckabee endorsement also lists his SBC vice-presidential office. The fact that he formerly served as an SBC officer is also noted on the press release calling for God's wrath on Americans United.
In the statement, Drake asks supporters to “specifically target” the group's communications director, Joe Conn, and his associate, Jeremy Leaming. Their names usually appear as the return address or contact line on press releases. Drake's call to arms said Conn and Leaming “are those who lead the attack” on him.
The statement justifies its call to arms by citing statements from Jesus, the apostle Paul, John Calvin, Martin Luther and the book of Psalms. It quotes extensively from Psalm 109, in which the Psalmist asks God that his enemy's “children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.”
The Psalmist, quoted by Drake, also asks that his enemy's “children be continually vagabonds, and beg; let them seek bread also out of their desolate places.”
“Let there be none to extend mercy unto him,” Drake quoted, “Neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.”
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— Robert Marus contributed to this story.