WASHINGTON (ABP) — GOP presidential candidate John McCain is raising questions about his religious affiliation with a comment he made Sept. 16 at a campaign stop in heavily Baptist South Carolina.
The Arizona senator, according to the Associated Press, answered a question about how his Episcopal faith affects his decision-making by saying, “It plays a role in my life. By the way, I'm not [an] Episcopalian. I'm Baptist.”
He reportedly continued, “Do I advertise my faith? Do I talk about it all the time? No.”
McCain, as recently as in a June interview with McClatchy newspapers, has consistently described himself as an Episcopalian. He was raised in the denomination and attended the prestigious Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. Biographical sketches in several well-known congressional directories — information that is usually provided by members of Congress or their staffers — list McCain's faith as the Episcopal Church.
But he has also acknowledged that for years he and his family have attended North Phoenix Baptist Church when at home in Arizona. North Phoenix is one of the largest congregations in the Phoenix area.
In the June interview, McCain said that, while his wife and children had been baptized into the Baptist faith, he had not chosen to enter into believer's baptism. “I didn't find it necessary to do so for my spiritual needs,” he said.
However, the AP reported that McCain indicated in his South Carolina comments he was an “active member” of the North Phoenix church. However, the vast majority of Baptist churches stipulate that in order to attain full membership individuals must have made a public profession of faith followed by baptism by immersion.
By press time for this story, Dan Yeary, the church's pastor, did not return several telephone and Internet inquiries about McCain's membership or the church's baptism policy.
A statement of faith posted on North Phoenix's website says: “In Scripture, baptism followed the decision of a person to surrender one's self to God for salvation in Jesus Christ. Through baptism, we announce our commitment to the church and our desire to live a life following the example of Jesus Christ.”
McCain's campaign also did not return ABP's inquiries about his church membership.
By Sept. 17, the incident had been publicized in scores of newspaper stories and on several national television news programs. Cornered by a CNN reporter about the issue, McCain reiterated he had been raised an Episcopalian but had attended North Phoenix “for many years.” He continued, “And the most important thing is that I am a Christian, and I don't have anything else to say about the issue.”
But several bloggers and pundits have suggested that McCain's sudden switch to describing himself as Baptist was motivated by his appearance in a primary state where Baptists outnumber any other single religious group. South Carolina's crucial early primary is also the first in which Baptists will play a significant role, particularly for Republican contenders.
According to a Sept. 18 AP story, McCain laughed off the suggestion that his newly claimed Baptist identity would garner him support in South Carolina, noting his loss to another former Episcopalian — George W. Bush — in the 2000 South Carolina primary.
“I was a member of that church [North Phoenix Baptist] in 2000 and it didn't save me then,” McCain said.
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