The church was involved in a 2005 controversy after the pastor allegedly expelled members because of their political views.
During a May 2 deacons' meeting, its pastor Chan Chandler allegedly told any members who had supported John Kerry in the 2004 United States presidential election to leave.
Chandler then allegedly declared an impromptu business meeting, and a majority of the 20 church members present voted to expel those who left.
[3] Chandler had been vocal in earlier months that he considered voting for the Democratic Party tantamount to supporting homosexuality and abortion.
[8] Groups campaigning for church-state separation called for the Internal Revenue Service to consider removing the church's tax-exempt status on the grounds that it engaged in political advocacy.
[1][17] The dispute focused attention on the limits, if any, on the relationship of sermonizing from the pulpit and the political activities of religious practitioners.