Coalition created by famed atheist's son forms group to monitor liberal churches for tax violations

By JESSICA ALLEN

Date published: 8/16/2004

A conservative religious organization is keeping an eye on local churches, threatening to report any that endorse or disparage political candidates in violation of their nonprofit status.

The Big Brother Church Watch, a group sponsored by the Religious Freedom Action Coalition, is sending volunteers throughout Virginia to sit in church pews and take notes.

If there is any indication of an endorsement of, or objection to, a specific political candidate, the group has said it will report that church to the Internal Revenue Service, which could revoke their tax-exempt status.

The group is targeting so-called "liberal churches" such as the Metropolitan Community churches, Unitarian Universalist fellowships and African Methodist Episcopal churches.

"You tend to hear more about the conservatives, but no one is checking the liberal churches," said Peggy Birchfield, executive director of the Religious Freedom Action Coalition in Washington.

The organization, founded by Spotsylvania County resident William J. Murray, aims to make sure that political activities of liberal churches are reported, she said.

Murray's mother, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, was an active atheist who filed a lawsuit that eventually led to a Supreme Court decision banning school-sponsored prayer.

The group, functioning through its Web site, ratoutachurch.org, was created several weeks ago in response to a IRS complaint filed last month by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State against the Rev. Jerry Falwell, Birchfield said.

The Americans United, based in Washington, charged that televangelist Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, violated tax-exemption laws when he endorsed President Bush on his ministries Web site. He specifically urged conservative people of faith to vote for the president's re-election.

The IRS won't comment on the complaint.

The Rev. Barry Lynn, Americans United executive director, said his organization's agenda is nonpartisan.

"We have reported churches that have endorsed John Kerry as well as George Bush," he said. "We want to get all churches and religious groups to obey the law."

The Americans United gathers most of its information from news organizations or church members who are upset with their houses of worship. It doesn't send people to churches, he said.

Local ministers say they aren't worried either way.

"We've got nothing to hide," said the Rev. Stephanie Burns, pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Fredericksburg. "We do make available voter registration materials and focus on issues in our community, but we lobby the issue within the limitation of our 501(c)(3) status."

The Metropolitan Community Church is a Christian denomination reaching out primarily to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.

The Rev. Jeff Jones, senior minister at the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, said he has no concerns of the monitors.

"We are involved in social justice issues," he said. "But we stay focused on issues, not parties or candidates."

Date published: 8/16/2004