March 6, 2008 | Read Time: 2 minutes
The Internal Revenue Service is inquiring into the political activities of the United Church of Christ after Sen. Barack Obama gave a speech there last summer.
The church, which has 1.2 million members, invited Mr. Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, to deliver a talk as part of its 50th-anniversary celebration. Mr. Obama worships at a church affiliated with United Church of Christ.
In a letter to the church, the IRS says it is concerned that Mr. Obama used the speech as a chance to campaign, saying “reasonable belief exists that the United Church of Christ has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status.”
The IRS also noted that volunteers for Mr. Obama were seated outside the arena where he spoke.
However, church officials say that dozens of other people, including representatives from the arts, sciences, news media, and government, also spoke at the celebration.
In addition, it says the invitation was extended to Mr. Obama months before he announced his candidacy. What’s more, the church says Mr. Obama spoke only about his personal spiritual journey, nothing political.
In a separate case, the IRS opened a formal investigation into the activities of Wiley Drake, pastor of the First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif.
Mr. Drake confirmed the IRS sent him a letter in February asking about a press release he distributed in August endorsing Mike Huckabee, a Republican presidential candidate whom Mr. Drake said he viewed as the most favorable to evangelical Christians.
Mr. Wiley also hosts a Christian radio show and endorsed Mr. Huckabee on the air.
However, his lawyer, Erik Stanley, says Mr. Wiley made it clear in both cases that he endorsed Mr. Huckabee personally, not as a representative of his church, which would make his actions legal and would not jeopardize the church’s tax-exempt status.
Mr. Stanley — senior counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal organization that will help Mr. Wiley prepare his defense — says the church will respond to the IRS by mid-March.
The IRS declined to comment, citing its policy of refraining from public discussion of whether organizations are under investigation.
The investigation comes after Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a Washington advocacy group, alerted the IRS to Mr. Wiley’s endorsement (as it has with other churches). In response, Mr. Drake urged followers to pray for the deaths of two officials of Americans United.
