Prestonwood Baptist Church Doesn't Endorse Candidates

In a Dallas Morning News interview, Pastor Jack Graham claims that his church does not endorse political candidates. Horse Muffins!

Let's review three parts of the definition of 'endorse' (via dictionary.com) and see if there is anything that Prestonwood's leaders might be doing that hints of an endorsement:

1. to approve - "Here's a man who comes and says: 'I'm not looking for your endorsement. I endorse what you believe. I endorse your values.'" - Jack Graham, Pastor
   
2. to support - Mike Buster, executive pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church, recently agreed to help raise $ 100, 000 for Huckabee and says it’s not hard to find donors now. “I’ve raised $ 30, 000 in the last three days,” he said Friday.
3. to sustain - Asked if he’d (Mike Buster) reach his $ 100, 000 fundraising goal by the end of the year, he replied, “Oh, by the end of the month. There’s an amazing momentum just in the last two or three days that has swept the country. I’m sensing it.”

I tend to agree with Doug Smith who encourages Christians to be politically active but warns:

"... blatant endorsements from the pulpit --- illegal, since churches are nonprofit and tax-exempt. He also pointed out gray areas churches may want to avoid --- inviting a political candidate from only one party to speak or handing out voter guides. The first may be viewed as a de facto endorsement and the latter are typically "crafted in such a way to be clear about who the 'right' and 'wrong' candidates are," Smith said."

Investigations of 6 televangelist' spending habits have already started. Tax-exempt status is a privilege granted to churches that comes with responsibilities. In the litigious nature of this century and with conservative religious leaders acting irresponsibly, do not be surprised if political endorsements become the focus of challenging the tax-exempt status of our churches...even when they proclaim, "we don't endorse candidates."