North Carolina pastor says church expulsions were misunderstood

Pastor Chan Chandler, the AP reports, says the expulsion of nine members of East Waynesville Baptist Church was a "misunderstanding."

The Rev. Chan Chandler didn't directly address the controversy during the service at East Waynesville Baptist Church, but issued a statement afterward through his attorney saying the church does not care about its members' political affiliations.

"No one has ever been voted from the membership of this church due to an individual's support or lack of support for a political party or candidate," he said.

Nine members said they were ousted during a church gathering last week by about 40 others because they refused to support President Bush. They attended Sunday's service with their lawyer and many supporters.

Is Pastor Chandler calling these nine parishioners liars? This is the first time I have seen it reported that there is some question as to why these nine were voted out of their church. If it was not over political affiliation, then why, exactly, were they voted out? Why did others in the congregation applaud as the nine were asked to leave? Where, exactly, did this misunderstanding occur?

Did the expelled parishioners misunderstand that fact that they were expelled?

A statement issued through one's lawyer (!) is not the same thing as unburdening one's soul.

Please explain, pastor, how you could have been so monumentally misunderstood.