Land: Directory shouldn’t be campaign resource

NASHVILLE — The North Carolina Republican Party is reaching out to local churches in the state, asking their members for their church directory reportedly as part of “get-out-the-vote” efforts.

An e-mail sent Feb. 15 from Chris Mears, identified as a political director with the state’s GOP offices, asked recipients to “collect as many church directories as you can and send them to me in an effort to fully register, educate and energize North Carolina’s congregations to vote in the 2006 elections.” Southern Baptist Convention ethicist Richard Land is saying the party’s efforts are misguided. “Such a request is completely beyond the pale of what is acceptable,” said Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. “This is what political parties do in looking for an advantage.

… [H]owever … I would say under no circumstances is a person to send their church directory to anyone outside of the church. It is a violation of the trust of your fellow church members.”