Ministers preach in favor of IRS ban on pulpit politics

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio pastor says he was one of dozens of ministers nationwide who preached Sunday on the importance of separation of church and state.
    The Reverend Eric Williams says he and other concerned pastors oppose the Alliance Defense Fund’s recruitment of ministers to endorse or oppose candidates in sermons next Sunday.
    Doing so could jeopardize churches’ tax exempt status, but the ADF hopes to end the ban on pulpit politics by defending churches that are investigated by the Internal Revenue Service.
    The ADF says its Pulpit Initiative is meant to restore preachers’ free speech rights.
    But Williams, who pastors the North Congregational United Church of Christ in Columbus, believes ministers who endorse or oppose candidates could improperly impose their values on others.