Seeking to get around election laws, back handed ways were practiced by the Christian Coalition in Arizona.  They invited their approved candidate into the church to share his religious testimony as a secret way of endorsement.  In our own county a church had a full scale rally with the state GOP leader and governor making their pitch. Knowing this would be a violation without giving the other side a chance, they waited until it was too late to respond to invite the Democrats.  Jerry Falwell stated that the New York Times was trying to intimidate pastors into not endorsing political candidates.
     The Washington Post reported that SBC ministers James Robinson, Richard Land and Paige Patterson were brought on board to support George W. Bush by Ralph Reed.11  Reed was invited by the president of the Southern Baptist Convention's church to lead a conference on political involement.  At the time he was a leader in President Bush's campaign.  Reed, past leader of the Christian Coalition, was involved in the Jack Abramoff scandal seeking to rip off Indian tribes in gambling disputes.  Patterson is head of the SBC's largest seminary.  A seminary under Patterson's leadership that invited Jerry Falwell to adress the students saying in the chapel service if they loved the Lord they would support Bush.  Just before Falwell spoke, the Tarrant County GOP handed out voter registration slips.
     Rev. Moon, the cult leader, held a special lunch at the Bush inauguration.  Invited to attend was the president of the SBC and the two leading fundamentalists who led the SBC down its current path.12  One of the two men who led the takeover of the new SBC is Paul Pressler, a mover and shaker in the Republican Party. Pressler is part of a panel of influencial people seeking to promote Religious Right candidates in the GOP.  Pressler is part of a group called Free PAC, in Dallas.13
     Recently Jack Graham, pastor of the large SBC Dallas suburban church, invited candidate Huckabee in to preach to his congregation.  He was introduced to the congregation as "one of us."  Although Graham did not endorse Huckabee from the pulpit, he later on gave an interview saying Huckabee was the best choice.  The executive pastor of the church later on agreed to help raise $100,000 for their candidate.  Earlier the president of Southeastern Baptist Seminary made similar overtures to fellow Baptist Huckabee.14
     SBC leader, Richard Land, decided Fred Thompson was his man for the job.  Land had stated that Thompson held traditional values and was active in church life.  The truth did not bear out what Land claimed.  Thommpson, who is divorced and seldom atttends the Church of Christ is viewed with suspecion by many leaders in the Religious Right like James Dobson.
     The past president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, is pastor in Spartanburg.  He decided to back Romney for office.  After making the public statement, he decided it was wrong and backed away from his statements.15  Local fundamentalist school, Bob Jones University, had also backed Romney.
     As I mentioned in another article here, the current president of the SBC, Frank Page, had candidates pass by him for his special evaluation.   Page publicly stated that Guiliani was not a Christian after meeting with him.16  Though there was no official endorsement from most of these folks, the idea of their use of their ordination as a minister to do such things brings with it raised eyebrows across the nation.