Free Republic

For the second consecutive year, a gay pride parade and festival was marked by the arrest of a Wichita pastor. But for the vast majority of those who gathered Sunday afternoon at Naftzger Park for the event, the day was one of celebration. "It means a lot to me," said Ken Gehmlich, president of Wichita Pride, which sponsors the annual event. "I think it's great that we can come together as family." Organizers estimated that about 100 people walked in the parade and that more than 1,000 attended the festival, which featured live music and vendors. After the parade traversed...

WICHITA, Kan. — The pastor of a conservative Christian church being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service said the threat of losing its tax-exempt status will not stop the church from fighting abortion. “We will continue regardless of what the IRS does,” said Rev. Mark Holick, pastor of Spirit One Christian Center. “We will continue to obey the Lord.” Holick told reporters Aug. 16 that the church, which has about 150 members, is being investigated for political involvement simply because it speaks against abortion. He called the investigation a violation of the church’s First Amendment rights. Under federal tax law,...

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. Saturday, June 2, 2007 FAITH UNDER FIRE IRS to church: Shut up – Church to IRS: No way Pastor under investigation says he 'will not stop preaching God's word' Posted: June 2, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern By Bob Unruh © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com A Christian church in Kansas has told the Internal Revenue Service that it will not stop teaching and preaching God's Word, "even if it relates to contemporary issues in the world," after the federal agency demanded answers to 31 questions about its beliefs and warned about "political"...