Pastor Barnett -- State Should Keep out of Religious Activities

Seattle Times/March 21, 1988
By Hugh E. Williams

On Friday, March 11, King County Superior Court Judge Jim Bates ordered Pastor Donald Lee Barnett returned to the pulpit of the Burien Community Chapel and Bible Training Center. Whatever happened to the "separation of church and state?'' Apparently it has gone down the drain insofar as Judge Bates is concerned.

Evidently, like Pat Robertson, Pastor Barnett has a direct connection with God when he says, "God has called me to be the pastor of this church and I'm going to be the pastor as long as God and the congregation allow me to.'' I thought that when the congregation "booted him out,'' they were saying they "did not want to allow'' him to be pastor any longer.

Barnett's accusing parish members of sinful acts does not condone his sinful acts. It has always been my belief that a minister or pastor of a church is supposed to be an example of morality for the members of that church - in other words, he is supposed to "lead us NOT into temptation.''