Waynesville, USA - A Baptist preacher accused of running out nine congregants who did not support President George W. Bush resigned Tuesday.
"I am resigning with gratitude in my heart for all of you, particularly those of you who love me and my family," the Rev. Chan Chandler said at East Waynesville Baptist Church.
Congregants of the 100-member church have said Chandler endorsed Bush from the pulpit during last year's presidential campaign and said that anyone who planned to vote for Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry needed to "repent or resign."
The members said he continued to preach about politics after Bush won re-election. At a gathering last week, the nine said they were ousted.
On Tuesday night, Chandler told the congregation that, "for me to remain now would only cause more hurt for me and my family." He said the dispute was rooted in his views on abortion.
Chandler's resignation came a day after a group that lobbies for church-state separation urged the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the church's tax-exempt status. IRS rules bar clear-cut politicking by tax-exempt groups.
Last October, the IRS said it was investigating about 60 tax-exempt groups, including churches, for potentially breaking such rules.