c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) The Rev. Joel Hunter, an Orlando, Fla., megachurch pastor, has resigned from his pending presidency of the Christian Coalition of America, citing differences in how to broaden the group’s agenda.

The organization, which was a political force for conservative Christians across the country in the 1990s, has diminished in prominence in recent years. Hunter had hoped to expand its agenda beyond traditional stances against abortion and gay marriage.

“When it came right down to it, when we were ready for the transition, we had a meeting to make sure we were on the same page and we weren’t,” Hunter, 58, said in an interview Monday (Nov. 27).

Hunter’s presidency was announced by the coalition Oct. 1, but he said they came to a “mutually respectful separation” during a conference call Nov. 21.

“I wanted to expand the agenda from only the moral issues, the pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, that kind of thing, to the compassion issues of Christ _ poverty and justice, creation care,” he said. “Because if we are going to care for the vulnerable, we ought to care as much about the vulnerable outside the womb as inside the womb.”

Roberta Combs, chairman of the Christian Coalition of America, said the board and Hunter came to “an amicable agreement.” She said board members had considered broadening their agenda before Hunter was chosen but didn’t agree with him on approach.

“We care about the needy and we care about the environment … but it’s just a way that you go about it with our organization,” said Combs, whose organization has offices in Washington and Charleston, S.C.

“We come from a political background and we would want to survey our supporters and, you know, see how they feel on these issues before you just go out there.”

Hunter has been a spokesman for the Evangelical Climate Initiative, an effort launched last February that urges greater attention to reducing global warming. His role with that organization concerned some coalition board members.

Hunter, who is senior pastor of the nondenominational Northland Church in the Orlando suburb of Longwood, said he feels “we missed a chance” for a conservative activist organization to speak on a broader agenda.

“There are millions of Christians that really don’t have a home,” he said of people who care about “moral” and “compassion” issues.

Asked about that comment, Combs responded: “I just think that’s his opinion. … We care about millions of Christians that are interested in these issues.”

Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Washington-based Ethics and Public Policy Center, said the turn of events did not surprise him.

He said Hunter, who recently authored the book “Right Wing, Wrong Bird: Why the Tactics of the Religious Right Won’t Fly With Most Conservative Christians,” didn’t seem like the right match.

“While his goals are well-intended, if your organization for its entire existence has been concerned about pro-life issues and pro-family issues and pro-traditional marriage issues, then to come along and say it’s the wrong bird, I think the first discussion he must have had (was) `Well what’s the other bird got to offer?”’ said Cromartie, who directs his center’s Evangelicals in Civic Life program.

“They probably realized that this marriage ain’t going to last.”

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