Christian leader Fired over praying 'in Jesus' name'
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Christian leader Fired over praying 'in Jesus' name'
*Posted: September 14, 2007
Florida Religion News
Dozens of Christian churches are rallying this weekend in Leesburg,
Fla., under the name of Jesus, after a local chaplain was dismissed from
the Leesburg Regional Medical Center for praying in His name.
"This is not a protest or march against the hospital, or for [Chaplain]
Danny Harvey," John Kimer, one of the pastors at Grace Tabernacle, where
Harvey is an elder, said, "We're uniting all the churches under the name
of Jesus Christ. We have almost every denomination in this area, and
we're coming together under one name, which is Jesus."
"This is a silent march. We won't be carrying signs," he said. The only
statement that is being made is the shirts marchers will wear – 500
distributed so far and more needed. They will state "United" on the
front, and "My Jesus, My Freedom, My Stand" on the back. The two-mile
event will begin at the Leesburg City Hall at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
In a scenario reminiscent of Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, who
was removed from the military service because of his prayers "in Jesus'
name," Harvey recently was "involuntarily terminated," according to a
hospital letter.
He said his supervisor had called him into her office, and ordered that
not only would he not prayer further "in Jesus' name," but that he was
to instruct his volunteer chaplains to follow the same restriction.
Hospital officials weren't available to return a comment, but Kimer said
the name of Jesus is central to Christianity, and that's why the
multi-denomination rally is planned.
"We're proud of the name Jesus, to pray in Jesus' name, have Jesus as
our Saviour. We want to communicate that to the public," Kimer said.
He said Harvey's situation "woke the rest of the churches up to what was
happening."
Klingenschmitt noted that there are court cases already going on in
several locations over the use by a Christian chaplain of the use of the
words, "in Jesus' name."
"Now the American people are rising to defend chaplains who pray in
Jesus name. The public outcry against the hospital was so great the CEO
already had to resign," he said.
Hospital officials also just announced the departure of president Louis
Bremer, but said it was because he felt it was time to seek new
opportunities, not because of the public reaction to the dismissal of
Harvey.
The hospital said it dismissed Harvey from his $48,000-a-year post not
because he was praying in the name of Jesus Christ, "but [because] the
official duties of a paid position were not being met. Those duties
include being respectful of the different religious beliefs of our
patients and the ability to lead them in their faith in their time of need."
Hospital officials told a newspaper guidelines from the Association of
Clinical Pastoral Education teach respect for all religions.
Harvey said that as a Christian chaplain, he routinely supported other
faiths, such as Islam, expressed by patients by getting them access to
someone who could help them directly with their needs.
"There are some things I can't do as an evangelical pastor, he said.
He said the issue first arose several years ago when he was asked to
pray over the opening of a new hospital unit. He was told he would not
be allowed to include "in Jesus' name."
He objected, and was ordered to take a diversity course, which he did.
Then at a staff meeting in August, he closed with a prayer in the name
of Jesus, he said.
"That's what sparked this issue. I have written documentation. I was
pulled into the office on Friday and told 'Under no circumstances will
you pray in this name again,'" he said. "I said, 'I can't abide by your
wishes.' She also told me I should tell my volunteer chaplains they
shouldn't pray in Jesus name either. About four or five days later, I
was relieved of my duties."
David Johnson, a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains'
ethics committee, said chaplains in such situations have to set aside
their own religious faith to serve the people around them.
However, Harvey said he affiliated with the International Association of
Christian Chaplains, not the professional organization, because the
professional group also recognizes belief systems that Christianity does
not allow.
In Klingenschmitt's case, the Navy convicted him of failing to follow a
lawful order because his superior didn't want him praying "in Jesus'
name." But when Congress got word of his $3,000 fine for his prayer,
members ordered the Navy to remove the limitation and allow chaplains to
pray as their "conscience dictates."
However, the provision was not made retroactive, and Klingenschmitt
eventually was removed from the military over the issue, a move he is
contesting in the legal system.
Klingenschmitt also said that he's working on a 50-state tour, to pray
"in Jesus' name" at each state Legislature, and is seeking church and
legislative sponsors for his work.
"The Constitution is clear about the fact that the government is
prohibited from establishing a religion," said John W. Whitehead,
president of the the Rutherford Institute. "Furthermore, the First
Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that all citizens
have a fundamental right to freely exercise their religious beliefs, and
that includes military service people."
The civil rights complaint stems from a 1998 memo issued by the Navy
Chief of Chaplains that discouraged them from invoking the name of Jesus
in their prayers. "This instruction was later embodied in an instruction
from the secretary of the Navy, which provided that religious elements
for a command function, absent extraordinary circumstances, should be
non-sectarian in nature," the lawsuit said.