SBC Pastor Prays for Obama's Death

By Jacqueline L. Salmon

The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest denomination, has been embarrassed by the comments of the Rev. Wiley Drake, a former officer in the convention, who said he is praying for the death of the president.

Drake, a former SBC vice president who ran for president last year, said in a recent interview on Fox News Radio that he is praying an "imprecatory prayer" against the president. Those are prayers that ask for evil or misfortune. Asked if he was seriously praying that the president of the United States would die, Drake said, "If he does not turn to God and does not turn his life around, I am asking God to enforce imprecatory prayers that are throughout the Scripture that would cause him death, that's correct."

SBC officials have moved quickly to disavow the comments. SBC spokesman Sing Oldham told the Associated Baptist Press that Drake is out of the denomination's mainstream. Oldham said he believes that most Southern Baptists are committed to praying for the president's well- being, which he said is called for in Scripture.

Oldham quoted 1 Timothy 2:1-3: "'First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior.'"

This isn't the first time that Drake has taken an unconventional viewpoint on national figures. Earlier this year, he said that "God will punish" Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren for agreeing to give the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.

Drake, pastor of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, Calif., criticized Warren in a widely disseminated e-mail, describing the invocation as Warren's "recent plan to invoke the presence of almighty God on this evil illegal alien," a reference to Obama.

Drake is part of a lawsuit the contends that the Hawaiian-born Obama was born outside of the U.S. and therefore is not eligible to serve as president.

Drake was a candidate for president of the SBC last year. He was one of six nominees and came in last at voting at the SBC's conference. He served as second vice president in 2006-2007.

By Jacqueline L. Salmon  |  June 8, 2009; 11:37 AM ET  | Category:  God in Government
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