A Seventh-day Adventist Church leader says other denominations should be congratulated for refusing to sponsor political parties or candidates in the upcoming Federal election.

Pastor Ray Coombe's comment comes in response to criticism from the director of the Christian Democratic Party in New South Wales, Phil Lamb.

According to Mr Lamb, most church leaders privately support a bid by the Reverend Fred Nile for a seat in the Senate, "but in a recent request for a public statement of support, most politely declined," he says in a media release. "Our church leaders lack the courage to speak up."

Reverend Nile is currently a member of the Legislative Council in New South Wales. He is campaigning against giving homosexuals equal rights in marriage.

"The issue is not about separating Christianity from public life, or about discouraging people with moral values from having their influence in government, but of keeping the church separate from party politics," says Pastor Coombe, the director of public affairs and religious liberty for the church in the South Pacific.

Mr Lamb quotes a McNair Ingenuity poll that shows more than 60 per cent of people who intend to vote for the Christian Democratic Party attended church each week. "What are our leaders teaching about the democratic process and the Christian?" asks Mr Lamb, who adds that the church's silence contributes to the "learned disinterest of Christians to elect other Christians to represent their values in Parliament."

"It is gratifying that such a large percentage of church attendees do intend to support Christian values by voting for Reverend Nile," says Pastor Coombe. "However, the Christian Democratic Party is trying to draw the church into party politics by urging its leaders to publicly support its candidate."

Pastor Coombe says church members need to be aware of current social issues and elect representatives who will preserve the values and morals of society. "But it's certainly not a biblical teaching that the church should become involved in party politicking." He believes the push for a closer relationship between church and state comes from the growing power of the conservative Christian Coalition in the United States of America.

"I'm glad our church leaders have generally maintained separation," says Pastor Coombe. "This doesn't mean MPs can't uphold Christian values. Reverend Nile is only one of the candidates who holds to these values, and the other political parties allow for conscience votes on major social issues."

The Adventist Church in the South Pacific released a statement on church and state relations in 2001. The statement encourages Adventists to serve as civil leaders, but warns them not to use influence to advance their faith or inhibit the faith of others. It also encourages its members to take civic responsibilities seriously, to vote and to share the responsibility of building community.

The church's Communication Department has produced an easy-to-read summary of the statement. The summary, called an Adventist Perspective, costs AUD0.05. Order a set of 21 Adventist Perspectives for only AUD1.10. Phone +61 2 9847 3290 or email communication@adventist.org.au. [Brenton Stacey for ANN-A/APD]