COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Reverend Rob
Schenck (pronounced SHANK), an Evangelical minister who is chair of the
Committee on Church and Society for the Evangelical Church Alliance, America's
oldest association of Evangelical clergy, as well as president of the National
Clergy Council, a network of conservative church leaders, today applauded Mitt
Romney's speech about the candidate's views on faith in the public square.
Mr. Schenck was present in College Station, Texas, as Governor Romney
addressed invited guests at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library.
Mr. Schenck, who has announced he will not endorse a candidate, said about Mr.
Romney's speech:
"This was a courageous and historic act of leadership by Governor Romney.
Evangelicals and Mormons will continue to have serious theological
differences. In fact, I disagree strongly with some of the Governor's
religious beliefs, but it's clear Mitt Romney does share with religious
conservatives many of our deepest convictions on religious liberty, the
critical importance of belief in God, the public role of faith, the sanctity
of the traditional family and paramount moral issues.
"This speech should go a long way to relieve worries about Governor Romney's
particular religion and church membership. In fact, the Constitution strictly
forbids a religious test for office, so those specifics should be off limits.
"I believe Governor Romney's statement will help break down walls of suspicion
like those that once kept Catholics and Evangelicals from working together.
Morally conservative people should be allies, not adversaries. We need one
another in the war against the dangerous advance of godless secularism in
America. We should welcome similar commitments from all presidential
candidates. With this speech Governor Romney has set a very high bar."
Mr. Schenck is available for further comment.
SOURCE National Clergy Council
Dane Rose of National Clergy Council, +1-202-546-8329, ext. 106
