Tempe pastor reiterates wish for President Obama's death

by: Tim Vetscher Email: tvetscher@abc15.com

TEMPE, AZ -- The United State Secret Service is speaking out about an East Valley pastor who is praying for President Barack Obama's deathSpokesperson Darrin Blackford said Monday, "We are aware of Pastor Anderson's comments and an appropriate follow up will be conducted.

"Parishioners leaving the Faithful Word Baptist Church Sunday carried not just their Bibles, but guns as well.Pastor Steven Anderson said he and his congregation have received death threats after a controversial sermon earlier this month."Guns are a great deterrent," said Anderson.

"We haven't had any violence because people know if they come down here swinging a baseball bat, we're ready to protect ourselves."On August 16th, Anderson delivered a sermon titled "Why I Hate Barack Obama."In it, Anderson admitted he prays for the president's death.

It is a position he reiterated Sunday."If you want to know how I'd like to see Obama die, I'd like him to die of natural causes," said Anderson. "I don't want him to be a martyr, we don't need another holiday. I'd like to see him die, like Ted Kennedy, of brain cancer."

The sermon so incensed Bill Demski he traveled from his home in Glendale to picket Anderson's 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning service in Tempe."A man of the cloth wants to kill the president, how sick can you get," asked Demski.Yet members of the Faithful Word Baptist Church defended their pastor's opinion of the president."

If (Obama) thinks the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are obsolete, it would be better if (Obama) wasn't here," said parishioner Renee Houlihan.But Anderson said despite the threats, he has no plans to change his message."I'm not going to back down, I wouldn't be worth my salt as a preacher if I let popularity determine what I preach," said Anderson.

To listen to Anderson's sermon "Why I Hate Barack Obama," click here.

One protester who didn't want to give his name was walking around with a rifle – in full view.
One of the parishioners who attended Sunday night services at the Faithful Word Baptist Church was Christopher Broughton."

I actually moved to the area because this church was preaching the message I believe in," said Broughton.

Broughton had an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle outside President Barack Obama's speech to the VFW at the Phoenix Convention Center earlier this month.