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Candidates share beliefs with Brandon congregation

By Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, August 15, 2008

Pete Gifford, who is running for county commissioner in District 4, shakes hands during a candidates event Tuesday at Bell Shoals Baptist Church.
	[JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]

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BRANDON — At Bell Shoals Baptist Church's candidate forum, the buzzwords were integrity and faith.

As candidates stood by tables Tuesday evening, church and community members asked questions ranging from the hopefuls' opinion of President Bush to their experience and aspirations.

"What is integrity to you?" church member Fred Mahusay asked supervisor of elections candidate Phyllis Busansky.

Without missing a beat, she answered.

"I believe elected public officials should be held to the highest standard," she said, adding that they should be able to be found quickly when subpoenaed and they shouldn't seek large property tax exemptions — two actions her opponent, Buddy Johnson, has been accused of doing.

While some of the 300 attendees were looking for Republican candidates who mirrored their conservative Christian beliefs, others said those titles don't matter.

"You don't have to be a Christian to have integrity," Mahusay said.

Inside the forum, most candidates spent part of the two minutes they were given to speak to share which church they attend. Some expounded on their faith, including Circuit Court judge candidate Jason D. Montes.

"My faith in God and the Lord will guide my decisions on the bench," he said.

Incumbent Judge Martha Cook, who's running for a different seat than Montes, was playing to the home crowd Tuesday. She has attended Bell Shoals Baptist Church for 14 years, she said. That helps, church member James Brush said.

"I can't help it if I know them personally," he said.

The church has hosted candidate forums for 14 years. It doesn't endorse any candidates, or even parties, Pastor George Thomasson said, but the church is interested in certain issues. Each candidate was asked to respond to 10 questions. Their answers were included in a guide handed to each attendee.

The questions included:

•If elected, would you vote in favor of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage exclusively as the "union of one man to one woman"? The only "no" responses were from county soil and water conservation candidates A.J. Brent and Jeffery Ross Garbus.

•Do you believe life begins at conception? Again, the only "no" answers were from Brent and Garbus.

•Should pastors have the ability to make uncensored comments about political issues and/or candidates from the pulpit without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status? Among the 38 candidates, five said no and four said they were undecided on the issue.

Thomasson said he occasionally is asked why he wouldn't want more separation between church and state, but he said the church should be involved in the community.

"We should have an opportunity as Americans, taxpayers and citizens to have a say in who impacts our community," he said.

Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at jvandervelde@sptimes.com or (813) 661-2443.