Contact: Christian Defense Coalition, 540-538-4741

WASHINGTON, May 31 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today Senator Barack Obama is ending his 20-year membership at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

Associated Press is reporting that Obama campaign communications director Robert Gibbs said Obama had submitted a letter of resignation to the church.  Obama is scheduled to explain his decision tonight in South Dakota.

Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Washington DC based Christian Defense Coalition comments, "It is painfully clear that Senator Obama has publicly discarded decades long relationships because his church has become a hindrance to his political aspirations.

"Only one of the two following options may be true; for the past twenty years Senator Obama was a member of a church fellowship that was the foundation of his spiritual and moral reasoning -- or -- he sat in the pew of Trinity United Church simply for the political gain such relationships could bring.

"If Trinity United Church was simply a club to improve Obama's standing in the community, then he is consistent in discarding his membership today, when such gain is gone.

"But if his church membership was truly spiritual -- then this action shows a fundamental lack of integrity.   Obama's resignation of membership in Trinity United Church demonstrates that he will trade even on his faith for political advantage.

"As voters, the American people must ask Obama, as president, what closely held value will he trade away next time."