Because the timing of Michele Bachmann’s departure from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod came so close to the official launch of her presidential campaign, many minds have drawn a link between the two, especially since WELS holds anti-papal beliefs that, while they are centuries old, could potentially alienate Catholic voters.

Since the story of Bachmann’s leaving WELS has changed, and her family has reportedly joined at least two different churches, we thought it would be useful to provide a timeline with links.

On June 14, the AP reported: “Until about two years ago, the Bachmanns were members of the Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stillwater, Minn., part of a conservative denomination that adheres to strict doctrine and excludes women from church leadership roles. The pastor there, the Rev. Marcus Birkholz, told the AP that the family stopped attending regularly when they moved to another Twin Cities suburb.”

Spiritual Politics blogger Mark Silk noted that while the Bachmanns did move, it wasn’t to another suburb, and their new home was an eight-minute drive from Salem.

On July 13, The Atlantic reported that Bachmann “requested a release of her membership,” from her congregation, which is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, according to Joel Hochmuth, a spokesman for the synod. “She has not been an active member of our fellowship during the year,” Hochmuth told the Atlantic. The Atlantic added that Bachmann “took the unusual step of formally requesting that release in writing.”

On July 14, RNS reported, based on interviews with Hochmuth, that Bachmann had verbally asked to leave her church – and, in effect, her denomination – on June 21, six days before she officially launched her presidential campaign. A later statement issued by Hochmuth said that the request to leave had been granted (not made) on June 21. Asked for clarification, her former pastor, the Rev. Marcus Birkholz, said he had been asked by his congregation not to grant any more media interviews.

On July 15, CNN reported: “The Bachmanns approached their pastor and verbally made the request (to be released from membership) `a few weeks before the church council granted the request,’ Hochmuth said. `They were still on the books as members, but then the church council acted on their request and released them from membership.'”

Later on July 15, the Washington Post reported that “around the time that her campaign for president geared up this spring, the Rev. Marcus Birkholz asked that she make clear her relationship with the church, Hochmuth said.” “The impetus came from the church,” said Hochmuth. “For the pastor’s sake, he wanted to know where he stood with the family.”

The Post also reported that Bachmann now attends a non-denominational church in Stillwater, but declined to say which one.

On July 17, The New York Times reported that friends of the Bachmann’s “say they now attend services at another evangelical church, Eagle Brook, closer to their new home in another Stillwater neighborhood.”

As Silk reports, “Eagle Brook belongs to the General Baptist Conference, a small denomination derived from Swedish pietism. Eagle Brook itself, however, is anything but small. Starting out as a tiny mission in White Bear Lake 60 years ago, it has become the largest church in Minnesota, boasting over 13,000 members–more than five percent of the entire denomination–at four different `campuses.'”

Silk also reports that Eagle Brook is actually further from the Bachmann’s home than Salem Lutheran, and is part of the same denomination that houses Tim Pawlenty’s megachurch.

UPDATE

On July 18, an unidentified Bachmann campaign aide told CBN: “The family began seeking out a new church a little over two years ago, just after they moved. It really came down to preference issues, as it does for so many evangelical families who occasionally change churches. They have been attending a non-denominational evangelical church during that time. …. A coincidental meeting with Salem’s pastor last month afforded an opportunity to provide the membership release.”

In an interview on Monday, Hochmuth declined to talk further about the timing of Bachmann’s departure from WELS, other than to say that he believes it was “more coincidental than strategic.”

ANOTHER UPDATE

In an article published Nov. 22, Bachmann told Christianity Today that she and her family have joined Rockpoint Church in Lake Elmo, Minn., because they moved and this church is closer. Rockpoint, according to its website, is affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America, an association of about 1,500 autonomous churches.