Senator Wants Evangelical Groups To Reconsider Stance on Records

January 08, 2008

Senator Wants Evangelical Groups To Reconsider Stance on Records

Four evangelical groups have yet to turn over financial information to Sen. Charles E. Grassley as part of the Iowa Republican’s informal investigation into the groups’ spending and compensation practices.

But Mr. Grassley said today that he is holding out hope that the four groups will reconsider their stance.

“It’s a new year and the ministries that have chosen not to cooperate have a chance to see the inquiry in a new light,” Senator Grassley said today in a written statement. “This has nothing to do with church doctrine. It’s only about tax-exempt policy. The ministries are no different from any other tax-exempt group in terms of an obligation to cooperate with a Congressional oversight inquiry exploring tax policy.”

It has been more than a month since Mr. Grassley’s original deadline for six evangelical organizations to provide financial records as part of the inquiry.

Two of the groups — Kenneth Copeland Ministries, in Newark, Tex., and Joyce Meyer Ministries, in Fenton, Mo. — have complied with the request and turned over records to Mr. Grassley’s office in December.

Officials of a third group, World Healing Center Church, met with Mr. Grassley’s staff on December 7 and had said they would decide by December 12 whether the organization would comply. But Mr. Grassley’s office said today that it remains unclear whether the Grapevine, Tex., organization is planning to turn over documents as part of the inquiry.

Another organization, Without Walls International Church, has asked for more time to respond.

The two remaining groups included in the inquiry — World Changers Church International, in College Park, Ga., and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, in Lithonia, Ga. — have said they do not plan to cooperate.

Marc Owens, a Washington lawyer who represents World Changers Church, said in a recent interview that he believes it is the Internal Revenue Service, not Mr. Grassley, that should be making the request.

“He’s doing so apparently because he doesn’t like the way the six churches have organized themselves, their compensation practices, the way their members support the institution,” Mr. Owens said of Senator Grassley. “It’s dangerous ground. If there’s a real tax question, the IRS can investigate as it does in other situations.”

Comments

According to Matthew 17; 24-27 I believe all churches should pay taxes on their income; precisely to prevent dishonest people from stealing what belongs to God. Also, Jesus proclaims that Chirstians should uphold what is right and fair. No preacher should be rewarded for preaching the Word of God because it is their obligation and duty. Paul was a tentmaker and he expressed that if a man intends to eat, then he should EARN the money to purchase his daily bread. Tithes belong to God – not the preacher. Plus, if a man writes a book concerning the Word of God, that money also should belong to God for His service – not to the human author whom God revealed His Truth.

— Glenn Wilson Jan 8, 08:23 PM #
It is past time for these big money grabbing preachers have to account for the millions of dollars a year they are getting from people by promisimg them riches, through the mis-quoting of the scriptures. Taking half verses, one-liners from the bible and using it to deceive Christians into giving them money. Example:“give and it shall be given unto you…” Jesus was not talking about money here. Read the whole chapter. He was talking “forgivness” “judging” “love” being “merciful…Read Luke 6:20-38. “wolves in sheeps clothing” have been using half verses to shake down poor christians by telling them God would “multiply it back to them 10 fold”. If each one of these preachers will send me $100,000, their 10 fold return will keep them from having to press people for money! Or don’t they believe what they preach? I do hope Senator Grasley will continue to look into this. If it leads to income tax evasion, then turn it over to the I.R.S. I refused to do a preachers income tax because the package brought to me for guidlines seemed to me to be a cleaver scheem designed to evade income tax.

I published a book, “Battle Acts” which was given away or sold for just the cost of printing when they could afford it. I refused to autograph the book, refusing to take credit for what God had given to me.

B.J. Knight
“First Works” Ministries.

— B.J. Knight Jan 8, 10:50 PM #
People should not view government oversight of the churches as a bad thing. It is the responsibility of the government not only to protect the tax exempt status and what it stands for, but to protect the congregants that are supposed to be the beneficiaries of that status. If churches refuse to cooperate it is because they are hiding something they should not be doing.

— A watcher Jan 9, 08:21 AM #
Since the power to tax is the power to destroy, one needs to be very careful about what the Senator is looking for. If the Senator is looking for possible tax evasion on income or unrelated business then the question is it his or the Committee’s responsibility to make this inquiry? If the Senator is using the tax evasion issue to explore the tenants of the ministers teaching, a whole other set of questions and issues get raised.

It has always struck me as odd that we discuss church ministries in a vacuum. Rarely do I see a discussion that a church, irrespective of the theological beliefs it promotes, discussed as a business. Most churches hire staff, own land, promote social programs and purchase goods all activities of a business. Most of these activities fall under the umbrella of some regulation established at the local, state or federal level. However, if we ignore the business aspect of the ‘church’ and only discuss the theological component then any effort to apply regulations that normal businesses must comply with to them raises the first amendment flag. There needs to be a mechanism to separate the theology from the business of religion.

Could this possibly be the motive of the Senator to create such a mechanism or to empower the I.R.S. with such power or would he consider a separate organization created specifically to help EOs of all stripes operate in a manner consistent with best practices

— John C McGee Jan 14, 10:07 AM #
All the churches need to do to get out from under this is give up their tax-exempt status. That is a status that they have from the government and the government has a right to see if they are living up to the responsibilities they accept. Pretty simple, it seems to me.

— Philanthro Joe Jan 18, 07:17 PM #

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