Do Not Be Bound
Together With
Unbelievers
(II Cor. 6:14)
Be Ready Always To
Give An Answer
To Everyone
(I Peter 3:15)
Support
Those Desiring To Support P&R Can Do So By Clicking The Donate Button.
Or mail to:
Chauncey Kinnamon
836 East Main St.
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
Regarding donations, P&R has refused the 501(c)(3) tax exemption for a number of reasons, a few of which are listed below:
1. The 1st Amendment to the US Constitution says, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. Yet, churches and parachurch organizations that incorporate under 501(c)(3) status ARE "establishments of religion" (i.e., creations of the State). The 'Heal Our Land Ministries' website states: "Most churches in America today are organized as non-profit tax-exempt religious corporations." source (Scroll to the "WWJ, Inc. & The 501c3 Church" article.) A corporation, according to Black’s Law Dictionary, is "a legal entity created by or under the authority of the laws of a state." This means that 501(c)(3) churches must obey all the laws of their government, including laws regarding abortion and homosexual marriage, or they must forgo their 501c3 status.
2. The church does not derive its authority from the State, but from Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I will build MY church" (Mat. 16:18).
3. If the church is to be the "light of the world" and "salt of the earth" (Mat. 5:13,14), it must maintain a safe distance from any and all government coercion that might compromise the church's teaching on Biblical morality and virtue, especially from the pulpit. Because, as Peter Kershaw, author of The Church and Caesar, points out: the 501(c)(3) exemption "makes the church subordinate to the state." Marcus Owens, former head of the IRS tax-exempt division, agrees, suggesting that under today’s 501(c)(3) tax laws, 19th Century churches would probably have been barred from participating in the abolitionist movement.
Do Churches Need 501(c)(3) Status?
https://chalcedon.edu/resources/articles/do-churches-need-501c3-status
4. The church must "preach the word" (II Tim. 4:2), condemning sin by name as Jesus and the Apostles did (e.g., Mat. 15:18-20, Galatians 5:19–21, Romans 1:26–32, 1 Timothy 1:9–10). Sadly, a number of 501(c)(3) churches have been severely punished for doing just that. A New Jersey church in 2012, for example, lost its tax exemption when it refused the use of its boardwalk for a homosexual wedding. Had this church been a non-501(c)(3) church, the Courts would have had no jurisdiction.
Could Same-Sex Marriage Law Threaten Religious Groups’ Tax-Exempt Status?
5. Contrary to popular opinion, the aforementioned Owens states that 501(c)(3) status is not required for churches to receive a tax exemption, they're already exempt⏤"by virtue of being a church" Steve Nestor, Sr., IRS Revenue Officer, agrees: "Churches are automatically tax-exempt and tax-deductible, without having to apply for 501(c)(3) recognition" (Kershaw, HUSHMONEY, p. 3). Further, 501(c)(3) status is not required for tithing exemptions, they're already exempt.
Tax Guide for Churches & Religious Organizations
Publication 1828 (Rev. 8-2015) Catalog Number 21096G Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf
(go to page 2)
Important side note: Churches that choose to forgo their 501(c)(3) exemption are still prohibited from participating in political campaigns, else they can be subject to excise taxes. (Considering the deplorable state of America's right-wing churches,
this is probably not a bad idea.)
Tax Guide for Churches & Religious Organizations (IRS Tax Publications)
https://chalcedon.edu/resources/articles/do-churches-need-501c3-status
The big question is this: Should churches and religious organizations take the 501(c)(3) bait and yield to Washington, or forgo the bait and remain free? P&R has chosen the latter. In your author’s opinion, the 501(c)(3) exemption is a government perk to get Washington's nose inside your church. Remember, government gifts come with government strings. Although the government and IRS appear to be cordial toward religion at the moment, such may not always be the case. There are a number of indications of a growing hostility toward religion, especially Christianity.
Christian Business Fined $135,000 For Refusing To Bake Cake For Gay Wedding
Despite Washington's cordiality toward religion, the vast majority of preachers and church leaders still believe the 501(c)(3) exemption is necessary. In other words, it's better to be "safe than sorry" in "Christian America."
Can Government Control Our Churches