Thank you everyone for sharing so candidly. I know for most of us this openness is often emotional - it can come out in the not always best wording. Sometimes anger shows- I don;t blame any one for being angry as we work towards healing.
I am grateful that we as a group of survivors can feel emotion. There are areas of TLW, for me, where I still can not feel. Family who left in good timing when it was still a loving group of
bible based sermons , will say to me " Let it go. Move forward. Forgive and forget." I am glad they left when they did- for their sake.
My emotions are stuffed where I need to grieve the most. I will guess that is the case for many of you. While it can be a challenge to write our experiences - some aren't ready for the truth - there are those of us who really need past due to read the past due truth. So thank you everyone for sharing so courageously.
At best, my internet access has been spotty and will continue to be a challenge for a few more months-so I have been trying to catch up on the current events. I have not caught up on reading, yet. While I have a chance I want to ask some questions that may or may not have been specially addressed in regards to legal issues.
Some months back when I dropped off the face of the Earth I wanted to post some government links about what Non-profits can and can not do. If not addressed, yet, I believe it's worth a look.
Basically, if a pastor is paid to write sermons and manage the needs of the folks in the flock spiritually, there is to be no Double- Dipping by making a profit on the sermons pastor was paid to prepare and present.
A few of my notes are below - a work in progress - I have questions if any one has the answers as related to TLW.
Where did the money from the sale of goods go to?
Isn’t the pastor being paid to prepare sermons and deliver?
Is it ethical to sell recordings back to the people who paid tithes for a profit over the cost of reproducing a DVD for personal gain? Or is it Double Dipping? What does US law say when the pastor has already been paid to prepare sermons?
Is that receipt for a booklet written by the pastor and sold as a Fund Raiser going to pass the test for a legit charitable contribution or not if audited by the IRS? ( If you tithed and bought tapes then got a receipt would our charitable deductions be red flag to the IRS or not?)
Is the pastor salary and parsonage paid for by church members contributions? ( Yies! By whose opinion is 'enough''?) Is that salary enough for the pastor and his family to live or do they need another income on top of what work they do for the church?
What’s a normal salary for pastors?
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www.churchlawandtax.com]
Businesses owned by Church or the church leaders? Are members encouraged to only shop from that business?
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www.capincrouse.com]
What is a UBI?
Unrelated Business Income
Can the church book store sell books or tapes on church property that will go to private bank accounts rather than the mission of the church book store and still be considered Tax Exempt?
Any one know how the books were kept?
Was there any church property rented out? Who got the money for the rent paid?
How were Kingdom Businesses’ set up?
• On church property? Rented form the pastor or rented from someone else?
• Were 85% of Kingdom Business workers Volunteers or paid employees?
• Did volunteer workers collect SSDI or Medicaid and food stamps because they were over worked and under paid?
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www.capincrouse.com]
Does a UBI qualify for TAX exemption status or not?
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www.irs.gov]