Christians Helping Our World

Chrisitans assemble around the world in a variety of ways and means. They contend with various governmental systems ranging from the tyrannical to the helpful. In the United States, Christians assemble informally and formally. Their assemblies range from organic informal meetings to formal assemblies that have incorporated.

Unfortunately, some people are spreading lies regarding the Christian assembly that incorporates.

Lie #1: 501(c)(3) "churches" attempt to serve two masters, but their true and legal head (or "lord") is the State, not Jesus Christ.

Lie #2: 501(c)(3) "churches" cannot legally teach or preach the Word of God.

A Christian assembly is not a government created entity. It is an assembly of Christian people. The New Testament teaches that Christians have certain responsibilities to government (Romans 13:1-4 and Titus 3:1) especially in regard to financial matters (Matthew 22:20-22 and Matthew 17:27). As Acts 5:29 shows; however, we are to obey God and not men in the exercise of spreading the Gospel and living Godly lives.

Now 501(c)(3) status is a government category of the tax code which an assembly can incorporate and apply for if they wish to. Section 501(c) of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)), provides for 26 types of nonprofit organizations that are exempt from some federal income taxes. A minority of Christian assemblies in the U.S. as well as nonprofit religious charities and businesses often file with the government to take advantage of this category of tax code.* 

The author is not an attorney and this in no way should be construed as legal advice (See website disclaimer at www.christianshelpingourworld.org). With that stated, there are some restrictions currently associated with this category of tax code and are rooted in financial ethics and accountability. For example, taking in donations and then gifting them all over to an individual member of an assembly would be unethical and so is not permitted. An assembly creating a lawful program to fairly help members in times of distress is perfectly fine, however. 501(3)(c) assemblies have programs to meet the spiritual and physical needs of their members. An example of a 501(3)(c) doing this would be Saddleback Churches' Financial and Practical Care Ministry http://www.saddleback.com/lakeforest/carehelp/financialpractical/benevolence/

Individual members of both informal and formal incorporated assemblies are free, of course, to both individually and together do whatever they want to help each other with their own earned after tax income.
 
Another restriction has to do with blatently conducting political campaigns and financing specific candidates as well as uncontrolled lobbying to influence legislation. Understand this is for all 501(3)(c) organizations including atheist and all religious organizations. This is in line with the desire of our founding fathers to ensure that no particular religious or metaphysical worldview seize the government and enforce a religious theocracy or state atheism upon the population. They desired a measure of secularism to allow for religious freedom.

This does not mean; however, that incorporated Christian assemblies cannot engage in political activities. For more information on the many political activities incorporated religious assemblies can engage in read the Pacific Justice Institute's 'The Church and Politics: What ministers and churches can do to affect public policy with Christian principles'.

Individual members, of course, are free to support specific political candidates and engage in politics like every other citizen in society according to national law which governs all citizens.

Because some of the people wrongfully propagating the above two lies attempt to apply Mosaic Law in the Old Testament upon Christians around the world today as proof a local Christian assembly cannot incorporate without falling into error, it is important to address it. The Church of Jesus Christ is not a geo-political state theocracy like ancient Israel, under Mosaic law in an old covenant relationship, before Christ. The New covenant is the fullfillment of the old manifesting as a worldwide spiritual kingdom that scripture refers to as "the church." Christians who are reborn into the kingdom of God together are the church (John 3:3 and John 3:5). As Luke 17:21 states, "Nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." And as Hebrews 12:28 states; it is an unshakable kingdom. These people fail to realize that the Christian church is not a geographically bound religious theocracy under Mosaic law.

Simply because Christians assemble into local groups with some taking advantage of a category of tax code to make donations go farther which has some financial accountability and political responsibility associated with it does not mean they have "left their first love" and become "adulterers" "serving two masters."     

And incorporation does have certain benefits in our society like providing legal protection for assembly officers, etc... The churches the author was affiliated with that were 501(c)(3)s never once were given trouble by state or federal government who instead gave tax-exempt status while at the same time doing absolutely nothing to interfere with New Testament church activities and the free preaching of the gospel. 501(c)(3) churches can read all of scripture and the Bible cover-to-cover in their assembly in the U.S.A. at this time without losing their tax exempt status.

It's possible the time may come in the U.S.A. when authentic Christian assemblies will no longer be able to and when that day comes, will need to forgo incorporation but presently that is not the case.

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Romans 13: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Titus 3:1: "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good..."

Matthew 22:20-22: ...and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" 21"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." 22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Matthew 17:27: "Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. 27"But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

Acts 5:29: Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!

Luke 17:21: "nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

John 3:3: "In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

John 3:5: Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."

Hebrews 12:28: "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken..."
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Lie #3: People can't give money to fund ministry if church workers pay their taxes because it is an unclean offering before God.

Everyone who earns money must pay taxes, both by governmental law and scriptural exhortation (Matthew 22:20-22). If the government uses this money to fund ungody activities, like abortion for example, Christians should be involved in seeking to change the ungodly laws. This does not translate; however, that all donations to ministries and church workers who pays taxes must cease or that the donations themselves cannot be given. Jesus instructs everyone to pay their taxes and the New Testament instructs Christians to give to the Lord's work without breaking the law by not paying their taxes (Luke 10:7-8). Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13, serving two masters talks about a person's love for money over God.

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Matthew 22:20-22: ...and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" 21"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." 22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Luke 10:7-8: "The workers in God's Kingdom are worthy of their wages. We should see that the needs of God’s servants are met."

1 Corinthians 9:4-18: "Share your material harvest with those who have sown spiritual seed among you. Give to those who labor among you in the Lord."

Matthew 6:24: "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Luke 16:13: "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
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*Church Example: Consider the Salvation Army. A Salvation Army Church does not need to register for 501(c)(3), because they are a house of worship. On the other hand, a Salvation Army homeless shelter must file for 501(c)(3) exemption because, while it operates on a religious premise, it is not a church, but a religious and charitable not-for-profit entity. So we see most churches are not 501(c)(3) but their non-profit charities often are.

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