THE WOES OF CHURCHES OPERATING UNDER U.S.A's I.R.S' 501(C)3

A 501(c)(3) corporation is a non-profit organization that gains a tax-exempt status under section 501(c) in the U.S. Internal Revenue (IRS) Code [26 U.S.C. §501(c)]. Many types of clubs and groups are eligible for 501c3 incorporated status, but part 3 is developed for religious, educational, and charitable entities. There is a false assumption by many Christians that in order to be an "official" church, one must obtain 501c3 status, but this could not be further from the truth. In this article, we will learn about the dangers of 501c3, and why no Christian should be caught dead under a 501c3 contract. (To share this with the vision-impaired, MP3 audio downloads are available free in our Audio Section.)

Why would a pastor/church want to become a non-profit organization? A tax-exempt status means that the church does not have to file federal income tax forms, and individuals and businesses can write off donations on their taxes. 

However, there are a few points we should note:
1) No U.S. law exists that requires anyone to file a federal income tax form.
(We don't cover that topic on this website. See the following documentary for more info: youtu.be/uNNeVu8wUak)
2) Christ's Church is not a legally recognized entity, so it is already tax exempt.
3) Enticing to give via tax write-offs is not Biblical giving.
(Read "Is Tithing a Christian Requirement?" here at creationliberty.com for more details about charitable giving) 

Since I first learned the truth about 501c3 churches, I have always wondered why any Christian would want to go to the government and get permission to be exempted from a tax they didn't owe to begin with. True New Testament churches are already exempt because they cannot be recognized as a legal entity. Interestingly, Steve Nestor, IRS Senior Officer, has wondered the same thing: 

"I am not the only IRS employee who's wondered why churches go to the government and seek permission to be exempted from a tax they didn't owe to begin with, and to seek a tax deductible status that they've always had anyway. Many of us have marveled at how church leaders want to be regulated and controlled by an agency of government that most Americans have prayed would just get out of their lives. Churches are in an amazingly unique position, but they don’t seem to know or appreciate the implications of what it would mean to be free of government control."
-Steve Nestor, IRS Senior Officer, IRS Publication 526, quoted by Peter Kershaw, In Caesar's Grip, self-published, 2000; See also Thomas Lake, Romans 13 In a Constitutional Republic, Xlibris Corporation, 2011, p. 9, ISBN: 9781456846886 

Before we get into details, it is important to note that I believe most preachers/ministers honestly do not realize what they are getting into when they 501c3 incorporate their church/ministry, or in other words, they honestly do not know the facts they will read in this article. However, many preachers signing up for 501c3 status without researching what they're signing up for only shows a willful blindness that has come over them, and we will discuss the examples and Scripture for that later. The preachers/ministers who read this information are responsible to the Lord to perform as the Gospel teaches and learn the truth. 

First, we need to acknowledge that many pastors are in denial about the truths of the 501c3 corporation. Barbara Ketay, a lawyer at the Biblical Law Center, wrote the following:
"O.K. Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries, Deacons, Trustees, Elders... listen up! Let's stop all the hocus-pocus, the illusions, the scams, the fairy-tales and the outright lies regarding what the 501(c)(3) incorporated church is and is not. For a change, let's deal with facts. For those of you who don't understand "facts," in the legal arena, facts are used and are supported by documented evidence which would be admissible in a legitimate court of law. Facts are not hyperbole! [i.e. exaggeration]"
-Barbara Ketay, "The 501(c)(3) Incorporated Church: The Real Truth," Biblical Law Center, retrieved July 23, 2012, [http://www.gracealoneca.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/the_real_truth_of_501c3.pdf] 

Ketay goes on to list facts about what a 501c3 church corporation is by lawful state definition:

• The creator of a corporation is the State.
• The State is the sole authority and sovereign head over the corporation.
• The corporation is subject to the laws of the State which limits its powers.
• The corporation has no constitutionally protected rights.
• The corporation is an artificial person.
• The corporation submits to a State Charter declaring it is a creature of the State.
• The corporation is created for the benefit of the public.
• The corporation is a State franchise.
• The corporation is a privilege granted by the State.

Pastors, evangelists, missionaries, elders, deacons, watch this carefully because I need to make this abundantly clear. You have a 501c3 INCORPORATED status. That means your church is a corporation of the state. Here is the message that I, other preachers, and the IRS is trying to get you to understand about the contract you signed:

• The creator of your church is the State.
• The State is the sole authority and sovereign head over your church.
• Your church is subject to the laws of the State which limits its powers.
• Your church has no constitutionally protected rights.
• Your church is an artificial person.
• Your church submits to a State Charter declaring it is a creature of the State.
• Your church is created for the benefit of the public.
• Your church is a State franchise.
• Your church is a privilege granted by the State.
(The word church can also be replaced with ministry or mission.)

Before we continue, any Christian ought to be able to see the clear Biblical violations a 501c3 incorporated church is committing! Once a preacher has signed the papers, it does not matter who the pastor says his creator is when he's up on the pulpit, because he signed a document denouncing the Lord Jesus Christ as his creator, and put the state in His place. It does not matter who the pastor says is the sole authority and sovereign head over the church he's preaching at, because he signed a document declaring that the State has authority over the church of Christ.It does not matter who the pastor says gives Christians liberty, because he signed a document stating that no liberties can be taken within the church unless approved by state-granted privileges. The screams of violation to the Gospel are already deafening, and we have barely started looking into the depths of 501c3 status. 

"A 501(c)(3) corporation, being an artificial person, is not considered a person under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution (religious liberty clause) or under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution (protection against self incrimination clause). Therefore, an incorporated church has NO First or Fifth Amendment rights. In the case Johnson vs. Goodyear, 127 Cal.4 (1899): 'A corporation, being an artificial person, only has rights within the meaning of the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and similar provisions of State constitutions and within the meaning of state statutes.'" [i.e. Your 501(c)(3) church has no constitutional rights.]
-Barbara Ketay, "The 501(c)(3) Incorporated Church: The Real Truth," Biblical Law Center, retrieved July 23, 2012, [http://www.gracealoneca.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/the_real_truth_of_501c3.pdf] 

Many Christians cry out against me about their constitutional rights, and the religious freedom clause of the first amendment, but it DOES NOT APPLY to 501c3 churches. I also want to specifically point out that if you are a pastor or evangelist who signed on to the 501c3 incorporated status, you have outright LOST your constitutional rights. Notice, on the list, it says that your church is now an artificial person subject to the State, created by the State for benefit of the public (not the benefit of the Lord Jesus Christ), and granted privileges deemed by the State. This means if the IRS says you cannot say something from the pulpit, then you DO NOT have any constitutional rights to argue against them, and are bound by lawful contract to keep silent!

At this point, I commonly hear preachers say, "Well if they come after me, I'm just going to disobey the government," and then they quote Acts 5:29 saying "we ought to obey God rather than men." I agree, we ought to obey God rather than men UNLESS you signed a contract stating that you will obey men instead of God. If a preacher signs a contract stating that he will give allegiance to the government rather than God, then God expects him to do what he said he would do, and turning to break that contract engages in lying, which God says is an "abomination." (Pro 6:16-19)
(Read "God Does Not Justify Lies" here at creationliberty.com for more details; Lying is a sin equivalent to MURDERaccording to God's Word, but Christians do it all the time anyway without remorse.) 

And if you want to obey God rather than men, why did you seek to put your church under 501c3 to be yoked up with unbelievers and be regulated by men? The excuses I have heard preachers make for 501c3 does not match up logically with what they have contractually agreed to do. 

God sees lying as an abomination, and that includes agreeing to do something and then refusing to do it. If you signed a contract, you GAVE YOUR WORD you would do what is listed in that contract. Our Lord Jesus Christ would only want one of two things from these 501c3 churches:

1. Keep your word and do the things you agreed to do. or... 2. Get out of the contract.

(Read "Why Christians Should Keep Their Word" here at creationliberty.com for more details)

[C]hoose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
-Joshua 24:15

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
-Matthew 6:24

There's no riding the fence on this issue. We cannot keep one foot on either side. Jesus makes that clear:

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
-Revelation 3:15-16

If your church signed a 501c3 contract, then the IRS has EVERY RIGHT to tell your church what they can and cannot preach. If God was the creator of your church, then God tells the church what it can and cannot preach, but that all changed as soon as your church signed and dated the documents. 

Christians may ask to see a law that binds preachers down from what they can and cannot say, and the answer is "No," there is no law I can point you to, but there also does not have to be. All Congress has to do is grant the IRS carte blanche privilege [full discretionary power] to do what they see fit, and it has the same effect as law, but if you sign a contract with them, they don't need a law because you gave up your rights and agreed to obey their statues for regulating a church, and it is legally binding on top of their discretionary enforcement.

When you signed the 501c3 contract, you willingly gave the IRS legal power to tell your church what messages it can and cannot preach.

"Prior to 1954, churches were free to evaluate the positions of political candidates on moral issues without fear of the Internal Revenue Service revoking their tax-exempt status. That year, then-Senator Lyndon Johnson amended the tax code to add the threat of IRS action against churches if their pastors mentioned the positions of specific candidates from the pulpit. Citing that rule, groups like AU [Americans United] have repeatedly threatened to report churches to the IRS if they speak out on such issues."
-"ADF Announces New Initiative to Reclaim Pastors' First Amendment Rights," Alliance Defending Freedom, May 9, 2008, retrieved Aug 11, 2012, [http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/1857] 

Again, Christians cry out, "They don't have a right to do that!" That's true, UNLESS your church/pastor signed a contract that binds them to IRS regulations instead of Jesus Christ. If your church is 501c3 incorporated, Americans United and other organizations have every EVERY RIGHT to report your church to the IRS for breaking contract. 

The ADF is trying to get the IRS to give pastors back their first amendment rights because the ADF KNOWS FULL-WELL that the pastors are silenced in the church, and have no first amendment rights. (Even though ministers/evangelists I talk to constantly and ignorantly claim that they have no limitations on speech.) However, in their willful ignorance, the ADF is foolishly fighting with the IRS, who won't listen to a word they say, instead of doing what's Biblical by helping churches dissolve their 501c3 contracts. 

Additionally, churches fearing "the IRS revoking their tax-exempt status," is not Biblical in any sense. What message does this send to new Christians about the protection of our Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit? When pastors run to the IRS shivering in fear of losing their precious tax-exemption gives a demonstration to the world of the Laodecian state of American churches. 

In 2008, former president George Bush's Administration gave their official position on this issue:

"Kinsolving asked: 'The AP also reports that 33pastors in 22 states made specific endorsements of political candidates in challenging the IRS-Lyndon Johnson ruling about no political endorsements in churches. And my question: Does the president believe that America’s clergy should be denied the freedom of speech to endorse political candidates?' [Tony] Fratto responded: 'Those rules are set forth in IRS regulations, directed by statute. And the IRS is enforcing the law, and the president believes that the IRS should enforce the law.'"

-"Bush: IRS Should Enforce Pastor's Speech Ban" World Net Daily, Sept 30, 2008, retrieved Aug 11, 2012, [http://mobile.wnd.com/2008/09/76673/] 

In case you missed it, the reporter asked if pastors should be denied freedom of speech, and Fratto didn't have to answer with the president's opinion because he stated clearly that 'no constitutional rights' has always been an IRS regulation over 501c3 churches! Pastors, are you getting this yet? If you have a 501c3 church, you have NO freedom of speech under the first amendment, and that automatically means you have no religious liberty because freedom of speech is the first requirement for religious liberty. 

To further demonstrate this point, the following recording was documented by Ania Joseph in March 2012. She received a call from IRS Agent Sherry Wan (ID# 0203399), who explained to her that she, as a 501(c)(3) entity, was not legally allowed to push her Pro-Life beliefs on other people. (Ms. Wan does not speak very good English, so it may be difficult to understand her meaning, but she's explaining that Ms. Joseph has limited speech rights under tax exemption.)

Wan: "You have the religious freedom; You have the freedom of speech. And other people also have their civil rights, human rights. For other people, you don't have the belief. So I don't believe you need the right to do this: start confrontation, protesting; if you do apply for tax exemption. You reach out to a woman, you can't do that. You can, you know, to educate the woman... You have to give the woman the opportunity to listen to you. You cannot force your religion or force your beliefs on somebody else...[i.e. confronting people on the street or protesting a particular belief is NOT allowed under 501c3 contract] You can't take all kinds of confrontation activities and also put something on the website and ask people to take action against the abortion clinic... you have to know your boundaries. You have to know your limits."

Once again, the ADF has no understanding of this issue, because they believe that what Wan told Joseph was "inaccurate." This is not about public constitutional law; this is about privatized corporate contract, which means you must abide by the rules of the parties you sign a contract with, and God expects us to keep our word when we sign it. 

Christians object to this and say that the IRS should not be enforcing this because it has no right to. I agree, UNLESS you signed a 501c3 corporate contract, and then they DO have a right to enforce it, and they SHOULD be enforcing it because all the other 501c3 entities have to follow these same regulations. Why should Christians be afforded special privileges over all the other 501c3 entities? 

The evidence of this is clear if you look at those preachers out there who are trying to rally behind Obama and his wicked campaign. The preachers who want to support Obama KNOW full-well they must carefully watch what they say in public because they are limited based on their 501c3 contract.

Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver: "We are going to, first of all, equip them with the information they need to know about what they can say, and what they cannot say in the church that would violate their 501c3 status with the IRS. In fact, we're going to have the IRS administrator there, we're going to have the attourney general... there, we're going to have the lawyers organization from around the country, the ACLU, all giving ministers guidance on what they can and cannot do."

As a 501c3 ministry, you signed a contract that demands that you make your organization into something that benefits the public in terms that are predetermined by the government.
"To support this connection between conformity to public policy and eligibility for a public benefit, Chief Justice Burger offered the following explanation:
'When the Government grants exemptions or allows deductions, all tax-payers are affected; the very fact of the exemption or deduction for the donor means that other taxpayers can be said to be indirect and vicarious "donors." Charitable exemptions are justified on the basis that the exempt entity confers a public benefit--a benefit which the society or the community may not itself choose or be able to provide, or which supplements and advances the work of the public institutions already supported by tax revenues. History buttresses logic to make clear that, to warrant exemption under 501(c)(3), an institution must fall within a category specified in that section and must demonstrably serve and be in harmony with the public interest. The institution's purpose must not be so at odds with the common community conscience as to undermine any public benefit that might otherwise be conferred.'"
-John Rohr, Ethics for Bureaucrats: An Essay on Law and Values, CRC Press, 1988, p. 220, ISBN: 9780824780326; See also Alan Gunn & Larry D. Ward, Cases, Text And Problems on Federal Income Taxation, Thomson/West, 2006, p. 222, ISBN: 9780314166586 

In case you may not have understood what the Chief Justice explained, in more simplistic terms, this means a 501c3 ministry technically becomes a semi-government entity, in that it must provide a certain benefit to the public, which is how they are justifying tax exemption. (Even though churches are already exempt before incorporating.) Once you have 501c3, you must then make sure that every aspect of your ministry/church is not at odds with anything that would be deemed by the government as "public benefit."

public benefit: a benefit accrued to the public, including Amtrak, in the form of enhanced mobility of people or goods, environmental protection or enhancement, congestion mitigation, enhanced trade and economic development, improved air quality or land use, more efficient energy use, enhanced public safety or security, reduction of public expenditures due to improved transportation efficiency or infrastructure preservation, and any other positive community effects as defined by the Secretary
(See 'public benefit', USCS § 22701, USLegal.com, retrieved June 2, 2014, [definitions.uslegal.com/p/public-benefit]

The definition of what is considered public interest changes from state to state, at the discretion of the Secretary of State, and thus, what is considered by the Secretary to be of public benefit is what your ministry/church is allowed to say and/or do. This also means that the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer the "final authority in all matters of faith and practice," but rather the Secretary of State becomes the ultimate authority, and Jesus Christ becomes nothing more than a name pulled out for convenience to deceive the flock of God.

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
-Matthew 15:8

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
-Titus 1:16

(Read "How Do I Get More Faith?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
-Ephesians 5:11

The obvious Biblical solution to this problem is to get out of the 501c3 contract. It's difficult, but not impossible. However, the Bible tells us the love of money is the root of all evil (1Tim 6:10), and most preachers find it too inconvenient to give up their precious IRS 501c3 status. 

At this point, many Christians get irate with me and claim that I am supporting government take-down of churches, but that is not true because I think the IRS is one of the most evil organizations this country has ever seen, and they do NOT have any right to take away the liberties of preaching any topic from the pulpits of the churches. However, on the issue of 501c3 churches, the pastors, deacons, and elders SIGNED A CONTRACT stating they would give up their rights, so the IRS DOES have right to tell a 501c3 church what it can and cannot preach, and if pastors and deacons refuse to do what they stated they would do in contract, then the IRS is MORE Biblically sound to enforce the regulations the 501c3 churches contractually promised they would uphold. 

The IRS can take away your rights if you give them permission to do so.

Be Cautious of What You Read/Hear on 501(c)(3) Lawyers like David Bea deceive Christians into thinking that 501(c)(3) is beneficial to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. In an article he wrote on 501c3 entities (which contains no references or Scripture whatsoever), Bea tries to say there is no muzzling of the churches freedom of speech. "Some people believe that a church should not incorporate. They fear that incorporation gives the government a means to censor the church's message or otherwise intrude into the affairs of the church... incorporating does not give the government an increased hand in the church's affairs or make it easier to censor the church's message." -David L Bea, "Should Churches Incoporate and Seek IRS Recognition of 501(c)(3) Status?" David L. Bea & Associates, retrieved Aug 17, 2013, [http://www.davidbealaw.com/files/articles/ChurchesIncorporate501c3.pdf] But later in his same article, he tells a different story: "Certain organizations can engage in political campaigning or lobbying, but if they do so, they cannot claim the benefits of 501(c)(3) status. This is certainly not a restriction on free speech in any DIRECT way, but merely a requirement to claim a tax benefit." (emphasis added) -David L Bea, "Should Churches Incoporate and Seek IRS Recognition of 501(c)(3) Status?" David L. Bea & Associates, retrieved Aug 17, 2013, [http://www.davidbealaw.com/files/articles/ChurchesIncorporate501c3.pdf] (This lawyer does not mention that condemning or promoting political candidates from the pulpit is considered "campainging" in the legal arena.) As with most lawyers, you have to be careful because they are slippery as vipers most of the time. I've never stated that freedom of speech is lost DIRECTLY, because direct silencing would be planting bugs in your church and sending in men in black suits to duct tape your pastor when he speaks out of line. Once you willingly sign the contract, they don't have to do all that. They have indirect control because if you speak out of line, they can take away everything you signed over jursidiction to them (building, finances, precious tax-exemption, etc). This lawyer states vaguely that there is not censoring of the churches, but then later comes back and admits that you can't be 501c3 incorporated ANDcondemn/promote political candidates from the pulpit. (i.e. He admits freedom of speech doesn't exist in 501c3.) "Churches can exercise free speech on moral and religious issues WITHOUT CROSSING THE LINE into engaging in political campaigns." (emphasis added) -David L Bea, "Should Churches Incoporate and Seek IRS Recognition of 501(c)(3) Status?" David L. Bea & Associates, retrieved Aug 17, 2013, [http://www.davidbealaw.com/files/articles/ChurchesIncorporate501c3.pdf] Though this lawyer ignores the limits of speaking out against other 501c3 organizations, he tells people there is no line, but then later tells them that there is a line. Be careful what you will hear from those who seek to justify kneeling to Nebuchadnezzar.

The "Reverend" Barry Lynn, Executive Director of the AUSCS (Americans United for Separation of Church and State), sent out about 60,000 letters to preachers of various churches involved with their organization, warning them that they are under contractual obligation to remain silent on issues the IRS deems unfit for the pulpit. Click the letter to read it yourself, but here are some highlights:

"The First Amendment protects the right of all Americans, religious leaders included, to speak out on religious, moral and political issues. However, houses of worship and other nonprofit entities classified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Tax Code are barred from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office... If the IRS determines that your house of worship has engaged in unlawful intervention, it can revoke the institution's tax-exempt status, or levy significant fines on the houses of worship or its leaders."

-Barry Lynn, "Letter to Religious Leaders for Election Season 2013," Project Fair Play, retrieved June 5, 2014, [projectfairplay.org/letter]; See also "Church Voter Registration Endorsed," North Carolina Family Policy Council, Sept 19, 2012, retrieved June 5, 2014, [ncfpc.org/stories/120919s1.html] 

This letter is pathetic in that Mr. Lynn does not have an understanding that the IRS has no limitations concerning penalties on your ministry when you signed the contract. They can completely take away everything from your ministry and give it to any other 501c3 entity. It's also pathetic that he heads up an organization called "Americans United for Separation of Church and State," but is telling ministers to ignore what Jesus Christ would have us do, and bow themselves to the IRS's whims like weak-willed jellyfish.

Even Ken Ham and the leavened "Answers in Genesis" ministry understands the concept of the gagged church: "Of course, we can’t, as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, endorse any candidate for office," -Ken Ham, "AiG Mentioned in U.S. Senate Debate," Answers in Genesis, Apr 30, 2010, retrieved June 5, 2014, [blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2010/04/30/aig-mentioned-in-u-s-senate-debate]

Watch this: I, Chris Johnson, state that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are both liars and deceivers that stand for wickedness to the highest degree, and it is a shame that any man would be foolish enough to ever possibly back these men with a vote. I can state what 501c3 ministries can't. I can say these things freely because I don't have a 501c3 contract I have to uphold, but these other leavened ministries MUST keep their mouths shut to comply with the contract they agreed to, and the educated pastors/evangelists understand this very clearly. (Hint: They just don't care!) 

What gets worse is that the ADF (Alliance Defense Fund) Senior Legal Counsel (who encourages Christians to lie, cheat, and rebel against their IRS charter) made a statement about the 501c3 issue that has the right premise, but their conclusion is based on misunderstanding of the situtation:
"Pastors have a right to speak about biblical values from the pulpit without fear of punishment. No one should be able to use the government to intimidate pastors into giving up their constitutional rights."
-Erik Stanley, ADF Senior Legal Counsel, "Bush: IRS Should Enforce Pastor's Speech Ban," World Net Daily, Sept 30, 2008, retrieved Aug 7, 2012, [http://www.wnd.com/2008/09/76673/] 

So far, I agree with that statement, but it doesn't apply to the 501c3 churches because the pastors signed a contract and WILLINGLY handed over their constitutional rights. Here's the second part of the statement:
"The government can't demand that a church give up its right to tax-exempt status simply because the pastor exercises his First Amendment rights in the pulpit."
-Erik Stanley, ADF Senior Legal Counsel, "Bush: IRS Should Enforce Pastor's Speech Ban," World Net Daily, Sept 30, 2008, retrieved Aug 7, 2012, [http://www.wnd.com/2008/09/76673/] 

First of all, the pastor does not have any First Amendment rights (as we established earlier) because he gave them up when he signed the 501c3 contract! The religious liberties clause of the US Constitution is null and void if you sign a contract giving up your rights. 

And then, where in the Bible did Jesus Christ say 'thou shalt have thy tax-exempt status'?Tax "exemption" is not some God-given right. A true new-testament church is a spiritual entity, not material, so it is automatically not taxable. When the IRS says "exemption," it means you already owe them taxes, but they allow you the privilege of being exempt. Just signing the 501c3 contract turns your church from spiritual entity by God to a material corporate business, and nowhere in the Bible does God protect men with special rights if they get yoked up with an evil government. 

It is foolish for Christians to try and defend this. Not only did I quote from IRS agents stating that churches are already automatically exempt, but pastors, deacons, and churches in general are focused on forcing the government to make sure their members can write off their donations on IRS tax forms! How is that Biblical? The answer here is not to demand the government to give Christians scraps from the IRS's table. 

I have an interesting question:
Why doesn't the ADF encourage pastors to GET OUT of the 501c3?

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies... Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
-Revelation 18:3-4

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
-Galatians 5:1

Amazingly, some Christians will still question if being a part of the 501c3 church is actually sinful in nature, but it gets far worse. Here's a list of other types of organizations who are also 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profits:

• The First Church of Satan [www.churchofsatan.org]
• Planned Parenthood (Baby-Killers) [www.plannedparenthood.org]
• Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders [www.glad.org]
• Touchstone Local Council Covenant of the Goddess [www.tlcweb.org]
• The Secular Web (Anti-God Organization) [www.infidels.org]
• U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops [www.uscb.org]
• QCinema: Gay & Lesbian Internation Film Festival [www.qcinema.org]
• The Witches' Voice [www.witchvox.com]
• Church of Scientology [www.scientology.org]
• Satanist Cult of Cthulhu [www.cultofcthulhu.net]
• American Atheists [www.atheists.org]
• Mormon Church of Latter-Day Saints [www.lds.org]
• Pagan Druids of CedarLight Grove [www.cedarlightgrove.org]
• Islamic Society of Corona-Norco (Youth Camp) [www.coronamuslims.org]

These are the organizations your 501c3 church, pastors, and deacons have chosen to get in bed with, and they need to come out from among them and be separate. Go visit some of these websites and see for yourself. These are just a few examples, but there are tens of THOUSANDSof these kinds of organizations flooding the 501c3 incorporated (devil's) church. We are commanded NOT to get Christ's Church yoked up with these kinds of demonic organizations:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
-2 Corinthians 6:14-18

As a Christian, kneeling before my Lord Jesus Christ, if I were a 501c3 corporation, this list would be all I would need to see to make every effort in getting out of the IRS contract, and removing myself from any church not willing to get out.

What is the Biblical solution? Get out of the 501c3 contract.

Incorporated = Yoked Some ministers have written me attempting to justify their incorporated status as having nothing to do with getting "yoked together with unbelievers," but the very definition "yoked" and "incorporated" mean the same thing: incorporate (v): to unite or combine so as to form one body yoke (v): to be or become joined, linked, or united (See 'yoke' & 'incorporate', Random House Dictionary, 2013, Random House Inc, retrieved Sept 10, 2013 [www.dictionary.com]) I also had one minister try to give an excuse that he could make the same argument for the American dollar, therefore, he was justified to have his ministry 501c3 incorporated. This is an illogical argument, attempting to mix apples and oranges and call them the same thing. As Christians, we are still subject to the just laws of the State, and since Congress was given the power to coin money, the dollar has been an issue of currency. Though today, it is nothing more than a debt note, it is almost unavoidable, and still part of the coined money according to the laws of the land. (i.e. we don't have much of a choice) However, Christians DO have a choice to be incorporated; it is not something forced upon churches/ministries. To better understand the absurdity of the dollar argument, consider the times of the New Testament writings: Caesar put his face on all the coins, and that was considered legal tender. The Apostles of Jesus Christ, and the churches they started, used this money to pay for things they needed (e.g. Acts 5:1-11, 1Cor 16:1-2). Obviously, if using this money meant they were yoking themselves (or incorporating themselves) together with unbelievers, they wouldn't have done so because it would be a contradiction to the Word of God. So because the Apostles used Roman coins, does that mean they were also given liberty to sign contracts that would hand over the sole authority of churches and ministries to the Roman government, and combine with all the pagan entities that Rome was collecting? Of course not! That doesn't even remotely compare, and it certainly does not match a proper interpretation of the Bible. If we look at our history, we can see a group of people who decided to hand the authority of their church over to the Roman government, today being known as the Roman Catholic Church, and the result of that union has been nothing but persecution, deceit, and false doctrine ever since. Just because you and an atheist bought corn at the grocery store, that came from the same farm, that doesn't mean you are yoking yourself up with atheists, and that's called a "false analogy," which is like comparing apples to oranges and calling them the same thing. The "dollar" argument above is attempting to imploy a false analogy. Jesus Christ and His disciples used standard issues of currency, and The very definition of a corporate entity is the same definition as to be "yoked together," and if 501c3 is not yoking together with unbelievers, then NOTHING can be considered yoking together with unbelievers, and that means 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 would have no meaning whatsoever. We need to stay vigilante against deceptive excuses (i.e. illogical arguments), and rightly divide the word of truth. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. -2 Timothy 2:15

We have not even covered what this 501c3 status is doing to churches on a spiritual level--should we be yoked up with baby-killing, atheistic, homosexual, God-mocking, devil-worshipping organizations? There is a whole unseen aspect to this, and that's why I recommend if a Christian is part of a church that is 501c3 incorporated, no matter how "good" it may seem, to get out of that church. I cannot see a reason that God came to this earth as our Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross as the Salvation of mankind, send the Holy Spirit as protection and guidance for the Body of believers on Him, and then turn around and bless churches who denounce Christ by getting in bed with pagan, wicken, satanic, sinful organizations.
(Also beware of churches and pastors who are not incorporated, but still group up and mingle with 501c3 churches/groups. Just because they may not personally have a 501c3, they are still yoking themselves together with those who do; Read "Did Christ Come to Bring Peace?" here at creationliberty.com for more details about being sanctified [set apart].) 

"It is now a fact that in order to get and keep the tax-exempt status, a church must agree that all religions are equal. The new Applications for Recognition of Exemption, Form 1023 Schedule A for Churches (Rev. September 1998) demands a declaration to this effect with the following words at point #3: 'Does the organization require prospective members to renounce other religious beliefs or their membership in other churches or religious orders to become members? Yes___ No___. If Yes, describe.' It doesn't take much intelligence to figure out where they are going with this. In order to be considered a legal church (tax exempt) in America, the church or religious organization will have to declare that all religions are equal."
-Dr. Greg Dixon, "Are All Churches Now Required to Join IRS Super Church?," The Trumpet, Vol. 12, Issue #1, Jan/Mar, 2005 

If a Christian declares that all religions are equal, then he/she is declaring that Jesus Christ is on equal terms with Satan! This clearly denies Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior over all mankind and creates abomination and heresy towards all that God's Word teaches us. However, to some preachers and churches, their precious 501c3 status is more important than the Gospel. 

"Maybe we now know why Billy Graham, Robert Schuller, Pat Robertson, and otherTV preachers have been making such fuzzy remarks about adherents of other religions going to heaven without receiving Christ."
-Dr. Greg Dixon, "Are All Churches Now Required to Join IRS Super Church?," The Trumpet, Vol. 12, Issue #1, Jan/Mar, 2005 

According to their 501c3 corporate charter, people like Graham, Schuller, and Robertson are not permitted by the State to preach the truth of the Gospel by saying that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. Based on what I've seen of them, these guys are "universalists," meaning they believe everyone is going to get to heaven eventually, and that is completely unbiblical teaching. TV evangelists are getting worse all the time on this issue, and they wouldn't fight for the truth about the incorporated 501c3 system because their entire living is created from it. (i.e. They bow to their creator.)
(Read "Is Billy Graham a Christian?" here at creationliberty.com for more details on Graham's false doctrine; Also see "Christian Ministries Teaching Evolution" for more details on false doctrine being taught by many other mainstream preachers)

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
-Matthew 6:24
(Mammon = money)

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
-1 Timothy 6:10

Lawyer David Bea tells us why he thinks chuches should get their 501c3 status and yoke themselves up with the Devil's church:
"If a church does not incorporate... opening a bank account for the association, signing a lease, borrowing money, or buying property can be difficult and risky."
-David L Bea, "Should Churches Incoporate and Seek IRS Recognition of 501(c)(3) Status?" David L. Bea & Associates, retrieved Aug 17, 2013, [http://www.davidbealaw.com/files/articles/ChurchesIncorporate501c3.pdf] 

Did you notice it all has to do with money (mammon)? A non-incorporated church, founded on God's Word instead of IRS contracts, operates on charity from its individual members, not from borrowing, leasing, and mortgaging. All the things Bea lists in his article to justify 501c3 is based on aquiring unnecessary overhead and getting in debt.
(Read "Is Tithing a Christian Requirement?" here at creationliberty.com for more details on what the Bible says on those sinful practices.) 

Worse still is that because the churches and pastors are now subject to the lordship of the State (instead of Jesus Christ), many have submitted to being used by the State to preach specific State-funded messages from the pulpit. 

"Federal regulators shepherding the U.S. digital television transition visited Los Angeles on Monday and asked for divine assistance. Broadcasters turn off their analog signals in just over four months, and Federal Communications Commission staffers can't make sure that people buy and set up the converter boxes they'll need for their older TV sets that are hooked up to antennas. Who can? Ministers."
-Nathan Olivarez-Giles, "L.A. Ministers Asked to Spread the Word About Digital TV," Los Angeles Times, Feb 10, 2009, retrieved Aug 8, 2012, [http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/10/business/fi-digitaltv10] 

Pastors should be telling their congregations to turn OFF their televisions! The pulpit is a place of honor for God's Word, and His Word is what is supposed to be read from it; not to help the government in TV switches so Christians can continue to be brainwashed by the liberal, humanist, materialist corporate media, but remember that if these churches are 501c3 incorporated, they are REQUIRED to help the government in their goals, no matter the circumstances, because they signed a contract making them subject to the State instead of God. 

"'We need people to take up leadership in their community and make sure nobody gets left out in the switch,' FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein said during a public forum at the Mount Moriah Baptist Church in South Los Angeles. 'Churches already have the infrastructure in place to do that.' Standing at the church pulpit, Adelstein asked the Baptist Ministries Conference of Los Angeles, nearly 50 African American preachers who meet once a month, to include information on the June 12 digital TV switch in their sermons... Woodie Ramsey, a deacon at Southern Missionary Baptist Church of South East Los Angeles, said the ministers were prepared to spread the word. 'It's incumbent upon each church to take care of the needs of its ministry, and this is just one more need for our people,' he said. 'We'll do our part.'"
-Nathan Olivarez-Giles, "L.A. Ministers Asked to Spread the Word About Digital TV," Los Angeles Times, Feb 10, 2009, retrieved Aug 8, 2012, [http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/10/business/fi-digitaltv10] 

Of course you will do your part because you have to if you're part of the 501c3 church. The government has and will use your 501c3 ministry whenever they want because, as aforementioned, they are the creator of your 501c3 church. These statements from pastors allowing the government to get up on the pulpit and into their sermons ought to make any Christian sick to their stomachs, but most Laodecian-Christians are just following along, as if their conscience has been completely seared.

I'm not just pointing a finger at the pastors here, even though God is going to hold them accountable as leaders, because the 501c3 incorporated church is required to have a CEO and board of directors. The pastor, according to the IRS, is the CEO, and his elders/deacons/assistants are considered his board of directors, and they are all subject to allow the State to use them however they please. But also the regular members of a church of a responsibility to rebuke the unfruitful works of darkness leavening the church.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
-1 Timothy 4:1-2

Again, I cannot imagine what this is doing to churches on a spiritual level. When the pastors allow the devil's church on the pulpit, seducing spirits are allowed into the Church of Christ. 

The "Clergy Response Teams" are further evidence of the churches kneeling before the State:
"A large church organization has refused to divulge how many of its pastors are on the FEMA payroll, after a member expressed concerns about religious leaders being used to condition their congregation to accept the declaration of martial law... Concerned about such developments, a member of the California-based Worldwide Church of God, an organization that boasts 64,000 members in 860 congregations in about 90 countries, asked if any of the church’s pastors were involved in the FEMA program. 'The head office quickly replied hastily within an hour by telling me, 'Sorry, that is privileged information', the man states. 'The reply was in big bold script like I’ve never seen before in emails.'"
-Paul Joseph Watson, "Church Organization Refuses To Divulge If Pastors Are On FEMA Payroll," Prison Planet, Feb 2, 2009, retrieved Aug 8, 2012, [http://www.infowars.com/church-organization-refuses-to-divulge-if-pastors-are-on-fema-payroll/] 

How is it Biblical for a church organization to refuse to tell the truth to fellow Christian brethren if any of the pastors are on FEMA payroll? How is it Biblical that a pastor takes a State pay check for his position of leadership in Christ's Church?
(Read "Should Christians Submit to the Government?" here at creationliberty.com for more details on how the pastor in the video does not understand what Romans 13 tells us.) 

Despite so many preachers teaching false doctrine, the Bible does NOT tell us we are to bow to wicked rulers.
(Read "False Doctrine: Unilimited Submission to Government" here at creationliberty.com for more details.) 

Simple examples in the Bible, such as Paul, Peter, or even Christ Himself were all thrown in prison, tortured, and murdered because they did not obey the government. This is not to say they were rebels, but when it came down to God's Word vs the government, we have to make chocie. The personal, self-serving interpretation used by the average mainstream preacher is false doctrine, and most preachers will not lift a finger to preach the truth about the government and the 501c3 system, because they are part of that system! 

Dave Hodges reported having a telephone interview with a "Pastor Walt Mansfield" on Dec 9, 2014. Mansfield was one of the first pastors to be recruited for the "Clergy Response Team" (CRT).
"Pastor Mansfield attended several briefings and he could barely believe his ears. He learned of the government’s plan to enact martial law as well as to implement forced population relocations. Mansfield emphasized that when martial law is enacted, the enforcement would be immediate. In other words, family members will be separated from each other and part of the training that the clergy received was how to comfort separated family members... The pastors were trained to go to homes where people refused to be relocated by the authorities, and their immediate job was to convince the reluctant to willingly go to the relocation camps. Ostensibly, this was to be done in lieu of sending in the SWAT teams. [i.e. They'll send a SWAT team if the pastor fails.] I asked Mansfield if FEMA camps were real and he stated that much of the clergy training focused around this scenario of pastors operating within the forced relocation centers. The main goal of a pastor assigned to a FEMA was to bring order and encourage compliance with DHS requests, hence, the emphasis on Romans 13. The pastors were forced to sign non-disclosure. Interesting, the pastors were told not to quote Scripture... and the presenters strongly discouraged the its [the Bible's] use."
-Dave Hodges, "A Clergy Response Team Insider Reveals the Duties of a Pastor Inside of a FEMA Camp," Dec 10, 2014, retrieved Dec 20, 2014, [thecommonsenseshow.com/2014/12/10/a-clergy-response-team-insider-reveals-the-duties-of-a-pastor-inside-of-a-fema-camp] 

The training Mansfield was receiving comes out of a Pastoral Crisis Intervention manual, which is sponsored by the Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Clergy Care & Leadership Development. They have a section for this on their website, but no information on it, however, I did get ahold of a pdf copy of that document from May 15, 2006, (which swaps out a variety of new-age bible versions in order to get the book to say what they want it to say) and it states:
"During a time of crisis, people do go through a 'crisis of their faith.' Sometime[s, a] quick mention of God and scripture may not be helpful."
-Clergy Car & Leadership Development, "Pastoral Crisis Intervention: An Overview of Pastoral Crisis Intervention and Debriefing," Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, May 15, 2006, retrieved Dec 20, 2014, [infowars.com/images2/ps/pastor_fema_docs.pdf] 

They want pastors to put emphasis on Romans 13, but they also don't want pastors to quote Scripture at all if they can help it. Basically, they're to paraphrase what they want the home-owner to hear, and then coerce him/her by telling them that the Bible says so, without any Scripture to back it up. (Either that, or they'll quote a portion of Scripture out of it's context.) 

And there are certain Scriptural concepts that the pastors are being trained NOT to talk about. For example:

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
-1 Corinthians 10:13

"Unhealthy God talk - Must be avoided... God never gives us more than we can handle."
-Clergy Car & Leadership Development, "Pastoral Crisis Intervention: An Overview of Pastoral Crisis Intervention and Debriefing," Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, May 15, 2006, retrieved Dec 20, 2014, [infowars.com/images2/ps/pastor_fema_docs.pdf] 

They also train these pastors to not react in any way to indicate that what has happened to a family during the crisis is horrify or sad.
"Don'ts: Beware, these are not healthy to do... Don't look horrified when listening."
-Clergy Car & Leadership Development, "Pastoral Crisis Intervention: An Overview of Pastoral Crisis Intervention and Debriefing," Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, May 15, 2006, retrieved Dec 20, 2014, [infowars.com/images2/ps/pastor_fema_docs.pdf] 

Someone may have lost their spouse or children or parents or siblings in beatings they received by defending their homes when SWAT teams raided, but pastors or not to give any facial reaction to these events because the government wants everyone to think this is normal and acceptable. 


In addition to all this, Florida introduced a bill to the house in January 2009 about military installations for Homeland Security that was passed by the Obama administration in 2011. Let's take a closer look at that bill:
"A bill to direct the Secretary of Homland Security to establish national emergency centers on military installations."
-H.R. 645, "National Emergency Centers Establishment Act," 111th Congress, 1st Session, Jan 22, 2009, retrieved Dec 20, 2014, [govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr645/text] 

When the average American citizen reads this line, there is a misunderstanding they'll have; namely the part "on military installations," which they typically take to mean that these will only apply to military bases. That's not the case. The Legal Information Institute shows us the definition in U.S. Code § 2801:
"The term 'military installation' means a base, camp, post, station, yard, center, or other activity under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of a military department or, in the case of an activity in a foreign country, under the operational control of the Secretary of a military department or the Secretary of Defense, without regard to the duration of operational control."
-Legal Information Institute, "10 U.S. Code § 2801 [Chapter 173] (c)(4)," Cornell University Law School, retrieved Dec 20, 2014, [law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2801] 

So first, we see that the legal definition of "military installation" is any existing property in the U.S. that is given to be under the jurisdiction of the military, and as we continue to read H.R. 645, we'll find an interesting note:
"(b)Purpose of national emergency centers. -- The purpose of a national emergency center shall be to use existing infrastructure --"
-H.R. 645, "National Emergency Centers Establishment Act," 111th Congress, 1st Session, Jan 22, 2009, retrieved Dec 20, 2014, [govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr645/text] 

Now keep in mind that the following points listed are already considered under military jurisdiction in regard to national emergencies:
"(3)to provide centralized locations to improve the coordination of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts of government, private, and not-for-profit entities and faith-based organizations;"
-H.R. 645, "National Emergency Centers Establishment Act," 111th Congress, 1st Session, Jan 22, 2009, retrieved Dec 20, 2014, [govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr645/text] 

Meaning...
YOUR 501c3 CHURCH IS A LEGALLY SANCTIONED U.S. MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE.
And if you looked carefully at Code 2801 quoted above, this is "without regard to the duration of the operational control," meaning that not only is the 501c3 devil's church prepped and ready to serve U.S. military at any time, but they are not limited to any duration by their own discretion. In case someone doesn't fully follow, if you are a 501c3 entity, the U.S. government and military owns you for any purpose they deem important. 

Most preachers and churches today are walking right into this 501c3 trap without realizing what they have done, keeping themselves completely ignorant to the responsibility they have to the U.S. government and IRS, and a perfect example of this is a pastor in Arizona recently came on to youtube and pleaded with American Christians to sign a petition to get him out of jail because he had been arrested for having a home church. Normally, I would have joined in the fight to demand they be released, until I found out that he had hidden the fact that he registered his home church under 501(c)(3).

This is NOT about religious liberty. This is about a contract that a pastor signed to willingly hand over his religious liberty, and his agreement to comply with all federal regulations, building codes, and permits for a church by state definitions. He agreed by contract to meet these standards, and he LIED by not complying with what he agreed to do, and I pulled all support of the man after I found his 501c3 status.

What is the Biblical solution? Get out of the 501c3 contract.

I'm not just trying make an example out of Mr. Salman, but this is a fine example of the trap Christians are getting themselves into, and when the State finally calls in the chips on their contract, pastors don't even understand what's happening to them, and falsely believe they are being oppressed, but in reality, they failed to comply with the promises they made to the State in the 501c3 documents. 
"The most prominent and successful certified public accountant firm in the nation today, that specializes in keeping churches out of trouble with the Internal Revenue Service, is now boldly saying to the pastors of America that they not only have to be 'ordained by God, but also the IRS.' They also say that the IRS is dictating terms to the churches by declaring in clear and no uncertain terms that, "The government doesn't want your Bible, they want your checkbook!" In seminars all over the US, Chitwood and Chitwood of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is repeating this startling announcement to pastors and church leaders. Without so much as a blush, Michael Chitwood, the main speaker, says, besides the above quotes, "Pastor, if you don't get your house in order, get ready, you are going to have a jail ministry" as he practically screams out to those present as to what pastors and church leaders must do to avoid jail time and the confiscation of church property by the federal government."
-Dr. Greg Dixon, The Trail of Blood Revisited: Christ's True Church - It's Past, Present and Future, Unregistered Baptist Fellowship, quote from Chapter 12, "Internal Revenue Service: Pastors Must Be Ordained by the IRS," retrieved Aug 1, 2012, [http://unregisteredbaptistfellowship.com/trumpet/booklets.php] 

If you are a 501c3 church and you don't get your church, staff, and members on the same page the IRS (i.e. your creator) demands you to be on, then THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT to fine your ministry and jail your pastor. In fact, I personally hold that the IRS is MORE in the right than 501c3 preachers, and it's as if the IRS has been long-suffering with them, allowing them to get away with illegally breaking their contracts.

What is the Biblical solution? Get out of the 501c3 contract.

A Christian with any bit of common sense would ask, "Why don't pastors and churches just get out of it then?" First, most don't know how, and second, once they find out what it takes, the price is too high for most Christians, and they would rather live in sin for a season, than pay the cost for taking up the cross.

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
-Hebrews 11:25

501(c)(3) Ministries Justifying Themselves to Men Michael Houdmann of GotQuestions.org seeks to give Christians a justification for yoking up with the world. "[I]s there a biblical argument for incorporation? Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 22:21, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's'... [I]ncorporation not only serves as a way to honor the state's realm of authority, but also serves as a legal protection for the individuals in the body." -Michael Houdmann, "It it biblical for a church to seek 501(c)(3) incorporation?" GotQuestions.org, retrieved June 5, 2014 [gotquestions.org/501c3-church-incorporation.html] When you stop at traffic lights, you honor the authority of the state because it isMANDITORY via STATE LAW that you stop at traffic lights. THERE IS NO LAW NOR MANDITORY REQUIREMENT that demands any church to get 501c3 incorporated, and thus, Mr. Houdmann is bowing the knee to worship Caesar, because he's giving the spiritual Body of Christ unto Caesar, which rightfully belongs to God, and attempting to justify others to do the same. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. -Luke 16:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or elseexcusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. -Romans 2:15-16 I would like any of these ministries to answer a question: What "legal protection" is specifically given to a 501c3 corporate entity that the average property-owning citizen does not have? The fact is that the individual citizen working in a church without incorporation has MORE protection, and MORE rights than a 501c3 entity. What these ministers and preachers don't want to tell you is that, ultimately, they do thisFOR THE MONEY! The only advantage there is to 501c3 is that people can write off donations on their IRS tax forms, which gives people special incentive to give larger amounts of money. (Which also means it's not charity!) If the IRS took away the tax write-off incentive, a lot more Christians would start asking "why" concerning the incorporation of the church, which shows us the true nature of the hearts of those who seek out 501c3 status. Eric Hovind of Creation Today states the following on his website: "The process [of incorporating] was long and sometimes tedious, but one that we were committed to enduring for the protection of the ministry and its supporters." -Eric Hovind, "Important Ministry Announcement," Creation Today, retrieved June 5, 2014, [creationtoday.org/501c3-non-profit-eric-hovind] Based on a statement like this, we can see that Mr. Hovind believes that the Holy Spirit is insufficient for the protection of God's ministry and the Body of Christ. (Many preachers/evangelists make similar statements.) In his words and actions, Mr. Hovind believes the IRS can do things for the benefit of the church that the Lord Jesus Christ is incapable of accomplishing on His own. (i.e. God needs help from Mr. Hovind and the IRS.) It gets even worse when we read from CARM's Matt Slick: "If you have not yet supported CARM financially, would you please consider doing so now? In the past three months donations have gone down and we have also been hit with so many government related bills, taxes, payments to a company for doing specialized 501(c)(3) tax returns, retainers, etc., that we're critically low on funds. We are done, we believe, with all the IRS surprises, but at the present state we will have to cut back people's salaries, mine included." -Matt Slick, "CARM Newsletter," Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, Oct 4, 2013, retrieved June 5, 2014, [carm.org/newsletter-10-04-13] Mr. Slick needs you to send him more money so he can pay off the overhead he's created from his 501c3 contract. Our ministry offers free materials, doing just as much teaching as CARM does, but Lorraine and I pay for it out of pocket because we find cheap/free ways to accomplish our goals without 501c3, so why can't Mr. Slick do the same thing? He stated it himself; Mr. Slick knows full-well that if he repented of his precious 501c3 IRS charter, he wouldn't make as much money. The Biblical solution to these problems is to dissolve the 501c3 contract, and get out of the wicked yoke. The men above have some good teachings and material, but we need to pray the Lord Jesus Christ open the eyes of these men to stop leavening the church, and faithfully cleanse the Body of Christ. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's [money's]sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; -Titus 1:10-13

"[O]nce a church obtains the status of 501(c)(3) under the IRC they are trapped. The only way to be removed from a 501(c)(3) status is if the IRS chooses to remove the exemption. So if you dissolve the corporation and continue on as ABC church, an unincorporated church, you're still trapped in their web and under their control."
-Melvin Blough, IRS agent under oath, "Executive Order: Responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security with Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives," remnantofgod.org, retrieved Aug 10, 2012; See also The Trumpet, Vol. 9, Issue #6, Nov/Dec, 2001 

As aforementioned, it is not impossible to get out of the 501(c)(3) status, but it will cost a pastor/church almost everything:
"To dissolve the 501(c)(3)corporation, you must first give all your assets (if you have any) to another 501(c)(3)corporation. If you do not do this the State will take your assets and distribute them for you to other tax-exempt 501(c)(3)corporations."
-Barbara Ketay, "The 501(c)(3) Incorporated Church: The Real Truth," Biblical Law Center, retrieved July 23, 2012, [http://www.gracealoneca.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/the_real_truth_of_501c3.pdf] 

This means that if you get out of your 501c3 contract, the State can take all your assests and give them to the First Church of Satan! At this point, I have to laugh at pastors who still believe they are in control of their churches, because if I don't laugh, I'd cry because it's so sad. When the government has direct control to hand over all your assets directly to Satan, I hope everyone will see why I call this "The Devil's Church." 

Beware of Those Who Only Clean the Outside of the Cup There are a significant number of ministries out there who claim not to be 501c3 incorporated, and pride themselves on that point, but yet still yoke themselves up with 501c3 corporations, and secretly sit on the boards of them. For example, Frederick Boyd operates a ministry called "Creation Evidence Expo" out of Indianapolis, Indiana, and proudly delcares not to be 501c3 incorporated. However, what most people don't realize is that he is the head pastor on the board of directors of the "Creation Science Hall of Fame," which is 501c3, and 501c3 ministry pastors are considered the CEO as far as the IRS is concerned. (See "Creation Science Hall of Fame," retrieved Nov 11, 2014 [creationsciencehalloffame.org/about/directors/pastor-fredrick-w-boyd-jr]) Further still, I've heard this man brag to others about not being 501c3, yet 90% of their speaking roster (whom are paid by Boyd) for events are the leaders of 501c3 corporations. (See Creation Evidence Expo Speaking Roster, retrieved Nov 11, 2014 [creationevidenceexpo.org/presenters]) Another example is Samuel Gipp, who many people know for his work on the King James Bible, who runs "A Friend to Churches Ministries," and his book publishing company "Daystar Publishing." Neither of the aforementioned organizations are 501c3, but in 2011, he testifies of his use of resources to help other Christians become 501c3 incorporated: "A few days later I got a voice mail for Jack Chick... [Chick Publications is also 501c3] He said, 'Sam! I heard you’ve taken on this video project. I’m so excited. I’m glad to hear you’re doing it.' When Kathy came home I told her, 'I have a new project, Jack just told me I did.' Thus, for the last year we have been working to secure the rights to make these videos. That right has now been secured and a 501c3, tax exempt corporation has been formed so folks can give to the project and their offerings be tax exempt." -Samuel C. Gipp, "Essays & Ideas," February, 2011, retrieved Nov 14, 2014, [samgipp.com/essays/82.pdf] Another I've found a man, who lives near Fort Wayne, Indiana, by the name of Anthony Woodcock, who doesn't provide his name in his ministry (I had to look it up through the Better Business Bureau, since all donations go to his corporate business). He goes by the username "Godrules," and he speaks out against 501c3, but advertises and endorses large numbers of 501c3 organizations on his website, which leaves us with an obvious question: how can this guy rebuke wicked leaven and endorse it at the same time? Furthermore, I see him rebuking 501c3 "ministers" like sodomite Ted Haggard, but then Mr. Woodcock turns around and sells his books to turn a profit. (i.e. That's a perfect example of hypocrisy.) (See Anthony Woodcock, Godrules.net Online Store, retrieved Jan 24, 2015, [godrules.net/webstore/1414335873.htm] There are many more out there exactly like these men, who claim to be clean from the bondage and yoke of the world on the outside, but on the inside, in secret, they are hypocrites. Why do I say hypocrites? Because Boyd fights evolution, yet yokes himself with evolutionist organizations through 501c3, Gipp fights against new-age bible versions and their defenders like James [aka "Snow"] White, yet yokes himself with new-agers like James White through 501c3, and Woodcock fights against sodomites like Haggard, yet seeks to turn a profit from him. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. -Galatians 5:9 I'm not saying these men are unsaved; I'm saying that these men are leavened and it only takes a little bit to destroy the whole lump.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
-Matthew 16:24-26

No matter what, to get out of the 501c3 system and restore the Lord's church to the glory of Jesus Christ, you have to lose almost everything. This is a price most pastors and churches are not willing to pay, and would rather make excuses than acknowledge the truth.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after,they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
-1 Timothy 6:10

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
-1 Timothy 6:17-19

For those few of you who do want to serve our Lord Jesus Christ and dissolve your 501c3 contract to become a true New Testament church, I recommend contacting the Biblical Law Center:

Pastor Greg Dixon Dr. Greg Dixon Barbara Ketay

www.biblicallawcenter.com P.O. Box 11 Indianapolis, IN 46206

(317)414-3478 (321)253-2374 contact@biblicallawcenter.com

(Please do not email us asking about how to dissolve the contract. We do not have that level of information because we have never been 501c3. Contact the Biblical Law Center to get more information on how to get out of the contract. If you are a MEMBER of a 501c3 church, and leave it, make sure you notify them to REMOVE you from membership, otherwise you keep ties to the 501c3 on their corporate list.) 

After I take away the Christians' excuses for 501c3 status, the common response I hear is a quick defense of their church/pastor: "No, not us. My church isn't like that. My pastor wouldn't do that." Did you ask? Do you know for certain that your church is not 501c3 incorporated? Often, Christians do not want to believe that their pastor/church would be involved in something like this, and immediately make excuses and pardons for signing contracts that openly reject Christ's authority over the church. I know it's scary, but our job as Christians is to teach the truth, and if the truth is rejected by those in the church, then we need to avoid them.

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
-Romans 16:17-20

Once again, there is a spiritual level of this that is unseen, and the seducing spirits being allowed into these churches by getting this incorporated status into the devil's church is something I would advise Christians get out of immediately. No matter how many people turn against you, I pray all Christians would stand firm in our Lord Jesus Christ and stay away from the unclean 501c3 corporate church. 

So why would any church or pastor take on this 501c3 status if it is such an abomination to God? I think most pastors/churches honestly have no idea what they're doing, and they think they are submitting to the government in a good way by signing a corporate contract, but they need to learn the truth that 501c3 is a satanic trap. 

On the other hand, we need to understand there are MANY churches and pastors out there who know what they are involved in, and could care less. They're in it for the love of the "laity's" money. These "clergymen" would rather enjoy sin for a season than to have to lift a finger against their creator, the IRS. They pull up to their three-story homes in their brand-new Mercedes, and bow to Caesar for His blessings.

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
-2 Peter 2:3

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
-John 10:12-13

I plead with Christians to come out from among the heathen and be separate. Sanctify yourselves. Christ hates to see His bride committing fornication.
(Read "Did Christ Come to Bring Peace?" here at creationliberty.com for more details on division in the church.)

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
-2 Corinthians 6:14-18

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VERY Short List of Ministries with 501(c)(3) Status
(This is NOT some sort of blacklist, but I believe Christians have a right to know who is yoked up with 501c3 and wicked organizations. I believe most of these men are saved Christians who have made some bad choices to be incorporated. Pray for these men; that the Lord would convict them to righteousness and cleanse His Church. To find ministries without incorporated status, check out our "Find More" section here at creationliberty.com.)

Acts 17 Apologetics	Unnamed*	www.acts17.net
Alpha and Omega Ministries	James White	www.aomin.org
Answers in Genesis	Ken Ham	www.answersingenesis.org
Apologia (Educational Ministries)	Jay Wile	www.apologia.com
Benny Hinn Ministries	Benny Hinn	www.bennyhinn.org
Biblical Archaeology Society	Willie Dye	www.bib-arch.org
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association	Billy Graham	www.billygraham.org
Break Point Ministries	Chuck Colson	www.breakpoint.org
Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry	Matt Slick	www.carm.org
Christian Broadcasting Network	Pat Robertson	www.cbn.com
Creation Evidence Museum	Carl Baugh	www.creationevidence.org
Creation Ministries International	Carl Wieland*	www.creation.com
Christian Research Institute	Hank Hanegraaff	www.equip.com
Creation Summit	Michael Smith	www.creationsummit.com
Creation Truth Ministries	Vance Nelson	www.creationtruthministries.org
Christianity Today	John Huffman	www.christianitytoday.org
Creation Ministries of the Ozarks	Rod Butterworth	www.creationministriesoftheozarks.org
Creation Science Hall of Fame	Fredrick Boyd	www.creationsciencehalloffame.org
Creation Today	Eric Hovind	www.creationtoday.org
Creation Training Initiative	Mike Riddle	www.train2equip.com
Cross TV	Mark Kielar	www.crosstv.com
Crossroads Bible College	Charles Ware	www.crossroads.edu
Colson Center for Christian Worldview	Chuck Colson	www.colsoncenter.org
Confound the Wise Ministries	J. Richard Oliver	www.confoundthewise.org
Family Life	Bill Bright	www.familylife.com
Focus on the Family	James Dobson	www.focusonthefamily.com
Got Questions Ministries	Michael Houdmann	www.gotquestions.org
Grace to You	John MacArthur	www.gty.org
Growth Trac Ministries	Jim Mueller	www.growthrac.com
In Touch Ministries	Charles Stanley	www.intouch.org
Institute for Creation Research	Henry Morris	www.icr.org
Investigating Faith	Lee Strobel	www.leestrobel.com
Living Waters	Ray Comfort	www.livingwaters.com
Probe Ministries	Ray Bohlin	www.probe.org
Search For The Truth	Bruce Malone	www.searchforthetruth.org
Summit Ministries	David Noebel	www.summit.org
Wallbuilders	David Barton	www.wallbuilders.com
Way of the Master	Kirk Cameron	www.wayofthemaster.com
Whitcomb Ministries	John Whitcomb	www.whitcombministries.org
Worldview Weekend	Brannon Howse	www.worldviewweekend.com

* Website information makes it unclear who actually owns/started the ministry/church.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read the following FAQ before contacting us about this subject. We often have the same questions sent to us over and over, and hopefully this will save you some time. 

QUESTION: Can you help me find a church in my area that's NOT 501c3?

I would first like to return a question: How would I go about doing that? Think about that for a moment, how could I, with so little support, funding, and resources, possibly find church buildings that are not registered 501c3 in some distant land? I've been asked by people in Texas and California, one-to-two thousand miles from where I live. I hope folks don't take this too offensive, but I think many of the people who write that question to me don't take time think about what they're asking first, and I think many lazy Americans just want McDonald's-drive-thru help (i.e. "gimme, I want it now"), without having to do any work themselves. 

The reason I say this, and I say it so sharply, is because I haven't even found an unleavened, non-501c3 church in my own area, let alone someone else's. Often, most of you will NOT be able to find a non-501c3 church building in your area, and sadly, because of this, people go right back to the 501c3 church buildings, and try pleading with their pastor instead, which is a near-futile cause because he's already leavened the lump with his contract. 

There are two options I'm aware of for those of you who know the truth about 501c3 and want to stay Biblical on the matter. The first option is to try to listen to your pastor and his cohorts excuses every week until they finally ask you to move on somewhere else because they're sick of hearing it, and I'm NOT saying it's guaranteed that they'll react that way, but they will 99% of the time, and many people who write me put so much faith into their pastor and their elders to do the right thing, thinking they know them, when I'm trying to warn them that they've signed legal contracts that denounce the Lord Jesus Christ, so we have to wake up and come to a realization of who we're dealing with in these church buildings. 

The second option is to start up your own church, just like we did. (The audio teaching in the link at the top of this article is recorded during our Sunday teachings with our group.) We did ours online over skype simply because there is not much desire for hearing the truth of the Word in this area, so we decided to extend our reach. People often struggle with this because they think they need buildings and pastors and all the typical churchianity staples, but that's not the case. Here's some articles you might want to read on the subject first:
"Is the One-Pastor Church System Biblical?" This will explain more of how the church buildings have adopted the temple-style of the Roman Catholic concept of a "church," and have abandoned the methods laid out for us by Christ's Apostles. This subject of starting your church is really a simple one, and only takes two born-again Christians to start it, which is why apostles were sent out in pairs. 

This subject gets a little more difficult for women, and for that I recommend reading this:
"Can Women Teach in Church?" The Bible is very clear that women are not to be in teaching authority over men concerning Biblical instruction in the church, and they are not given authority to be elders either, which we prove that directly from Scripture in the article. At the same time, if a woman gets understand of this, and wants to work to start something new, she can always share this information with men, and pray the Lord Jesus Christ will send her a group to start up with, being in submission to Christ instead of the IRS. 

If anything, this is a great opportunity to visit a wide variety of churches every Sunday morning, with copies of this article printed out in hand. You can go in, ask to speak to the pastor or elders, ask them if they're 501c3, and when they say "yes," then you can respond: "I'm sorry, I don't want to join a church that's denounced the Lord Jesus Christ through their contract," and when they look confused, you can hand them a copy of this article to read, sharing the truth with others, and then that will plant seeds that will help grow a non-501c3 church in your area. 

QUESTION: We want to start a non-501c3 church, but how do we open a bank account in our church's name without 501c3?

I would first like to return a question: Why do you need a bank account in your church name?Typically the answer they will give is this: "In case someone wants to write a check, who do they make it out to?" This question actually has more underlying implications than most people realize, so let's get to what's really going on here. 

First, let's ask the question: Did Christ's Apostles start up bank accounts in the name of the church of each area? No, and for a couple of reasons, the first being, there were no banks, and the second they didn't have a need for it. 

The real reason so many people have written me asking me about this is because there are some other unbiblical things they want to do, and the main reason is because they still want to take tithe. I would highly recommend reading this article:
"Is Tithing a Biblical Requirement?" This article will demonstrate how pastors across America are teaching false doctrine and lying to congregations everywhere to put them back under the old bondage of the law, simply so they can make more money. The article will also give more details about how the "storehouse tithing" sermons got started in America only in the late 19th century, and that was to get a particular church out of the unbibilcal debt they got themselves into. 

What these folks really want is to collect tithe and hand out paychecks to certain people, and to gather money to build a building, but the Apostles never did those things. The Apostles gathered money only when there was a specific need to help certain people or fund those who were traveling out to evangelize and preach the truth. I'm not saying that if someone is laboring in the Word, and teaching on a regular basis, that Christians aren't supposed to help support them, rather the opposite, they should, but at the same time, checks can be written specifically to the target individual, which also keeps people more involved in their giving. 

Some folks object and say they're just doing it to build a building because they need one, but are we to assume that everyone is your church group is homeless? The early Christians met in their homes, which should already be bought and paid for, and they didn't have an official building to meet in with signs out front with cutsy phrases on them because they were being hunted and killed by Jews and Romans, and this continued for many centuries afterwards because they have also been hunted and killed by Muslims and Catholics, and they can't just put out a big sign of where they're located. 

The bottom line of this question is that people are always looking to make more money, and in addition to that, they are simply following the traditions of men that have been laid out for them by the church buildings they've previously attended. If you don't want to be like 501c3, then don't be like 501c3; meet in your homes just like the early Christians did, and teach the truth, not seeking after filthy lucre, just like the early Christians did in the book of Acts.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
-Colossians 2:8