Some Christian Conservatives Register Concerns with Grassley Regarding "Mega-Ministry" Inquiry

The Bulletin, which bills itself as "Philadelphia's Family Newspaper," reports that a group of Christian conservatives sent a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley last Friday regarding the Senate Finance Committee's investigation into six Christian mega-churches.  Here's a snippet from the piece:

"We write respectfully to let you know of our concerns about the Senate Finance Committee's investigation into the finances of several churches, all of which share the same branch of evangelicalism and all of which promote socially conservative public policy positions such as support for the traditional definition of marriage," the letter, delivered to the Finance Committee on Friday, stated.

Among those signatories to the letter were Rev. Bill Owens of the Coalition of African American Pastors, Deal Hudson of InsideCatholic.com, Mathew Staver of Liberty University School of Law, Paul Weyrich of Coalitions for America and Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association.

The letter is a direct response to a request made last November by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the committee's ranking Republican, asking the mega-churches to provide the committee with financial information. The six churches being investigated are Without Walls International Church, Benny Hinn Ministries, Joyce Meyers Ministries, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and World Changers Church International.

The full text of the letter appears below the fold.   I strongly disagree with a number of statements in this letter, but I do think there are some legitimate church-state concerns about the Grassley investigation, concerns that I have not yet heard Senator Grassley adequately address. 

Similarly, I think Senator Grassley needs to explain why the process recently proposed by Kenneth Copeland's lawyer is inadequate.  (As always, if I have missed such statements by Senator Grassley, please let me know.)  You may recall that Copeland Ministries has set out an alternate process by which it could be held accountable to the government and taken a couple of public steps to demonstrate that it would be willing to compy with that process.  If Senator Grassley believes this alternate process would be insufficient, he should explain his reasoning in a specific and public way.  That would not resolve all of the concerns related to this investigation, but it would move the ball forward.

Here is the full text of the letter:

United States Congress

U.S. Capitol

Washington, DC 20002

May 2, 2008

Dear Senate Finance Committee Member:

We write respectfully to let you know of our concerns about the Senate Finance Committee’s investigation into the finances of several churches, all of which share the same branch of evangelicalism, and all of which promote socially conservative public policy positions such as support for the traditional definition of marriage.

While we recognize that some evangelical teachings and socially conservative policy positions are controversial, and that these churches have been the subject of sensational investigative journalism, we are nonetheless concerned that this would possibly justify an investigation outside the normal confines of the Internal Revenue Service and established administrative and judicial procedures.

Congress passed the Church Audit Procedures Act in 1984 specifically to discourage politically driven audits of churches. The Act prevents the Internal Revenue Service from initiating an investigation into a church’s finances unless a "high level Treasury official" concludes that there is reasonable cause for such an investigation. The Act also protects a church under investigation from politically motivated leaks during the course of the examination.

We are unaware of any finding by a high-level Treasury Department official that there is reasonable cause to open an investigation of any of these ministries.

We are concerned that the Senate Finance Committee may be setting a dangerous precedent that may be difficult to reverse.  For one thing, controversy will always be a part of religious teaching.  And religious controversy is something the media will inevitably strive to exploit, since the media feed on controversy and have demonstrated a bias against evangelical Christians.  The Committee’s reliance on media reports in targeting subjects for its investigation would therefore only seem to reinforce this unfortunate bias, however unwittingly. 

We cannot recall instances in the past where a congressional committee has targeted major ministries under threat of subpoena. The ministries have been asked to produce financial records and internal documents in what appears to be an exercise in disproving their alleged guilt.

Congress has a legitimate role to play in oversight of our laws, including tax laws governing churches. And ministries have the obligation to be transparent in their financial accounting. But the targeting of specific ministries by a congressional committee would seem to intrude on the free exercise of religion guaranteed under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We believe this is why churches are properly exempt from taxation in the first place -- to prevent governments from using their power to tax as a way to limit the free exercise of religion.

We respectfully ask that investigations into the finances of specific ministries be left with the Internal Revenue Service, overseen and approved by a Treasury Department official who has affirmed that there is reasonable cause for such an investigation, in accordance with the Church Audit Procedures Act.

Signed,

Paul Weyrich, Chairman, Coalitions for America

Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman, American Family Association

Ken Blackwell, Chairman, Coalition for a Conservative Majority

William Murray, Chairman, Religious Freedom Coalition

Rev. Bill Owens, President, Coalition of African American Pastors

Victoria Cobb, President, The Family Foundation of Virginia

Dr. Gary Cass, Chairman/CEO, Christian Anti-Defamation Commission

Pastor Craig Polston, Kingdom Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Pastor Bob Emrich, The Maine Jeremiah Project, Emmanuel Bible Baptist Church

Dr. Carl Herbster, President, AdvanceUSA

Anthony Verdugo, Christian Family Coalition

Deal W. Hudson, Director, InsideCatholic.com

Rev. Rick Scarborough, President, Vision America

Star Parker, President, Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education

Colin Hanna, President, Pennsylvania Pastors Network

Dr. Danny Forshee, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Lavaca, Arkansas

Sadie Fields, State Chairman, Georgia Christian Alliance

Pastor Jack Knapp, Sandston, Virginia

Larry Cirignano, Founder, CatholicVote

James Martin, President, 60 Plus

George Landrith, President, Frontiers of Freedom

Mathew Staver, Dean and Professor of Law, Liberty University School of Law

Rev. Rob Schenck, National Clergy Council

Comments

[Roger]

The main problem with what Grassley is doing is targeting a specific group of preachers with the same doctrine... In this case pentecostal/charismatic preachers.

Because Grassley comes from a more fundamentalist background this looks a little fishy.

Historically, leaders in Gov. have often used their power to dictate religious doctrine and thats why we have the 1st amendment.

I think the way Copeland handled it was the best in that he has opened himself up to investigation, but by going through the IRS he protects his partners and past TV guest from potential backlash if the investigation is motivated by doctrine.

[sustain5]

Protecting "his partners and past TV guests from potential backlash if the investigation is motivated by doctrine." Wow. This has concerned me no end, but I couldn't have said it more succinctly. As a musician and pulpit speaker myself, it never once occurred to me, BEFORE Grassley's investigations, that I might be at RISK from some governmental agency. And why? It has made me worry and wonder and be not just a little upset at the senator's requests.

[blueskies in MS]

I think it's good to see Christian leaders getting behind Copeland and supporting his stance on what is right. Grassley does NOT need to be given this kind of authority on his own. Implications for the future are scary if so. Here is an interesting article...check it out!
www.americanchronicle.com/articles/60222

[Lisa Ann Ramsey]

To Whom it May Concern,
There is grave concern about you ,out of the blue, wanting to investigate finances of specific ministries.
My concnern is that you are not doing this out of concern for wrong doing but the beliefs that are different than yours and christians that prostest and write letters for things that liberals in the goverment want to pass and cannot get certain items passed because of the christians.
A witch hunt will only allow GOD to let things in your life go south every turn you make. Keep that in mind.
Sincerly,
Lisa Ann Ramsey

[AFter Lunch]

Lisa - your concern is not unusual. And I think this is where Grassley could have saved himself a lot of criticism. I have a very hard time believing that Grassley didn't know which organizations he was dealing with. There are other prominent organizations with a strong media presence that were not targeted. It would appear from an outsider's view that a certain denomination was being targeting by Grassley. Copeland will continue to stand up for what he believes in, as he should.