simplemindedman's Blog

I just read a story about an order of Monks north of Milwaukee running a $4.5 million dollar office supply business and it just brought things into focus. In the early days, churches and religious entities were declared non-profit tax exempt for some very good reasons. Most leaders lived on poverty wages, all work was done by volunteers and they used the minimal funds they raised to spread the word and do good works in the community.. But that has all changed for most churches and groups. In the Wausau area, Pastors and Preachers routinely make $50,000 to $80,000 per year  or more with spouses often also "employed" by the church, incomes well above the average church member or tax payer. They get great health benefits, travel the country and world in the name of "outreach" and write off personal cars, motorcycles and parts of homes as "work expenses". Paid staff positions have exploded in the last few years as these churches have started daycares, senior homes and other profit centers all under the non-profit status of the church. Private schools for the in-crowd are deteriorating the public school system, yet offer little more than a daily sunday school lesson. These new mega churches bring in millions a year from business ventures not paying taxes and using tax free buildings built and maintained with tax deductible donations.

One only needs to watch the news to see the greedy, power hungry leaders fall victim to all the vices that free money brings. Drugs, perverted sex, infidelity and fraud are running rampant in church leadership and the best way to get it under control is to make the money accountable and controllable. A church that is just a church can remain tax free, but once they venture into daycare, childhood learning centers, senior housing complexes, private colleges and retail (& gift card) sales, they should be taxed just like the rest of us.