KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE
with Remi Akano
E-mail: remiakanosr@believeandrepent.com
As we were saying, two recent developments: one here in Nigeria, the other in the United States may well be pointing in the direction of critical self-examination in the church.
To refresh your memory, reports emanating from the Federal Ministry of Finance indicate that at least one well-known church may have been implicated in the import duty waiver policy abuse that has led to the policy’s suspension. Specifically, it was said that waivers granted the church for the importation of building materials were extended to cover other imports. The value of duty thus evaded was, according to a media report, put at up to N20 billion.
Two investigations, I believe, are on-going; a general one by a panel led by Senator Udoma Udo-Udoma and the other hopefully by the Christian Association of Nigeria which requested for and eventually received certain documentary evidence of the church’s involvement in what one newspaper has dubbed “a holy scam.” Further comments on this particular issue must therefore await the report of these probes both of which we expect would be placed in the public domain.
The development in the US, on the other hand, revolves round an investigation into the uses to which churches are putting the finances collected by way of tithes, offerings and other collections for which they are tax exempt. Citing reports and complaints reaching his office, Senator Charles Chucks Grassler, an influential member of the Senate Committee on Finance wrote letters to six of the top Pentecostal/charismatic ministries asking detailed questions about their expenses pattern and the tax exempt status of some specific expenses or associated projects or establishments. The six who received and have till December 6 to reply the letters are: Kenneth and Gloria Copeland; David and Joyce Meyer; Randy and Paula White; Creflo and Taffi Dollar; Eddie Long; and Benny Hinn.
As in the Nigerian case, it would be premature to comment on the culpability or otherwise of any or al the ministries until Senator Grassler and his colleagues on the finance committee conclude their assignment. So, I shall refrain from doing so. It’s however probably not out of place to attempt to read the handwriting on the wall.
First, let me state that the power of the Senate of the United States of America, to initiate the kind of investigation that Grassler is undertaking, derives from the oversight function of the legislature on issues pertaining to public finance. And if you wonder how the account of religious bodies could fit into the realm of public finance, read this quote from Grassler’s press release on the issue: "I’m following up on complaints from the public and news coverage regarding certain practices at six ministries…The allegations involve governing boards that aren’t independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls Royces. I don’t want to conclude that there’s a problem, but I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code."
Second, I wish to state that, from my little knowledge of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Assembly has similar oversight powers and so can, should it feel a need to do so in the public interest, conduct such an investigation for the same reasons.
Thirdly, I also state that initiators of any such investigations in Nigeria will be subjected to emotional and religious blackmail, no matter who they are, their antecedents and intentions, but in the end, should they persevere, I would be surprised if they do not unearth cans and cans of worms (no puns intended).
I know for sure that I am treading on dangerous grounds here and might even be accused of inciting the legislature against the church, with such dire consequences as calls for my excommunication! No matter. This is an issue, I believe we need to be in your face about and that’s what I propose to do in my own little way.
Let’s begin with the tax exempt status of our churches and ministries. The status is universally conferred on not-for-profit organizations. This is as it should be because, if the profit motive is not the reason for your existence, there is technically nothing to tax. But what happens when a not-for-profit body establishes profit-making associates? Should such an associated company be exempted from tax?
A typical scenario goes like this: A ministry sustains itself from the tithes, offerings and other donations from members of the public, including, but not limited to its members and congregants. From this tax-free income, it establishes a book store, video and audio tape shop and sometimes even a printing press. Whether the materials and services sold in these outlets are solely those of that ministry or not, profit is made from such operations. Should such profit be tax-free particularly as the products and services are hardly ever subsidized?
Incidentally, this situation is clearly exemplified by the fees being charged by secondary and tertiary educational institutions established by churches and ministries. As I was preparing this article, a brother told me of a secondary school whose fees are so high that the teachers who are members of the owner-ministry and who live on the campus cannot afford the fees and so send there children to schools outside the campus residence. In addition to the tax exempt status of such institutions is the issue of how well staffers of these ministries and ministry-owned institutions are remunerated.
There is the issue of the fixing of remuneration for ministers. How much should a general overseer or superintendent or presiding bishop earn? Who fixes such income and by what criteria? Of course this speaks directly also to the issue of whether not-for-profit organizations should be run as sole-proprietorships. In other words, is a ministry independent of its founder or are they one and the same legal persons? What obtains today, with very few exceptions, is that there is no difference.
We can go on and on. The point being made, however, is simple: if the system in the USA threw up a Senator Grassler, it certainly will incarnate one in Nigeria sooner or later. And like Grassler, he might even be an anointed, tongue-talking, devil-chasing, born-again Christian; so that there won’t be convincing ground for demonisation.
To everyone who reads this and is wont to begin the name-calling right now, I commend the scripture in 1Corinthians Chapter 11 and verse 31 which the Message renders like this: “If we get this straight now, we won't have to be straightened out later on.” That is my call to the Church.
First published in a Nigerian Daily, the Sunday Independent, published in Lagos Nigeria.
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