Why The IRS Prosecutes Some Pastors and Not Others, Part 2
Should I be personally concerned? As you read yesterday's article, you may have had some alarming thoughts cross your mind. I have had conversations with many church treasurers and CFO's that describe the way money is handled, and at times I cringe. The IRS focused on Pastor's Jinwright and Clarke for prosecution. They could have just…
Read Full Article | CommentsWhy The IRS Prosecutes Some Pastors and Not Others
Pastor, Church and IRS In the last year, I have written about two pastors that have been prosecuted by the IRS. One pastor, Gregory Louis Clarke, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for assuming that the love offerings he received from his church were gifts to him. The other, pastor Anthony L. Jinwright, was convicted of fraud and tax evasion…
Read Full Article | CommentsYour Dreams For the Church Are Not What You Thought
My life today is not what I dreamed it would be My life today is not at all what I dreamed it would be. In fact, neither was the church I pastored. I had big dreams for my small Spanish congregation. I dreamt it would reach 1,000 or more members and that it would be a great force in out small town. I also dreamt it would have…
Read Full Article | CommentsHow a Church Debit Card Can Cause Trouble
The convenience of debit cards "It's convenient and much easier than writing a check," were the words one pastor said as he swiped his card at a Christian bookstore. He was buying research material for a sermon series he was doing on marriage and family. He purchased several books and one set of DVD teachings from a popular Christian speaker. …
Read Full Article | CommentsCan a Pastor be Guilty of Fraud for Selling His Own Sermons to a Publisher?
A conflict may exist between you and your church Many pastors are not aware that because of the United States Copyright Act, when a minister preaches a sermon, the sermon belongs to the church. There are two reasons why, as listed below. The United States Copyright Act vests ownership of a sermon with the church because it was created and…
Read Full Article | CommentsYou Have What it Takes to Make It
Three signs of good, healthy loneliness Chances are, if you have pastored a church for at least one year or more, you have struggled with feelings of loneliness and inadequacy. If so, then you are doing things right, because leadership requires walking alone for seasons at a time. It may be that after last Sunday's service you felt like…
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