Federal judge strikes down income tax break for clergy
A federal judge said Nov. 23 that an IRS rule allowing clergy to avoid paying taxes on a part of their income designated as a housing allowance violates the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state.
U.S.-Ukraine church partners concentrate on new work
 |
Politicking and pulpits
Should churches endorse political candidates or lobby over issues? Experts are divided on what the IRS rules mean.
Staying motivated for service among the poor demands discipline
Chronic poverty, hunger and homelessness can leave even the most committed Christian activists feeling overwhelmed and defeated.
Beauty and the budget — a balancing act
Keeping the church facility in good shape and ministries vital costs money. Maintaining balance in budgeting for building maintenance and support for ministry is a choice faced through the ages by Christians who believe God is revealed both in beauty and in the impoverished. The question is how to find the money for both.
Church budgets — choices that reveal ethics
It may not feel like it to number-crunchers fine-tuning annual financial proposals, but church budgets are moral statements that reflect ethical priorities.
Legal Timeline Follows Controversy
The Missouri Baptist Convention took an unprecedented move when it filed a motion for declaratory judgment against The Baptist Home, Missouri Baptist University, Windermere Baptist Conference Center, Word&Way and the Missouri Baptist Foundation in August 2002. (The convention dropped its lawsuit against Word&Way in April 2010.) This legal action timeline includes significant dates and actions since this time that is still ongoing.