Is It YOUR Church?

[Red Wolf]

I hear Christians refer to ""THEIR CHURCH""""
But who really owns YOUR Church? Who owns the deed? Whose name is on the bank accounts?

You probably put money in the basket to support the Church.....but it really is not yours...you are just another customer.

If all the church goers move away and the building is sold, ....who gets the proceeds?

What can be done to correct this inequity?

[bjs]

[Replying to Red Wolf]

In the USA, churches function as non-profit organizations. As such, no one owns the church. The assists and equity, such as the building and the money in a bank account, belong to the church itself. If a church were to dissolve, any money from the sale of the building or other assets would legally have to be put towards the mission of the church.

https://www.dummies.com/business/nonpro ... ownership/

[Clownboat]

[Replying to Red Wolf]

In the USA, churches function as non-profit organizations. As such, no one owns the church. The assists and equity, such as the building and the money in a bank account, belong to the church itself. If a church were to dissolve, any money from the sale of the building or other assets would legally have to be put towards the mission of the church.

https://www.dummies.com/business/nonpro ... ownership/

"Churches are non-profit"

1. Kenneth Copeland – Net Worth $760 Million
2. Thomas Dexter Jakes – Net Worth $150 Million
3. Ayo Oritsejafor – $120 Million
4. Emmanuel Makandiwa – $100 Million
5. Pat Robertson – $100 Million
https://moneyinc.com/richest-pastors-in-the-world/

Bankers' best guesses about the Vatican's wealth put it at $10 billion to $15 billion.
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/a ... 09,00.html

Like everything else in life, follow the money. The gods are a lucrative business it seems. Totally worth it for those that get convinced that there is an eternal soul on the line.

[Zzyzx]

.
[Replying to post 12 by Clownboat]

Several of the lower income 'pastors' on the top ten have net worth of only 40 million.

Enoch Adejare Adeboye – whose salary is 2 million dollars per year in Nigeria where the per capita income is 2 thousand dollars per year

Joel Osteen – who inherited the business from his father, preaches 'prosperity gospel', and lives in a house valued at 10 million dollars

Benny Hinn (Toufik Benedictus) – who converted from Judaism to Pentecostal Christianity, preaches faith healing, and lives in luxury including private jet.

[Menotu]

[Replying to Red Wolf]

In the USA, churches function as non-profit organizations. As such, no one owns the church. The assists and equity, such as the building and the money in a bank account, belong to the church itself. If a church were to dissolve, any money from the sale of the building or other assets would legally have to be put towards the mission of the church.

https://www.dummies.com/business/nonpro ... ownership/

Are you speaking of the church as in the legalities of the building and land, or simply 'what makes a church'?

Ownership of church real property varies widely, depending on faith tradition and ecclesiology. Independent churches generally hold title to their real property, or title may be held in trust or a property holding company exclusively for the benefit of the church. Title to the real properties of other, so-called “multi-site churches� is often held by the parent church or a consolidated property holding company. In the case of denominational churches, the ownership of title varies by denomination. In the Presbyterian Church of America, (PCA), for example, title to real property is held exclusively by the local church or related entity. On the other hand, in denominations like the Presbyterian Church, United States of America (PCUSA), title to a local church’s properties gets more legally complicated. In such denominations, title to church properties may be held by a national or regional governing body, or title may be held by the local church, subject to a “trust clause� in the denomination’s Book of Church Order, or other constitutional document. A trust clause provides that the denomination may assert a claim to the property of the congregation in the event of a congregational split, dissolution, or disassociation from the denomination. This last type of ownership is the subject of this case’s dispute.

Seems it's not as cute and dry, like so much of the Christian myth
https://wagenmakerlaw.com/blog/%E2%80%9 ... rty-rights

[bjs]

[Replying to Menotu]

I was responding Red Wolf’s statements, which focus mainly on the physical property as opposed to what “makes a church.�

Tax and property laws are never cut and dry, but you seem to have added supporting details to my point. Be it by denominational organization or by individual congregation, no one “owns� the church. The building and assets belong to the church itself, either on a denominational or congregational level.

[bjs]

[Replying to Red Wolf]

In the USA, churches function as non-profit organizations. As such, no one owns the church. The assists and equity, such as the building and the money in a bank account, belong to the church itself. If a church were to dissolve, any money from the sale of the building or other assets would legally have to be put towards the mission of the church.

https://www.dummies.com/business/nonpro ... ownership/

"Churches are non-profit"

1. Kenneth Copeland – Net Worth $760 Million
2. Thomas Dexter Jakes – Net Worth $150 Million
3. Ayo Oritsejafor – $120 Million
4. Emmanuel Makandiwa – $100 Million
5. Pat Robertson – $100 Million
https://moneyinc.com/richest-pastors-in-the-world/

Bankers' best guesses about the Vatican's wealth put it at $10 billion to $15 billion.
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/a ... 09,00.html

Like everything else in life, follow the money. The gods are a lucrative business it seems. Totally worth it for those that get convinced that there is an eternal soul on the line.

Yes, churches are non-profit.

Unless someone has completely re-written American tax laws in the last week, none of the statements from the rest of the post has anything to do with churches being non-profit.

I am not familiar with Oritsejafor or Makandiwa, but the other three pastors on your list made their money from book royalties and speaking engagements, not from the church.

[Red Wolf]

[Replying to post 5 by onewithhim]

Do you know who are the people who are the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society? Do you remember the Worldwide Church of God? They used to be a church that didn't believe in the Trinity. When their head man died the new guy embraced the Trinity. The church collapsed completely. I always wondered who got the money when the assets were liquidated??????
Could this happen if the Watchtower management changed their doctrine?

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 5 by onewithhim]

Do you know who are the people who are the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society? Do you remember the Worldwide Church of God? They used to be a church that didn't believe in the Trinity. When their head man died the new guy embraced the Trinity. The church collapsed completely. I always wondered who got the money when the assets were liquidated??????
Could this happen if the Watchtower management changed their doctrine?

That was Garner Ted Armstrong. And when he passed it went thru several hands and has ended up with the Reformed Church of God or something like that. They were publishing a monthly called the Real truth as opposed to the Plain truth.

Honestly, i will say i never belonged to these groups but some truth was there in spite of their actions.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 5 by onewithhim]

Do you know who are the people who are the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society?

Do we have to? The Watchtower Society is a non-profit corporation in the United States and operates and is duly audited by the legal authorities of that country. Bjs explained nicely the characteristics of such a company and even included a useful link
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 66#p996166

... I always wondered who got the money when the assets were liquidated

As for what happens in the case of liquidation of a non-profit corporation, none of the directors can legally lay claim to any remaining assest. The website smallbusiness com States :

All assets and profits must be dedicated to supporting the organization's public purpose, even after it is dissolved. The charity may transfer its assets only to another nonprofit organization.

source:https://smallbusiness.chron.com/liquida ... 81076.html

NOTE For the Jehovahs Witnesses the legal corporation (WBTS) presently exists as a seperate but related entity to the governing body which makes doctrinal and organisational decisions. JWs are historically well accustomed to doctrinal changes but in the event that changes in core beliefs did provoke the collapse of the corporation it would still have to act in accord with the law.



JW


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[singingdove05]

well the real church is the "body of Christ" the body of believers and Christ is the chief corner stone!!