Minnesota Independent

Minnesota pastors plan to endorse candidates from pulpit

By Andy Birkey | 10.15.10 | 6:00 am

Two Minnesota pastors say they will endorse political candidates from the pulpit this Sunday, in direct defiance of federal law that prohibits such politicking at tax-exempt churches: Brad Brandon of Berean Bible Baptist Church in Hastings announced his intentions on his KKMS radio show earlier this week, while Greg Stone of Jesus Assembly of God in St. Peter outlined his plans on Facebook. Stone writes that, unlike most of his sermons, this Sunday’s won’t be available as a podcast. Brandon taunts the “liberal media” to file an IRS complaint against his church. “Do it out of hatred for me,” he urged.

Group urges IRS to change rules regarding politics and churches

By Andy Birkey | 11.05.09 | 12:02 pm

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State is urging the Internal Revenue Service to fix problems with its enforcement of laws against churches endorsing political candidates. In January, a Minnesota District Court judge ruled that the…

IRS loophole gets Minnesota churches off tax-violation hook

By Andy Birkey | 08.24.09 | 1:47 pm

The Internal Revenue Service’s investigations into alleged tax violations by two Minnesota-based churches have been thwarted by procedural problems. Those cases highlight the special tax-exempt status churches receive under federal law, but also problems at the IRS. While reforms are underway, the religious right is planning to take advantage of a neutered IRS by encouraging a mass law-breaking day when churches endorse candidates from the pulpit.

IRS postpones case against pastor who endorsed McCain

By Andy Birkey | 07.29.09 | 9:36 am

Religious right leaders are celebrating the postponement of an IRS complaint against a Warroad, Minn., pastor alleging he violated tax laws when he twice endorsed Sen. John McCain from his pulpit in 2008.

Pulpit Freedom Sunday: Complaints filed against churches that endorsed McCain

By Andy Birkey | 09.29.08 | 2:46 pm

An initiative spurred by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a religious right legal outfit affiliated with James Dobson’s Focus on the Family, has prompted complaints to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including one against Minnesota’s Warroad Community Church. The…

Dobson-bred ‘Pulpit Initiative’ to flout IRS ban on church political endorsements seems to be failing

By Andy Birkey | 09.25.08 | 2:28 pm

It must have seemed an attractive idea at the time. But a much-heralded push to organize mass violations of an IRS ban on political endorsements in churches seems to be attracting few takers. And the IRS has already pledged to review complaints about any churches that do participate.