Have you considered the link that having our churches incorporated brings between government and our churches?

1. A corporation is a creation of the state and as such the state can control what it has created. But Jesus said that He would build His church. He is the Head of the church IN ALL THINGS. He is the Lord of the church.

2. A corporation gives us officers and processes never mentioned in the Bible such as trustee, secretary, treasurer, annual business meetings, governed by Roberts rules, etc. 3. A corporation forces us to request a privilege from the government to please, please let us be a 501c3 corporation so that we may be tax exempt. What they don't tell you is that this forms a deadly chain of command. They speak and we jump. They set public policy and we must adhere. They gag us from speaking out on topics and candidates and issues OR ELSE we will lose our 501c3 status. Whose bond slave have we become? Whose mouthpiece have we become? 4. It is not a requirement in any state that we be a corporation. In fact in Virginia, it is still against the law to be incorporated. Then, why did we ever become incorporated? There are two reasons.

1. We listened to lawyers and current tradition instead of to God. 2. We wanted Government to bless us with their benefits not believing that God could provide and protect us.

This IS the issue. Incorporated church are the REGISTERED churches of America. We applaud the courage of those believers in Russia who have suffered persecution for remaining UNREGISTERED and therefore underground. It's too bad that our applause is hypocritical because we don't have the courage to lead our flocks OUT of this entanglement.

5. An unincorporated church has not yielded jurisdiction of the church over to the government. It doesn't care about tax exemption. It is granted tax immunity. It is willing to be inconvenienced to be free. It cares about its birthright. I wrote all of that to respond to your comment about preparing for the cashless society as a church. As an UNincorporated church under the Lordship of Christ, we cannot take an EIN (employer identification number) because it re-establishes jurisdiction of the state over the church. Without an EIN, no bank will grant us a bank account. Without a bank account, we cannot cash checks.

Therefore, we have been forced back to cash by the system in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Pray for us brethren in these evil wicked days as we look for Jesus, our Lord, to appear.

Pastor Starr

-- Tammy (Godsvssel@aol.com), August 02, 1998

Answers

You made some really good points about the state and the church. I find it interesting. It does seem as if we have sold out. I will pray that more of us will be brought to that knowledge, this may be where some of the presecution of the real church begins, with us. May God Bless You, Debbie I would say it is time to take a stand. But one person can not do this many will have to do it.

-- Deborah (Emhouse2@aol.com), October 18, 1998.