Why should I care about Senator Grassley’s investigation of these six churches and preachers?

For almost 200 years, our Government respected the sanctity of the Church. However, since the 1960s the government has demonstrated unprecedented willingness to strike down long-held expressions of our religious faith:

* 1962 Prayer in the public schools struck down
* 1963 Bible reading over the intercom struck down
* 1989 Nativity scene inside a government building struck down
* 1992 Prayer at public school graduations struck down
* 2000 Prayer at high school football games struck down
* 2005 Ten Commandments display in a Kentucky courthouse struck down

Senator Grassley’s investigation threatens to trespass upon all of our religious liberties and strike down the First Amendment rights of the Church — rights that are protected by long-standing IRS procedures that allow the IRS to obtain answers to the Senator’s questions while respecting the Church’s constitutional rights.

Why did Senator Grassley single out the six churches and their so- called “televangelist” leaders?

In statements to the press, Senator Grassley has indicated that his questions were based on reports from watchdog groups, whistleblowers, and the media. No substantiation has been provided related to these reports. KCM believes that the primary basis for Senator Grassley’s inquiry is information provided by Ole Anthony, the leader of the self-proclaimed religious watchdog group, The Trinity Foundation. Ole Anthony has a long-standing and personal animosity for ministries that spread the Word of Faith message and, in particular, for the six ministries targeted by Senator Grassley.

Are Kenneth and Gloria Copeland “televangelists”?

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s ministry was birthed out of love for people and a commitment to bring people the Word of God. It is understandable why people would consider them televangelists since they use television – among other media – to teach the Word. At the end of the day, everything they preach, every broadcast they come on, everywhere they minister, everything they say and do is prayed over, motivated, and designed to minister the Word to the people.

What is the “Word of Faith” message? Is KCM a Word of Faith ministry? Is the Word of Faith message a legitimate Christian doctrine and theology?

The Word of Faith message is a long-standing Christian theology that holds the belief that God wants His children to be spiritually, physically, emotionally, and financially blessed, and that prosperity in all areas of one’s life is an outward sign of the fulfillment of God’s promises contained in the Bible. KCM is a Word of Faith ministry.

Do Kenneth and Gloria Copeland preach a “prosperity gospel?”

The Copelands believe in the Word of God and that His Word declares His desire to bless His people. They do teach that God’s blessings and prosperity apply to the spiritual, physical, emotional and financial areas of one’s life. These blessings and prosperity are then to be used to bless others. But Kenneth and Gloria would not describe their ministry as teaching and preaching a “prosperity gospel,” especially if the term solely equates blessing to financial gain.

What specifically has Senator Grassley asked for that KCM finds objectionable? What is KCM’s objection?

KCM has stated its specific concerns to Senator Grassley’s questions in its responses to the Senator. A summary of KCM’s responses to each of the Senator’s questions can be found here: Kenneth Copeland Ministries Responds to Senate Finance Committee (Summary) - December 6, 2007.

What does the Constitution say? What does the “wall of separation between church and state” mean?

The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The first clause of the Amendment is known as the “establishment clause,” and the second clause is known as the “free exercise clause.” With respect to religion, the First Amendment requires that the government be neutral, preferring no beliefs above others.

On January 1, 1802, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, Thomas Jefferson first used the phrase building a wall of separation between the church and state. Jefferson’s wall was designed not just to prevent the Church from interfering with the state, but also to prevent the state from interfering with the Church. The selective investigation only of Charismatic-Pentecostal churches that preach the “Word of Faith” message raises significant concerns as to whether the inquiry is aimed at publicly questioning the religious beliefs of the targeted churches, their preachers, and their members.

Has KCM answered Senator Grassley’s questions? Why doesn’t KCM just give him what he has asked for so he can see that KCM is not doing anything wrong?

KCM’s response reflected a sincere and good faith effort by the Church to provide answers to as many of the Senator’s questions as possible without compromising the protections afforded to the Church by the United States Constitution and the Internal Revenue Code. KCM provided responses to 17 of the 42 questions Senator Grassley posed. KCM’s response consisted of:

* A 3-page cover letter from our counsel
* A 23-page question-by-question response
* 291 pages of exhibits

KCM provided detailed responses to the Senator’s questions that did not seek information that was private or otherwise protected by federal law or the Constitution, but did not provide certain private information about the ministry and the operations and activities of the church. Where KCM provided a partial answer or response, or did not answer a question asked by Senator Grassley, the Church determined that the question raised constitutional and/or statutorily based privacy and confidentiality concerns.

In its response to the Senator, KCM clearly stated its position that the most timely and efficient manner for Senator Grassley to obtain the requested information, without compromising the rights of the Church and those persons associated with it, is to request the information from the IRS. Such a request would be subject to longstanding IRS church-inquiry procedures and confidentiality protections under the Internal Revenue Code. These procedures were enacted, at the suggestion of Senator Grassley himself, in recognition of the potential for government investigations into churches to infringe upon “the civil liberties of churches.”

At the end of a properly conducted church tax inquiry by the IRS, Senator Grassley could request the IRS to send him the information the IRS obtains through the church tax inquiry. By proceeding in this manner, Senator Grassley would have access to the information he is seeking, but would not be able to make that information public. KCM is not trying to keep anything secret, but like every other church in America, KCM has the right to keep certain things private. %http://www.believersstandunited.com%