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CREW: IRS: Regarding Illegal Living Word Christian Center Endorsements and Contributions: 2/8/2007 - LWCC Inurement Exhibits
CREW: IRS: Regarding Illegal Living Word Christian Center Endorsements and Contributions: 2/8/2007 - LWCC Inurement Exhibits
EXHIBIT B
Model: 650
Number of engines: 2
Number of seats: 12
Cruising Speed: 0
Fuel Consumption:
Model: 650
Number of engines: 2
Number of seats: 12
Cruising Speed: 0
Fuel Consumption:
Model: 650
Number of engines: 2
Number of seats: 12
Cruising Speed: 0
Fuel Consumption:
Number of engines: 2
Number of seats: 12
Cruising Speed: 0
Engine HP: 0
Category: Land
Number of engines: 2
Number of seats: 12
Cruising Speed: 0
Engine HP: 0
Category: Land
Number of engines: 2
Number of seats: 12
Cruising Speed: 0
Engine HP: 0
Category: Land
Number of engines: 2
Number of seats: 12
Cruising Speed: 0
Engine HP: 0
Category: Land
Number of engines: 2
Number of seats: 12
Cruising Speed: 0
Engine HP: 0
Category: Land
EXHIBIT C
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Sara Reller
Joe Bodell
In a staff meeting earlier this year, Pastor Mac Hammond of Living Word Christian Center ordered his
employees to contribute a portion of their salaries back to the church. According to an expert on
Minnesota employment law, this could violate state rules that prohibit employers from requiring
employees to contribute to charity or their employer as a condition for employment.
In the May 1, 2006 staff meeting, a recording of which has been
obtained by Minnesota Monitor, Hammond told his staff "if you're
drawing a paycheck from this ministry it is required that you be in
church on Sundays and it is required that you tithe." The term "tithe"
refers to a mandatory donation some churches require of their
memberships, traditionally pegged at 10 percent of the congregant's
income. According to a former Living Word employee with direct
knowledge of the church's current practices, the church requires a
tithe of 10 percent of its staff members' annual salaries - to be
returned to Living Word itself.
Assistant Commissioner Rosalyn Wade of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry said, "on
its face, it would appear that 181.937 is applicable to this situation." Wade was referring to Minnesota
Statute 181.937, which states that "[n]o employer shall engage in any reprisal against an employee for
declining to participate in contributions or donations to charities or community organizations, including
contributions to the employer itself..."
Melissa Rogers, a professor at Wake Forest and nationally-recognized expert on church-state issues,
says that federal law may protect LWCC from Minnesota state law. According to Rogers, Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of religion, but it exempts
religious organizations, including churches, from this proscription. According to Title VII, a religious
organization may hire or fire employees based on tithing or other organizational
requirements.[Updated - thanks to Prof. Rogers for the clarification]
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MinMon
According to a recent City Pages article, Pastor Hammond makes quite a pitch in his weekly sermon,
but is tithing a religious requirement, or simply a solid business strategy for Living Word? We don't
know - LWCC has refused our recent requests to comment on its tithing policies.
In mid-October, Minnesota Monitor's Andy Birkey reported on Pastor Hammond's personal
endorsement of then-candidate Michele Bachmann, apparently in violation of IRS tax-exempt rules
under which LWCC operates. Hammond later claimed ignorance of IRS rules, and promised the
violation would not occur again. Further investigation revealed that Hammond made a fundraising
plea to his congregation on behalf of Keith Butler, a fellow minister in the Word of Faith movement,
who ran unsuccessfully in the Republican Senate primary in Michigan.
Stay with MN Campaign Report and Minnesota Monitor for continuing coverage. The full audio of the
staff meeting cited above is available here.
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1/24/2007 1:37 PM
EXHIBIT D
July 1999
Principle: $363,000 (8.7%)
Payment: $8981.65/mo (based on amortization)
Due: August 2003
Secured an airplane
Status: Rolled into April 2002 loan
Source: Exhibit A at 90
December 1999
Principle: $478,428 (8.5%)
Payment: $19,580/mo
Due: June 2002
Secured an airplane
Status: Unknown
Source: Exhibit A at 90
June 2000
Principle: $562,874 (prime +1%)+ additional loans in 2002
Payment: $19,580/mo
Due: June 2006
Secured residence in FL
Status: 2000: Interest only payments long-term debt
2004 - Principle payments are being made
Source: Exhibit A at 49-50, 70 and 90-91
December 2001
Principle: $15,000 (5.75%)
Payment: $288/mo
Due: December 2006
Unsecured
Paid in full August 2003
Status: Unknown
Source: Exhibit A at 50, 70 and 91
April 2002
Principle: July 1999 loan balance + $30,500 = $159,514 (prime + 1.5%)
Payment: $10,199/mo
Due: August 2003
Secured an airplane
Status: Unknown
Source: Exhibit A at 90
May 2002
Principle: $155,000 (prime + 2%)
Payment: $1,780/mo
Due: Unknown
Secured airplane hanger
Status: Paid in full April 2003
Source: Exhibit A at 70 and 91
March 2003
Principle: $225,000 (prime +1%)
Payment: No payment details noted (approx. $25,500/mo based on amortization)
Due: December 2003
Unsecured
Status: Unknown
Source: Exhibit A at 50
December 2003
Principle: $117,133 (prime +1.5%)
Payment: No payment details noted (approx. $10,000/mo based on amortization)
Due: December 2004
Unsecured
Status: Unknown
Source: Exhibit A at 50 and 70