Tennessee Pentecostal Church in Tax Exemption Legal Battle
A lawsuit is challenging Davidson County's refusal to rescind a property tax assessed on a local church. Apparently oblivious that churches across the nation have used book and athletic facilities to minister to their communities for decades, officials levied a partial property tax on Christ Church Pentecostal’s bookstore and gymnasium under the argument that they are not an integral part of the church’s ministry.
“Churches shouldn’t be treated differently than other entities in Tennessee—such as college bookstores, family wellness centers and hospital gift shops—that are tax exempt by law,” says Alliance Defense Fund Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley....