Ep. 392: Morningstar Ministries Turmoil, NRB Sues IRS over Johnson Amendment

MinistryWatch Podcast

On today’s program, Morningstar Ministries is undergoing a leadership shakeup…after its CEO resigned, allegations of sexual misconduct began to arise. We’ll have details. And, many Christian colleges have fallen on hard times. But a Christian university in Georgia has been trying out new ways to grow enrollment…and it appears to be working. We’ll take a look. Plus, Trinity International University is on the look out for a new president….just six months after its current president took the reins. But first, the National Religious Broadcasters is suing the IRS over the Johnson Amendment. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Bob Smietana, Kim Roberts, Chris Moon, Tony Mator, and Brittany Smith. A special thanks to the Christian Standard for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you. MANUSCRIPT FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. And we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, Morningstar Ministries is undergoing a leadership shakeup…after its CEO resigned, allegations of sexual misconduct began to arise. We’ll have details. And, many Christian colleges have fallen on hard times. But a Christian university in Georgia has been trying out new ways to grow enrollment…and it appears to be working. We’ll take a look. Plus, Trinity International University is on the look out for a new president….just six months after its current president took the reins. Natasha: But first, the National Religious Broadcasters is suing the I-R-S over the Johnson Amendment.. Warren: A group of evangelical broadcasters is suing the Internal Revenue Service over the Johnson Amendment, a tax law that bars nonprofits from supporting political candidates. Lawyers for the National Religious Broadcasters, along with two Baptist churches and a conservative group called Intercessors for America, argue in their suit that the ban on engaging in politics restricts their freedom of speech and freedom of religion. They further argue that the IRS ignores the politicking of some charities, while threatening to punish others. Natasha: Do they have examples to support their claim? Warren: Lawyers for the groups claim that newspapers and other news outlets that have become nonprofits in recent years, such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, endorse candidates. Why can’t churches or other Christian groups, they want to know, do the same? Natasha: The lawsuit is the latest challenge to the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 law that has long been the bane of conservative groups and, in particular, preachers seeking to become more involved in politics. The ban on taking sides in campaigns — including endorsements or campaign contributions — applies to nonprofits that fall under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Warren: The current lawsuit pitches its argument toward religious freedom principles. But the growing number of nonprofit newsrooms has added a new twist to the arguments over the Johnson Amendment that has to do with fairness. Those newsrooms, the complaint argues, should be required to abide by the same rules as other charities. The complaint points specifically to the Inquirer’s candidate endorsements, as well as articles critical of candidates in other nonprofit publications from 2012 to the present, claiming all violated IRS rules with impunity. A spokesman for the IRS declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. The NRB did not respond to a series of questions from RNS about the lawsuit. Natasha: Next, the president of MorningStar Ministries, a prominent charismatic ministry just outside of Ch...