Churches pay tax; EP moderator should come again - Rev Owusu Bempah

Founder of the Glorious Word and Power Ministry International, Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah is asking the Synod Clerk of South Volta Presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church to explain further his appeal to the government to rope churches into the tax net.

Reverend Frank Anyidoho explained that churches are more of business organizations than religious institutions as the incomes of churches should be taxable in expanding the tax net of the country.

To him, many churches, as well as Christians, have deviated from their core functions of propagating the Gospel and following the teachings of Christ which include showing love and care for the oppressed and needy in society.

“Those who allegedly wish to get rich quick have no other alternative than to establish mushroom churches. Therefore, the only way for government to control the formation of more churches with the aim of making money, is to impose taxes on the church,” he said.

But reacting to the issue on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah averred saying that churches pay tax every month to the government, demanding further explanation on the kind of tax the EP Moderator is expecting churches to pay.

“I know churches pay tax and so I don’t know the kind of tax he wants churches to pay again. Our church pays tax every month and so I don’t know any church which is not paying tax which is why he is showing concern,” he averred.

“We pay IRS tax and SSNIT and I know that every month we pay tax and there has never been a particular month that we have not paid tax, to the extent that if we fail to pay tax on time in a month, we are charged with penalty and so I don’t know the type of tax the pastor is talking about,” he added.

He stressed that government has set aside a particular tax for the churches of which churches pay every month; reiterating that he doesn’t know exactly what Frank Anyidoho is talking about but added “Maybe government has created another tax which he wants churches to be taxed on”.

“EP church moderator should explain further on his demand for churches to pay tax. I heard my church has been mentioned as one of the small churches in the country but it is not one of them. And what do they mean by small churches? Is he referring to churches with fewer members or new church?” Rev. Owusu Bempah questioned.

He mentioned that every church has small beginning before growing to become what they are today and thus with the fewer members, probably, they are the people God has given to the church.

“I normally hear people talk of one-man church but every church started by one-man before administrators joined. Anyani Boadum established his church alone, Archbishop Duncan Williams, Dr. Mensa Otabil singularly established their churches and so we can say that every church was established by one-man. We have Christian Council, Pentecostal Council and we also have Prophetic Council and Apostolic Council,” he posited.