Peaceful Assembly Church

[Russell Kanning]

there are tons of websites talking about "free churchs" and especially about filling out paperwork like wit the IRS to be a dreaded 501c3. When you ask the government permission to exist, then they like to tell you what you can talk about.
I can't imagine the Peaceful Assembly Church holding events like the love, joy, peace, and justice conference (forgot the actual name) while bowing to the evil murdering empire.

So what did the process with the state of NH look like John?

[Russell Kanning]

good story

I think these definitions cover the term "pastor" pretty well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastor

It makes more sense to call you Brother John More of a buddy, than a shepherd.

If the states paperwork asks you to do stuph with the IRS that seem crummy. The church was around befor the US government or the unfree Town of Grafton. It is funny that the state says it is up to the town and the town is looking to the state, a lawyer, and the guys who make money appraising property.

I like the term reconciliation. Paul uses that term often in the Bible. He says that is our main ministry in this age.

[Kat Kanning]

Are you sleeping

[MaineShark]

State law allows for property tax exemptions for churches and religious organizations that are "organized, incorporated or legally doing business in the state"...

That's the problem... John needs to be more organized.  Then it will all be okay!

In all seriousness, though, I think the selectboard needs to look up the definition of the word, "or."  John is clearly running an organized church.  Since that is one of the options, and "or" means he only needs to meet one of the three, he's obviously in the right.

I expect the selectboard imagine that's an "and" there, and that John needs to meet all three options, not just one.

Joe

[KBCraig]

If Peaceful Assembly doesn't qualify, then it must mean John is illegally doing business in the state. Perhaps Grafton should refer the charges and put this outlaw away!

[Russell Kanning]

or maybe the church is located outside the state's jurisdiction

[John]

I'll be looking for ways to help the town find it's way out of the nasty mess they are beginning to create for themselves, because it is going to either get better or worse.
I am answering a calling. My position can not and will not change; so it is entirely up to them.
I am not going to hire a lawyer to do their work for them, but I think I can help.

I figure that when people hire lawyers they tell the lawyer to find the answer that they are looking for.
Lawyers argue the position they are told to argue.
The government guys can not hide behind their lawyer.
The town guys should simply tell their lawyer to find lots of reasons to recognize Peaceful Assembly Church and the claim of exemption.
Seems like a VERY VERY simple way out. They will have solved their own problem and we can all move forward peacefully.

[John]

I had been told by VN staff that they do not generally publish full articles on line.
This one is published in full, with the picture.

The hard copy paper has the picture taking up about half (6.5 x 9 in.) of the space above the fold...

[John]

I think that the article is fair. Katie Beth made one mistake which many people would make.
She was saying that there is a "reqest" for exemption.
Actualy I'm informing, not requesting.

Here is the article:


'Not the Government's Church'


Grafton Pastor Refuses to File With State for Tax-Exempt Status
By Katie Beth Ryan
Valley News Staff Writer


Grafton -- Some might be inclined to call him Pastor John, but John Connell, founder of Peaceful Assembly Church, views himself more as a brother or a friend.


Connell, 53, is no fire and brimstone preacher. Although he's an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church, the theology of the year-old faith group that meets in a 214-year-old church building on Main Street doesn't easily fit into any recognized denomination.


The Bible is studied at Peaceful Assembly, which has a congregation numbering in the single digits, but the stairs leading to the sanctuary are lined with copies of texts such as Henry David Thoreau's essay on civil disobedience and the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi. As Peaceful Assembly's name might suggest, the overarching message is one of reconciliation and forgiveness.


"The bottom line is, how do we better interact with our neighbors?" Connell, 53, said.


But there's one neighbor with whom Connell is having a difficult time coming to terms: the tax collector.


Twice this year, the Selectboard has declined Peaceful Assembly's request for a religious tax exemption. Unlike most other churches, Peaceful Assembly is not registered with the state of New Hampshire as either a nonprofit or a limited liability corporation, and Connell, a member of the Libertarian Free State Project, has no intent to do so. It would mean state intrusion into a realm of life where, Connell says, it has no business.


"It's not the government's church. It's God's church," he said yesterday, sitting in the ground floor of the church, furnished with a motley crew of mismatched chairs and sofas.


Positioned about the entrance to the church's library is a small white cross. Posted to an adjacent wall is a poster of Michaelangelo's "Creation of Adam" painting; on another, there's an advertisement for the Liberty Scholarship Fund, to "help ensure freedom of choice in education."


However, that documentation is what the Selectboard wants to see before granting an exemption to the church.


"We're not writing it off altogether. We're just waiting for a response from the Peaceful Assembly Church," said Chairman Steve Darrow.


Darrow said the board was acting on the advice of the town's attorney and the firm conducting the town's property assessments.


State law allows for property tax exemptions for churches and religious organizations that are "organized, incorporated or legally doing business in the state," but applications for religious exemptions are submitted and granted at the local level, according to Steve Hamilton, director of property appraisal at the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration.


Connell said he liquidated his retirement account in order to purchase the 214-year-old building, which also serves as his residence, for around $60,000 in 2010. The building was home to Millbrook Christian Fellowship, formerly known as Grafton Christian Church, before that congregation moved to a new location further east on Route 4. At the time of the sale to Connell, the building was listed as tax-exempt.


After receiving a December tax bill from the town for $2,186, Connell submitted the state's form for real estate exemptions to the Selectboard, which voted to deny the request at a January meeting. The board also denied Connell's second exemption request, which he submitted in April.


In May, another tax bill went out in the amount of $1,094. Connell hasn't paid either bill.


"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't afford to," he said.


Eight people is the highest attendance yet for a Sunday service at Peaceful Assembly.


Yesterday morning, Grafton resident Pete Thoresen was the only one in attendance.


A typical Sunday gathering at Peaceful Assembly "inspires theological and spiritual discussion," said Thoresen.


"There's not so much doctrine. It's cool," he added. "We can discuss things that might not go over as easy in an organized religion environment."


Outside of Sunday mornings, Connell and churchgoers have organized family fun nights, coordinated a toy drive at Christmas, and established a food pantry. The ground floor of the church has been re-christened the "Common Ground Meeting Hall," where community members in conflict can meet to iron out their differences.


Connell said he hears two common charges against the church: first, that he purchased the church solely to have a tax-exempt living space, and second, that the congregation aims to be a spiritual home for the Free State Project, which has an number of members in Grafton.


"No, no, no. This is not where I would choose to live," Connell said.


As for the Peaceful Assembly's membership, Connell describes the church as "open to Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, nothing at all, or something in between."


A town landmark on Route 4, the church's activities during the past year have been hard to miss.


"It's nice to see signs of life in there. I know he's trying to do things that are very community-minded, and I think he's doing a good thing," Darrow said.


As for the tax exemption denial, Darrow said that the Selectboard is "just looking for the documentation, so we can either grant the exemption or not. ... We don't want everybody in town claiming a religious exemption, so we're trying to stick to what the state specifies."


For the time being, however, giving in to the government in exchange for a tax exemption is not something that John Connell feels he can do.


"I would be asking permission to exist from the IRS. I would be cooperating with the government," he said. "This church is not part of the federal government."


Katie Beth Ryan can be reached at kbryan@vnews.com or 603-727-3242.

[John]

Caption under picture:
John Connell, founder of Peaceful Assembly Church in Grafton, says he will not file paperwork with the state to qualify as a nonprofit so the town has denied his request for a property tax exemption that is typically provided religious organizations. (Valley News — Jenna Schoenefeld

[John]

Anyway, some good things are already coming about as a result of this article.
To name several:

One woman from nearby (within an hour) in Vermont has, as of today, begun working on some spiritual healing with Peaceful Assembly Church.
She is also thinking that she might like to have her children baptized here.

In Lebanon: Well wishes from numerous women and men at the health club, ranging in age from 20-something to 30, 40, 50, and 60-somethings. Three men expressed interest and gave general support. Two younger women thought the article was awesome and expressed enthusiastic support, and a woman in her early 50s said, "When did we ever loose that [freedom of religion]?"

A woman in Canaan said that if they were not already moving out of state at the end of the month, that she and her husband, and their kids would definitely be interested in attending this kind of church. She said she would keep us in her prayers.

[Russell Kanning]

good thinking John

wait until they get a picture of kids playing at the church sometime

[KBCraig]

or maybe the church is located outside the state's jurisdiction

Well, then, that would be an easy solution to the issue of taxation, wouldn't it? 

[John]

First Sunday in July is the 1st anniversary of Peaceful Assembly Church beginning Bible Study.
Thanks so much to all of our friends!

May we all walk in Peace.

[Dave Ridley]

Town of Grafton moves deeper into conflict with Peaceful Assembly Church
Connell requests supportive phone calls
http://nh.porcupine411.com/2011/08/03/audio-message-from-connell-john-6035237111-2/