The Family Research Council, a socially conservative organization based in Washington, D.C., has recently been criticized for having the IRS grant it the status of an “association of churches.”
Democrats in congress sent a letter last week to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig.
In their letter, Democrats called for an investigation of churches to determine if they deserve to be qualified as churches.
FRC President Tony Perkins defended the new designation in a statement writing, “this change was required so that we could be an organization that has a statement of faith and has the ability to hire people and pursue our mission in accordance with our faith and not be imposed upon by regulations from the local government.”
According to Perkins, FRC applied for an IRS designation as an association of churches “because it more accurately reflects its expanding ministry work.”
Perkins denounced the recent effort by 40 House Democrats to have FRC‘s status reviewed, saying in the statement that they “continue in their efforts to weaponize the IRS and the government against Christian organizations like Family Research Council with whom they disagree.”
Perkins called the potential investigation “an egregious abuse of power,” adding, “If their targeting of FRC succeeds, they will turn their efforts towards churches that also teach and preach biblical truth.”