Church Documents. Clergy Tax Guide. Marriage Laws

The following resource documents are available to help you start a new church or officiate at weddings and other ceremonies:

Resources for starting a new church

Legal Status
Legality of church and clergy documentation by mail More...

Church Charter Packet
Resources to help you start your own church; forms and by-laws; church constitution; church tax-exemption explained; reporting requirements More...

Tax-exempt Corporation and Church Law book
Called "Nonprofit Can Be Profitable"
[Featured on ABC Radio in San Francisco and NBC Radio in Sacramento.]
A guide-book to starting your own nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation; constitution example; helpful resources on accounting and legal issues; church and clergy tax guide. More...

Tax Folio
Essential church tax help; guide to tax exemption; IRS rulings and cases; avoiding tax problems More...

Other resources-

Details of Marriage Laws In all States of the USA
Ceremonies for Marriages, Baptisms and Funerals
Clergy Sticker For Car or Home

You may be concerned about the legality of churches that grant ordinations and degrees by mail. This is a copy of an eleven page US District Court document including the judge's decision about the legality of Doctor of Divinity degrees, ordinations, and church charters obtained by mail. We request an offering of $10 for the Legal Status. Order Legal Status document

If you follow the rules, your church will be exempt from Federal income tax and you will not have to make application or reports to the Federal Government. Yours will be an independent church, with its own constitution, that is affiliated with the American Fellowship Church. You may choose any appropriate name you wish for your church.

For this service, we request an offering of $10 each calendar quarter for a total of $40 per year. If you would like a charter, we request an initial offering of $50 for your Church Charter Packet which includes all forms, by-laws, and other information you need to get started.

Your first quarterly offering of $10 will not be due until you make your first report. If your church becomes inactive, you will no longer be obligated to make reports and no further offerings will be requested. Order Church Charter Packet

This book, entitled Nonprofit Can Be Profitable, tells you how to create your own independent church or other nonprofit, tax-exempt, corporation, with its own constitution, in any state in the United States. The book shows how this can be done without a lawyer and for only a few dollars in most cases and shows you in detail how to apply for tax exemption for your not-for-profit organization. This book will walk you through the legal requrements to become a church.

Also included in the book is information about important laws throughout the United States which apply to churches and ministers. We cover the rights of churches and ministers as well as tax benefits and other advantages at the state and federal levels.

The book, which was featured on ABC Radio in San Francisco and NBC Radio in Sacramento, is written in plain language and is easy to understand and follow.

Obtaining Exemption from Federal Income Tax
IRS Section (501-c-3); Tax Exempt Purposes; Public Interest; Limited Political activity; Influencing Legislation - permitted activities; Permitted Expenditure; Income Tax issues;
IRS Applications; Advance ruling; "Publicly supported" explained; IRS Packages & Forms you need; How to complete the forms (School Example); State Income Tax;

Laws on Churches and Clergy
Marriage; Counseling; Faith Healing; Astrology; Taxes; Bulk Mailing Permits.

Appendices
How to write Articles of Incorporation, State Forms and Requirements; Number of Directors; Sample Articles for New York, California, Pennsilvania; Sample Bylaws; Notes on all individual States;

If you are organizing a church that will involve much income, you absolutely require the Tax Folio.

This document provides

an introduction to the general issue of obtaining tax exemption for churches
citations of several IRS revenue rulings relating to churches
quotes from many actual court cases involving disputes with the IRS over tax exemption for churches
a list of several publications dealing with the IRS, churches, and the government

The Tax Folio will make you aware of a variety of tax problems and help you to avoid them.
We request an offering of $15 for the Tax Folio. Order Tax Folio

Other Minister Resources -
Officiate at weddings and other ceremonies.

This report provides you with the information you need to perform a legal marriage anywhere in the United States. First, we provide a general explanation of the procedure you should follow in performing a wedding in any state. Next, we list each state by name and indicate what the laws of that state have to say about who is authorized to perform a marriage. We request an offering of $10 for the Details of Marriage Laws. Order Details of Marriage Laws report

Also, we let you know about any special procedures that need to be followed in a particular state. Most states authorize any ordained minister to perform a marriage but some states require that ministers register with the government BEFORE they perform marriages.

Includes several examples of ceremonies that you may wish to use in your ministry. We offer an example of a traditional and an alternative wedding ceremony as well as complete ceremonies for baptisms and funerals. We request an offering of $8 for the Ceremonies. Order Ceremonies document

CLERGY STICKER

You may wish to display a clergy sticker in the window of your car or home. This sticker has our logo in the center with the name of the Church and the word "Clergy" printed around the outside. The sticker may help you avoid parking tickets if you are parked in a space reserved for ministers. We request an offering of $6 for the Clergy Sticker. Order Clergy Sticker

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Guarantee
If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with any of the materials you order from us, you may return them (in original condition) for a full refund less the $3 shipping and handling fee.

US states covered in our Non Profit Organisation Guide and Marriage Law Guide

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakot, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming