by Da.Furious 5 Replies latest watchtower scandals
Following from Cedars blog.
Based on what an elder told me, new congregations in UK are not eligible anymore for charitable status. I am a member of such new congregation and they don’t have charitable status. I have searched on http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/find-charities/ and couldn’t find it. Other Congregations including foreign were there.
I was wondering if anyone knows or can shed more insight into this.
marked
It's WT taking control of donations slowly. I think there was another elders letter about this. It means all donations go stright to NY. Stop donating, in fact skip the meetings this week and do something fun with the family, like go swimming, or out for a meal.
Kate xx
I dont contribute at all.
But i was wondering if the above is true, then wondering what are the implications on the other congregations.
Interesting
It is interesting , if true. The question isn't whether a new congregation would be eligible ( I suspect it would ) , it's more whether the Society feel there is any need for it to register as a charity. The only benefit would be that the congregation could claim gift aid on donations - presumably with the new system whereby virtually all donations go direct to WTBTS or IBSA ( both of which are registered charities ) then there wouldn't be any particular advantage in the new congregation registering.
As very few new congregations are formed ( if anything , they seem to be merging ) , I wouldn't have thought that there is much of an incentive for the society to get the few new congregations to apply for charitable status. They now have to demonstrate a "public benefit" which has caused problems for some religions , like the Bretheren http://www.eden.co.uk/blog/law/brethren-church-denied-charitable-status-p11199
I also wonder whether the Charities Commission increasingly getting involved in the Societies affairs ( eg the investigations into recent paedophile cases in congregations in the UK http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/news/charity-commission-investigates-jehovahs-witnesses-charities/ ) whether the Society think that there is really much point in new applications.
