Charitable Status in Question – Awareness & Encouragement
by Deve Persad, EMCC Pastor and Regional Minister on behalf of the National Team
On December 7, 2024, while most of us were wrapped up in Christmas anticipation, our Federal Government was unravelling from the inside out. What many us were not aware of, amid resignations, silence, Christmas breaks, and then a proroguing of parliament: tucked at the bottom of a long, long list of recommendations[1] to be included in the proposed budget were two culture shifting statements:
“Recommendation 429: No longer provide charitable status to anti-abortion organizations.”
“Recommendation 430: Amend the Income Tax Act to provide a definition of a charity which would remove the privileged status of ‘advancement of religion’ as a charitable purpose.”
National Post, columnist, Father Raymond deSouza writes an excellent article[1] outlining just how close it came. Closer than rumours and threats from previous years, decades and administration. It should be noted that this “privileged status” is not a right that we own, and will likely come under scrutiny again in years to come. However, we do reap benefits from this, personally as organizations.
It's possible that we have come to assume these advantages and have forgotten the greater purposes to our giving and generosity. May this serve as a wake up call, to our governments and to us.
CARDUS, a non-partisan think tank, has long undertaken research to analyze the effect/value of giving from religious organizations in a community.[2] Using publicly available information from the Canada Revenue Agency, they have determined a multiplier of $3.39 of economic impact for every $1 contributed. You can look it up at halo.ca. It’s hard to believe that our government would be willing to let go of this impact or risk it’s significant decline. But that’s their issue to figure out.
As followers of Jesus, it’s a tremendous opportunity to realign ourselves with our priorities for giving and the importance of sharing our impact stories. Throughout Scripture we are reminded that we give:
Recalibrating our motives is a necessary first priority. However, the other part that we can be better at is “boasting in the Lord” by sharing the stories of partnership and assistance and transformation that are taking place in our wonderful country. As congregations and ministries across Canada, we do far more than “advance religious service.” We know that, as salt and light, and as sowers of Truth filled seed, as those who are called to regularly pray for and honour those in authority and as messengers of the life-changing Gospel of grace and truth, we have Kingdom stories to tell and ones yet to be told.
So, let’s share them within our communities, let’s share them as notes of encouragement, let’s share them in our conversations, let’s share them to our city councils, and let’s share them among those we are sent to serve. In so doing, as the CCCC so aptly conveyed in their letter[3], it would be hard to ignore the positive, Kingdom difference being made in the name of Jesus. And it would be hard to have something like this sneak up on us again. May God keep our land, glorious and free, by His might and for His eternal purposes.
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[1] https://www.ourcommons.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/FINA/report-21/page-69#16
