Sunday, February 8, 2009

Test Case in Church-State Law

This Thursday, my church's property case will go before the Kentucky Supreme Court in what is recognized as "a test case" in church-state law. The case has been in litigation for 7 years. The State appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court when it lost in the Appellate Court.

Our's is a unique situation. We own a piece of land which we purchased with the intention of building a larger house of worship when the time comes that we have out-grown our present building. There is a small house on the property which we rent so that it won't sit vacant, increasing the likelihood of vandalism. Because the church receives some income from the rental, Kentucky Tax Commission seeks taxes from the church on the property. If St Andrew Orthodox Church loses the case, we will owe 7 years of back taxes. This will force the church to sell the property.

It would also set a bad precedent for church-state relations in Kentucky.

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