In response to "Churches, taxes, and a way forward for Rainbow Park."
Removing not-for-profit status from churches is not an original idea. Governments have rejected it to date because churches bring tremendous value to their communities. Volunteering at the Inn, hosting an AA chapter, fundraising for River City Vineyard, and sharing a building with The Hub are just a few of the ways Sarnia churches are working to end homelessness and addiction. In fact, the Halo Project ran the numbers, estimating that a church provides a positive economic impact over 3 times their budget. For the 19 Sarnia churches included in their statistics, that's almost $15M in benefits to our community every year. While some churches might contribute more than others, asking churches to prove charitable status would almost certainly lead to political abuse - governments punishing churches with opposing views and putting a chill on freedom of religion. Ultimately, to quote Deina Warren of the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, "the contributions and positive impacts of religion ought to be affirmed and fostered in a diverse, multicultural, multi-religious society such as Canada." Politicizing not-for-profit status does the opposite.
At their best, churches act based on discerning God's call - watching and listening for what God is doing in the community. Then they consider how they might act to support that call. In Sarnia, church leaders have met regularly (even before the Rainbow Park encampment) to learn what community partners need from churches. The message has been clear - continued fundraising, volunteering and political support for affordable housing and addiction supports. I'm confident that this is precisely what Sarnia churches will continue to deliver.