INDEPENDENT CHURCH OR MISSION CHARTERS AND ARTICLES OF AFFILIATION
PRIVILEGES OF CHARTERED
AFFILIATION WITH THE HOME TEMPLE
Each chartered Mission or Church
operates independently under its chosen name for ministry. The Church or Mission
does not need to make a separate or independent application to the IRS for tax-exempt status. It is an
autonomous IRS 501(3)(c) tax-exempt church under the control and direction of
its own Deacon or Priest and a Board of Directors (minimum three persons). Under the auspices of the Home Temple, the IRS will
assign it an EIN number that is a sub-account of the Home Temple Church. With
this, it may accept, bank, and retain full control over tax-exempt donations. It
is fully responsible for its own spiritual and financial operations. Unless it
operates an unrelated business that must be reported to the IRS, it reports only
once annually to the Presiding Bishops of the Home Temple in order to maintain its non-profit charter.
Normally, then, the chartered Home Temple Church or Mission is never required to
report to state or federal income tax agencies.
PROCEDURE TO CHARTER A CHURCH OR MISSION
The Church or Mission must establish itself as a non-profit church corporation in its own state of residence--a process for which there is a minimal filing fee and no requirement for annual state tax reports. Incorporation protects the minister and his/her personal property if a successful suit were filed against the Church or Mission. It also establishes it as a fully independent entity operating under its own direction. All financial and other liability for its ministry are assumed solely by the Church or Mission, with no financial or other liability on the part of the Home Temple, its Presiding Bishops, Synod of Bishops, Caduceus Institute, or other ministries of the Home Temple.ANNUAL RENEWAL OF CHARTER
The Annual Report to the Presiding Bishops, Board, and Synod of Home Temple Bishops is done on a simple form. All ministers are encouraged to attend the annual convention, Synod, and Board meeting of the Home Temple in late June or early July, but this is not required. The Annual Report must be signed by all members of the board of directors of the Church or Mission requesting renewal of its Charter. It summarizes ministerial and financial activities of the Church or Mission and verifies that all ministries have been conducted according to the principles of the Home Temple Code of Ethics.
PRIVILEGES OF A CORPORATION
SOLE AFFILIATION WITH THE HOME TEMPLE
A Bishop of the Home Temple Synod may incorporate his ministry as a separate,
independent diocese operating under all the privileges of chartered affiliation
with the following differences: (1.) the corporation sole requires no board of
directors, but only a named successor Bishop and a legitimate church
denominational affiliation (Home Temple)--there are no board members, and the
Bishop operates his/her ministries bound only by the Home Temple Code of Ethics
and his/her own spiritual guidance; (2.) the corporation sole may be
incorporated in most states for a small filing fee by a valid Apostolic Bishop
operating in conjunction with a legitimate, recognized Apostolic church
denomination; (3.) the corporation sole is not a Home Temple Charter, but a
perpetual religious corporation. However, the Articles of Affiliation must be
renewed annually to maintain non-profit, tax-exempt status. Two types of
corporation sole are the Roman Catholic Diocese of Los Angeles (and most
Catholic dioceses); and the Church of Antioch, which was incorporated in
California by Archbishop H.A. Spruit over fifty years ago and operates as an
independent church denomination training and chartering its own Malabar Rite
missions and churches.
PROCEDURE TO ESTABLISH A CORPORATION SOLE
A Bishop of the Home Temple Synod wishing to establish her/his own corporation sole may consult with the Presiding Bishops for advice about procedure.
REVOCATION OF HOME TEMPLE
AFFILIATION, CHARTER, OR MINISTERIAL LICENSE
A. Violation of the Criminal Conduct Provision of the Home Temple Code
of Ethics
If at any time charges of criminal
misconduct of Home Temple ministers or members of their congregations in
ministerial roles are brought to the attention of the Presiding Bishops in
writing and signed by the person bringing charges, the Presiding Bishops will
immediately convene a Committee of Investigation to hear all sides and evaluate
testimony and evidence. Criminal misconduct includes, but is not limited to,
such activities as pederasty, fraud, or misappropriation of church funds. The
Presiding Bishops will discretely notify the minister and board of directors of
the charges, immediately suspend the Charter of the Church or Mission as well as
the license of the minister in charge, and await the report of the Committee of
Investigation. Upon the recommendation of the Committee, the Presiding Bishops
will either dismiss the charges as unfounded, or convene an Ecclesiastical Court
of Bishops to hear evidence, testimony, and take action. If an Ecclesiastical
Court is convened, the minister and his/her board members will be required to
confront their accusers or the evidence of misconduct in person before the
Court, which will make one of the following determinations: Guilty, Not Guilty.
In the first case, the minister's license, Church or Mission Charter, and/or (in
the case of a Bishop) right to affiliation of his/her corporation sole with the
Home Temple will be permanently revoked and any evidence gathered by the Court
will be made available to civil authorities. In the second case, the temporary
suspension of Charter and/or ministerial license will be lifted and the minister
and his ministry extended the moral authority and support of the Synod, which
may include testimony and evidence to be used for defense in a civil court based
on Ecclesiastical Court findings of Not Guilty.
B. Violation of
Non-Criminal Ethical Provisions of the Home Temple Code of Ethics
If charges are made in writing against
a Home Temple Deacon, Priest, or Bishop for violation of non-criminal ethical
provisions of the Home Temple Code of Ethics, the Presiding Bishops will contact
the minister(s) and/or board members implicated and privately investigate the
veracity of the charges. If the charges are verifiable, and depending upon the
gravity of the violations, the minister(s) involved will be required to correct
procedures, rectify practices, or be demitted from the Home Temple.
C. Home Temple Clergy
Desiring to Transfer into a Paid, Professional Sacramental Ministry *
In the case of a Deacon or
Priest desiring to transfer into a paid, professional sacramental ministry, the
Presiding Bishops will provide him/her with Letters Dimissory to serve under a
non-Home Temple Bishop. In the case of a Bishop operating a corporation sole
through affiliation with the Home Temple, he/she will be required to transfer
affiliation to another IRS tax-exempt 501(3)(c) church organization.
* Specifically, a church or position where he/she receives a salary or charges a fee for providing the Sacraments (Baptism, Marriage, Eucharist or Mass, Funeral), as opposed to teaching, counseling, alternative healing arts, or other legitimate non-sacramental ministries of a church or mission operated on a legitimately qualified or licensed professional fee-for-service basis.