Churches and religious charities have nothing to fear following the publication of new Charity Commission guidance relating to the requirement for every charity to show it is for the public benefit
07 March 2007
Churches and religious charities have nothing to fear following the publication of new Charity Commission guidance relating to the requirement for every charity to show it is for the public benefit, the Evangelical Alliance has said.
The Alliance, whose membership includes more than 3,000 churches and charities, has worked closely with the Charity Commission leading to the publication of its consultation and draft guidance relating to the principles of public benefit.
The Charities Act 2006 requires for the first time all new and existing charities – including charities for the advancement of religion – to demonstrate that they provide clear public benefit.
No legal presumption will any longer automatically qualify anybody.
Don Horrocks, the Evangelical Alliance’s Head of Public Affairs, said: “While there is certainly a new challenge involved for churches and religious charities, it is a challenge that should be welcomed.
“There should be nothing to fear from the switch away from presumption of public benefit for religion to a requirement to demonstrate it.
“After all, if it cannot be shown that religious groups are benefiting the public it is reasonable to question why they should receive public tax concessions.”
He added that the Alliance has been assured that the burden of proof will not be onerous, since there is ready acceptance that religion generally contributes to social and spiritual wellbeing.
Assurances have also been given that churches and others will not be forced to undertake community activities (though many already do), that religious activities open to the public will be deemed to confer public benefit and that mission and evangelistic organisations can also expect to qualify without difficulty.
David Jones, Chief Executive of Alliance member organisation Stewardship, said: “Religious charities can be reassured that the propagation and teaching of faith principles will continue to be regarded as beneficial, provided it is open to and directed towards the public as a whole.
“We now have an excellent opportunity to put our case to the Charity Commission by responding to its consultation, although together with the Alliance we have been working closely with them to ensure that in its first draft form the guidance appears in a broadly acceptable format.
“We shall be responding to the consultation and would urge all religious charitable bodies to do the same.”
Notes to editors:
A detailed consultation process regarding how charitable organisations can demonstrate public benefit in practice will end on 6 June, with subsequent further consultation specifically with the religion sector to continue until January 2008.
Final definitive guidance for the sector will be produced by the Charities Commission in June 2008. The Evangelical Alliance expects to issue its own guidance in due course.
The Evangelical Alliance UK, formed in 1846, is an umbrella group representing over one million evangelical Christians in the UK and is made up of member churches, organisations and individuals. As part of a movement ‘uniting to change society’, the Alliance promotes unity and truth, acts as an evangelical voice to the state, society and the wider Church, and provides resources to help members and other evangelicals live out their faith in their communities.
