Churches and other faith-based charities foster hope, mutual support and belonging. They help make our communities more resilient and remind us of our purpose in living and our hope for the future.
But a parliamentary committee has made recommendations that would, if adopted, devastate many religious charities and destabilize the charitable sector. The proposals would remove the advancement of religion as a charitable purpose and “no longer provide charitable status to anti-abortion organizations.”
The finance committee’s recommendations for the next federal budget are particularly ill-conceived and short-sighted since approximately 40% of Canada’s registered charities advance religion.
Sometimes committee reports act as a trial balloon to see how strong a reaction there might be to an idea.
The finance minister doesn’t have to adopt these recommendations. Strong advocacy can help ensure these proposals don’t make it into the next budget.
The EFC has written to the finance minister and will continue to engage. Please join us by asking your local MP to oppose these recommendations. When ideas like these are put on the table, it’s important to ensure MPs hear the concerns of Canadians about them.
Canada has long recognized advancing religion as a charitable purpose. Many churches and religious organizations have been granted charitable status on that basis. Our country has about 23,000 Christian congregations, many of which have charitable status. The impact of this change would also be far reaching and devastating to other religious charities, to those they serve and to Canadian society.
“Faith-based charities benefit their participants, their communities and Canadian society as a whole,” says Julia Beazley, the EFC’s public policy director. “Religious charities foster vibrant social networks, mobilize compassionate outreach, spark local volunteerism and foster community resiliency.”
Biblical teaching instructs us to love our neighbours, particularly those who are vulnerable. This leads Christ-followers to seek the good of Canadian society, whether the organizations we volunteer with and donate to are faith-based or not. It orients us and our communities outwardly, first toward God and then toward neighbour, in tangible, self-giving ways.
Churches and other religious charities foster social cohesion. Many charities whose core purpose is worship and the advancement of religion also offer pastoral, social and physical kinds of help. Such help is motivated by their religious beliefs and identity.
We need to remember this issue when the next election is called. The EFC encourages you to ask candidates whether they support advancing religion as a charitable purpose or whether they support efforts to remove it. Ask candidates also about their views on removing charitable status on the basis of beliefs, such as beliefs about abortion.
With your support the EFC is preparing resources for the next election, whenever it’s called. Why not start discussions now among churches and other local organizations about possibly holding an all-candidates meeting in your riding during the next election? The EFC offers an online guide to planning such non-partisan public meetings at
TheEFC.ca/Election.
It’s never too early to talk with people who are running as candidates, and with current MPs. candidates will be looking to connect with constituents when an election looms. The EFC will again prepare a new election brochure and suggested questions for candidates.
Please continue to pray with us for the good of our country. Please pray for those who hold elected office and for Christians to fulfil the law through loving our neighbour (Romans 13).
What you can do
- Ask your MP to support faith-based charities by keeping charitable status for the advancement of religion, and not to politicize charities by targeting beliefs about abortion. Find them at OurCommons.ca.
- Pray for churches and faith-based charities to thrive as they do the work God calls them to do. Pray for God’s blessing and provision.
- Check TheEFC.ca/CharitableStatus for updates, or stay current by getting the EFC’s weekly email at TheEFC.ca/Update.
Also in this issue:
Evangelical polling matters, exploring new partnerships, Commendations on our 60th, A word from EFC President David Guretzki