From the Christian Institute: The right of churches to decide for themselves who may attend Holy Communion is being challenged by the Charity Commission. The Commission has refused to register a Plymouth Brethren group because its Holy Communion services are for members only. This would have a huge impact on the group’s tax relief and would also have other implications.
Elders from the Plymouth Brethren gave evidence on the matter to a parliamentary select committee last week.During the evidence a letter from the Commission’s head of legal
services emerged claiming that churches cannot be assumed to be acting
for the public good. It said: “This decision makes it clear that there was no presumption
that religion generally, or at any more specific level, is for the
public benefit, even in the case of Christianity or the Church of
England.”...
