Lawyers with First Liberty Institute announced Monday that the IRS informed New Way Christian Fellowship of Palm Coast that the church will remain exempt from federal income taxes under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).
In 2022, Jill Woolbright, a local school board candidate, visited New Way and addressed the congregation during a worship service, with a clergyman praying for Woolbright following her remarks. Her visit to New Way and two other churches at the time gained local media attention. She was quoted as saying that she believes God put her on the school board and that she is fighting “satanic warfare.”
A letter from the IRS to the church stated, “Our concerns are based on information we are in possession of indicating that you may have conducted political campaign intervention activities which are prohibited.”
First Liberty called the IRS inquiry, “inappropriate”, writing in response that the church was within its First Amendment rights to allow the school board candidate to speak at the service.
In a statement FLI Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys said, “We are pleased that the IRS not only closed its investigation but affirmed that this church’s activities of praying for political candidates during its church service do not threaten its tax-exempt status.”