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The Rev. Mac Hammond is recognizable to a wide audience through Sunday morning TV broadcasts of services at Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park. The Star Tribune reported Tuesday that Hammond, in his first public comments on the IRS inquiry, sent a letter to his congregation contending that “behind these attacks (are) enemies of the gospel.”
Hammond preaches what’s called the prosperity gospel, which holds that strong faith and religious behavior lead to material wealth.
The IRS has filed a petition in U.S. District Court to force the church to answer a demand for detailed financial information. In March, the church declined to comply with an IRS summons, arguing that the law states the request must come from a “high-ranking official” of the IRS. The sides are to meet in court on Oct. 2.
The IRS said it doesn’t comment on open investigations.
In his letter, Hammond said the agency’s actions are part of “a very clear effort, on a national scale, to discredit, defame and intimidate ministries and preachers of what has been called the ‘prosperity gospel.’” He goes on to allege the IRS is afraid of the “growing wealth and influence of those constituencies.”
Hammond’s mention of a national scale is a reference to a recent request by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, for six prosperity ministries to turn over financial records, in an effort to see if those six churches are avoiding taxes. Living Word is not among those six churches.
A spokeswoman for Grassley told the Star Tribune that Grassley is not targeting any particular doctrine and had not even heard of the prosperity gospel before he began his review of the ministries.
