Texas Church Wins Tussle With Tax-Man, Gets Exempt Status Restored
By Allie Martin
August 18, 2006

(AgapePress) - In one Texas city, local government officials have been ordered to restore the tax-exempt status of a church that has been under a heavy tax burden for a number of years.

In 1997, the building housing the Full Gospel Church of God in Christ in Wichita Falls burned down. Officials with the local tax assessor's office later presented the congregation with a large tax bill, claiming the church failed to rebuild quickly enough. Since then, Full Gospel COGIC has continued to be taxed annually on its vacant property.

These facts prompted the church to seek legal assistance. As a result, Liberty Legal Institute, an organization founded to help individuals, groups and churches fight for their religious freedoms and First Amendment rights, launched a lawsuit against the Wichita County Appraisal District on Full Gospel COGIC's behalf. the rest