Today the Church Alliance, a coalition of more than 30 major religious denominations, filed an amicus curiae brief with the Seventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals in support of the Defendants-Appellants in the clergy housing allowance lawsuit.  The Wisconsin Council of Churches is listed, along with several dozen other groups, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as additional amici.

You may recall that the Federal District Court in Madison ruled last November that the tax deductibility of the clergy housing allowance is unconstitutional. The federal government filed its Defendant-Appellant brief in support of constitutionality two weeks ago with the Seventh Circuit. Amicus briefs are due today [4/9/2014]. 

We anticipate a ruling from the court within a year. The case will likely then be appealed by the losing party to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Do you have a product or service that clergy and lay people in the Wisconsin Conference UCC might be interested in? There's an opportunity for your product or service to be seen by over 400 people at the 2014 Wisconsin Conference Annual Meeting.   Become an Annual Meeting Exhibitor and for three days - noon on Friday, June 6 through noon on Sunday, June 8 - get in front of like-minded people in the Wisconsin Conference.

Past exhibits have included such things as custom made clergy stoles; liturgical artwork; educational materials; books; faith-based retirement communities; and missions ministries.

For information on how to become an exhibitor at the Annual Meeting, go to the Annual Meeting website at wcucc.org/annualmeeting or contact Deb Simon at 608-846-7880 or dsimon@wcucc.org.