Wingo v. Commissioner

89 T.C. No. 64, 89 T.C. 922, 1987 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 153
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 27, 1987
DocketDocket No. 8613-85
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 89 T.C. No. 64 (Wingo v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wingo v. Commissioner, 89 T.C. No. 64, 89 T.C. 922, 1987 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 153 (tax 1987).

Opinion

PARKER, Judge-.

Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioners’ Federal income tax for the taxable years 1981 and 1982 in the amounts of $917.35 and $651.41, respectively.

The issue is whether a probationary member of an annual conference of the United Methodist Church, who is also an ordained deacon and a licensed local pastor of a church of that denomination, is “a duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed minister” for purposes of the self-employment tax exemption under sections 1402(c) and 1402(e).1

FINDINGS OF FACT

This case was submitted fully stipulated under Rule 122. The stipulation of facts and the exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by this reference.2

Petitioners James S. Wingo and Regina L. Wingo resided in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, at the time they filed their petition in this case. Petitioners timely filed their joint 1981 and 1982 Federal income tax returns (Forms 1040) with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Austin, Texas. Petitioner Regina L. Wingo is a party in this case solely because she filed a joint tax return with her husband for the years in issue. All references tP petitioner henceforth are to James S. Wingo.

During the fall of 1979, petitioner entered his candidacy for ordination as an elder and member in full connection (also referred to as “full member”) with the North Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church is governed and maintained through its chain of conferences. These conferences include the general conference for the entire church worldwide, the jurisdictional conferences for the church which are regional or geographical divisions in the United States, the central conferences and their constituent conferences for the church outside the United States, the annual conferences for the church in different local regions of the United States, the local district conferences, and the charge conferences for each local church or charge.

The North Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (hereinafter referred to as the annual conference) is the basic governing body of the United Methodist Church for the northern portion of Arkansas. The annual conference is composed of ministerial members as defined by the general conference and lay members elected by each charge or individual church. The ministerial membership of the annual conference is made up of members in full connection, probationary members, associate members, and local pastors under a full-time appointment to a pastoral charge. The annual conference prepares annual journals which contain detailed minutes and records of all actions taken by that particular annual conference. The annual journals for 1980 through 1984 each list petitioner among the ministerial members, and reflect the various actions taken in regard to him.

In June of 1980, petitioner was approved as a probationary member of the annual conference. In the United Methodist Church, candidates for membership in full connection in the annual conference must go through a probationary period of at least two years. However, there is no requirement that ministerial members of the annual conference become members in full connection (full members), and some may and do remain as associate members for many years.3 Probationary members, like associate members, are eligible for ordination as deacons but may not be ordained as elders until they qualify for membership in full connection in the annual conference. A candidate for full membership can only remain on probation for eight regular conference sessions following his or her admission to probationary membership.

The ordained ministry of the United Methodist Church consists of elders and deacons. An elder is a minister in full connection with the annual conference who has authority for the ministry of Word, Sacrament, and Order in the Methodist Church, and who has been ordained as an elder. The elders are the leaders of the church who are authorized to preach and teach the Word of God, administer the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, equip the laity for ministry, exercise pastoral oversight, and administer the discipline of the Church. Deacons are ministers who have progressed sufficiently in their preparation for the ministry to be received by an annual conference as either probationary members or associate members and who have been ordained as deacons. Deacons have authority to conduct divine worship, to preach the Word, to perform the marriage ceremony where the laws of the State permit, and to bury the dead. When invited by an elder, they may assist in the administration of the sacraments. When serving as regularly appointed pastors of a local church or charge, deacons are granted authority to administer the sacraments at the church to which appointed and to provide for the organizational concerns of that church, including administering the discipline and supervising the working program of the local church.

The probationary members are on probation as to their character, preaching, and effectiveness as pastors. As a ministerial member of the annual conference, the probationary member and the associate member have the right to vote on all matters except (1) constitutional amendments, (2) election of delegates to the general, jurisdictional, or central conferences, and (3) all matters relating to the ordination, character, and conference relations of ministers. In addition, probationary members and associate members may serve on any board, commission, or committee of the annual conference except the board of ordained ministry. The boards that they can serve on include the Board of diaconal ministry (service ministries separate and apart from the ordained ministry), the council on finance and administration, and the council on ministries.

In addition to being approved as a probationary member of the annual conference, on June 4, 1980, petitioner was licensed as a local pastor and ordained as a deacon by the United Methodist Church. At that time petitioner was appointed to serve as the local pastor of the Bono-Shady Grove Charge, a local church or churches in the Jonesboro district of Arkansas. As a local pastor in the United Methodist Church, petitioner was authorized to, and in fact did, administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as well as conduct divine worship, preach the Word, and perform the services of marriage, burial, confirmation, and membership reception. In addition, as a pastor, petitioner was held responsible for ministering to the needs of the whole community as well as to the needs of the people of the church, which included instructing candidates for membership and receiving them into the church, counseling troubled or bereaved families, seeking out church members for pastoral ministry or other church-related occupation, and advising and assisting church members who commit themselves thereto. Finally, the pastor must see that the organizational concerns of the congregation are provided for, which includes administering the provisions of the discipline, supervising the working program of the church, presiding over the charge conference if asked to do so by the district superintendent, and maintaining church records and meeting local financial obligations.

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Wingo v. Commissioner
89 T.C. No. 64 (U.S. Tax Court, 1987)

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Bluebook (online)
89 T.C. No. 64, 89 T.C. 922, 1987 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 153, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wingo-v-commissioner-tax-1987.