Community is a very valuable part of CC. of graduates reported that their teenage faith in Christ was strengthened by attending Classical Conversations. We have fallen back on our own founding documents as the yardstick by which to measure right and wrong. Classical Conversations Plus (College Credit) CC College Students. Ugh. Curriculum provider Classical Conversations Inc. runs a unique homeschooling business model, recruiting homeschool parents as directors, who then conduct weekly classesusually in churchesusing CCs curriculum. Five years ago, in the midst of caring for an elderly parent, I joined a CC campus in our area where several friends were already members. Parents who responded to her pitch were shuffled off to nearby local CC chapters. AVERAGE DIRECTOR / TUTOR GROSS INCOME (19,000 tutors and directors): $3,533.82 More wolfs in sheeps clothing and BTW pastors of the world. Her work at home deviated pretty far from doing just CC. . Two weeks later, Palmer received a certified letter from corporate law firm Ward and Smith, P.A. It would be entirely appropriate for Classical Conversations Inc. to disclose the statements that tax assessors in North Carolina and in California (both linked above) have made regarding the specific issue of faith-based homeschooling groups using tax-exempt church spaces. She hadnt showered in two weeks and said her husband was threatening to leave them because theyd face financial ruin, owing thousands in back taxes.. Education is the responsibility of the family, with support from fellow believers. After all, religious freedom, If a child in California or New Jersey struggles with gender confusion issues, the government now says it is illegal for a professional counselor to attempt to restore peace in that childs soul. The statement on their website above seems to be pretty indicative that a blanket statement about tax liability simply isnt appropriate, nor should it be. Since it was written, I have had several people criticize me and try to damage my reputation. EXPLORING THE WORLD THROUGH CARTOGRAPHY $34.99 In stock Add to cart CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION MADE APPROACHABLE $10.00 3302 In stock Add to cart Copper Lodge Library: SENATORS OF ROME $14.95 7234 In stock Add to cart Copper Lodge Library: TANGLEWOOD TALES $11.99 Then, the public outcry will drown out the immoral minority. thought that maybe we were doing some things wrong and didnt really understand what the law (meant). Wasnt accurate in particular instances like Palmers and why the email wasnt warranted? They kept the Challenge registration fee the same, but increased the licensing fee from around 25% of tuition and fees, to the $125 registration fee PLUS $160 per semester flat rate. There should be no surprises and no blind sides.. Battle by battle and with Gods help, we will regain the ground we have lost and win the war! National Commencement. The steady support, motivation to learn perpetually, and sweet fellowship is vital to me personally and to my family. Of course, we would not expect to hear anyone advocating the abandonment of our Constitution. Adam and Eve discarded God's words. We have a mandate from the Lord to educate our kids, and every act of obedience is an act of worship.. Hi. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Classical Conversations, Inc. (CC) bills itself as a leading faith-based homeschool education company that enables homeschooling parents, upon being contracted as local CC directors, to make extra income while providing an important local ministry. Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. Two years ago, CC raised the registration fee for F/E from $85 to $145, all of which goes to CC Inc. The community we joined became like a family to us during the incredible difficult time of caring for our parents and during a life-threatening illness with one of my children. What he, Did God really say that homosexuality is a sin? They openly express empathy for those whom may be being taken advantage of. What he, The insidious, slippery departure from biblical principle has brought with it an unintended consequence. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Thats insulting and ignorant. Supply Fee Paid for Essentials Students: 25,000 x $30 = $750,000 I was afraid to homeschool, I had family that tried it and thought, If they cant do it, how can I? At an information meeting, I learned CC would support me, provide a community and teach ME. Each year of our Classical Conversations experience thus far, I have tested new routines, tried hundreds of "solutions" to the myriad problems we faced, and have kept only the good stuff. Brown said he suspected CC knew about potential tax issues and thats why the company had this arrangement with ADF. The knowledge that my hard work in laboring to direct and tutor is not lining Robert Bortins pocket book is just an icing on the cake. Like, apparently that guy cant even do a Google search our pastors need to be more sharp in a secular situation such as ours. I just want to note for those who do not know the CC model. But instead of running as a nonprofit, staffed by volunteers, CC groups are for-profit businesses run by local directors, who function as licensed business owners. This is a textbook self-centered and self-righteous comment. Also, all I can find on CCs worth is that it is between 10 15 million not the over dramatized amount of $100 million. Another point you said why not just convert to non-profit for communities? and thats a really great question. Bishop Stewart Ruch III of the Anglican, Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have been increasingly used to muzzle people within evangelical churches and Christian organizations. Do we want to see CFA in a church? So the lack of support and promotion for this option from corporate tells me that its not really an option at all. They are a publishing company. Give a gift of any amount to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive "In the House of Friends: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse in Christian Churches" by Kenneth Garrett. A person can dream, right? Give a gift of any amount to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive In the House of Friends: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse in Christian Churches by Kenneth Garrett. Application Fees (based on average fee) for Essentials Students: 25,000 x $115 = $2,875,000 $15.50 Thats what has churches worried, Topp said. Bortins Jr. told The Roys Report that CC has about 130 employees. Just for disclosure, my calculations do include assumptions and are made in good faith on the data / information available to me and some logical guesses. This is incredibly biased, and full of a lack of information and is more a scare tactic than anything else. It was impossible to guess the data size, so to be conservative and for ease, I used the numbers for the rest of the country. While I *could have* made waves, demanded to meet with the higher-ups and have conversations, I decided not to waste my time and let God handle it. Both organizations declined to comment, though CCs statement (almost identical to one provided months ago) is included in the story. Above the director level, CC contracts support representatives (SRs) who each have about 10 CC directors they help. In 2016, Fremont Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, California, discovered this the hard way. However, Brown was not aware of the context in which his letter was shared on last springs webinaras Bortins used it to claim that churches being assessed taxes was a non-issue.. Encouraging parents to develop the confidence to lead Christs natural classroom: the family. 95%. The government, Almost 11 weeks into tax season, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service continues to experience delays in processing last years tax returns. I find it shameful and one-sided. Give a gift of any amount to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive In the House of Friends: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse in Christian Churches by Kenneth Garrett. It doesnt come easy, and I feel like the pushbacks Ive had to make are justified and worth putting my role on the line to protect the people in my community. Two CC directors who spoke with The Roys Report said they believed that when a church charges their chapters zero rent, their weekly CC community meetings have no impact on the churchs property tax exemption. // I found your article to be rank with smear primarily motivated by some kind of ideological stance. Would the average church member be pleased to hear their building (which presumably they helped finance) was used as part of a whole to make a corporations tens of millions? Its a commercial activity to deal in the rental business, she said. To reply to a few specific comments: 1. Lord bless you, Mr Jesperson. If a director purchased her own building for her business, would we see it be granted a property tax exemption? $335 Tuition (split between tutor and director) CC did not answer questions about specific incidents raised in this report. Over several months, The Roys Reportinterviewed eight former CC contractors across six states. I am the happy director of a Challenge A group and have another child in Foundations and Essentials. Great! With that said, Im not sure where the accountability is in this company. (For the sake of privacy, we are not reporting the directors names with their income.). Submitting first our own bodies, minds, and spirits to the work of Christ as we join the great classical conversations of history. She says the only way to find it was to download an 81-page PDF document and then click on a link embedded on page 54. As to weddings or funerals, those activities are germane to a churchs purpose as nonprofit attorney Michelle Adams addressed. Director Portion of Tuition Pad for Challenge Students: 24,500 x $1055 = $25,847,500 The community we miss. 2023 Classical Conversations. Attorney Michelle Adams of Boise, Idaho, who specializes in nonprofit law, said most states allow for-profit groups to refile their founding documents and convert to a nonprofit. They have always been up front about encouraging us on getting legal and financial advice elsewhere. Shes quit Youve quit. Why do we allow reasoning that CC has this special seemingly protected and elevated status that makes it okay for them, but not other Christian aligned businesses? Do you begin to feel uneasiness at that kind of money being generated in our churches? May I suggest . This was what I was looking for! Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? (At least one former CC director has also received a cease-and-desist letter from CC, according to Palmer and former CC area director JJ Veale, who claim theyve seen the letter.). The moms dont have outside jobs for the most part and so are open to earning money doing what they love teaching their own and others kids. CC is the Bortins family business and they dont want to offer control to a non-profit board. Then again, we would not have expected to hear anyone advocating the abandonment of the Bible. Supply Fee Paid for Challenge Students: 24,500 x $60 = $1,470,000 What is left for us to fall back on now? Yet according to analysis by The Roys Report, local directors make next to nothing working for CC. My decision to leave was mostly due to CC no longer offering what my children needed educationally. Some CC directors and contractors have realized the potential risk CC poses to churches and have sought to warn them. Some of these things are required, some are not. Realistically, I dont think it will happen. You are here Home Articles Our Mission Finding a director in most places around me is like trapping a unicorn. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Serving as a CC director since 2012, Annie Ferguson of Niceville, Florida, said she has made only $2,000 to $3,000 per year. What is the ethical dilemma there? He does so far more perfectly than I ever could. of parents reported their teen's Christian faith was strong. All Im doing is advertising for somebody elses program.. Classical Conversations can be more expensive than other homeschool options. I get paid directly by the parents and send a portion to CC. Classical Conversations Inc. (CC), a leading homeschool education company, is knowingly exposing unsuspecting churches that host its programs to major tax liabilities. Palmer sent emails to 10 churches in the Austin area on May 18, 2016, stating in part: Some churches are not aware that these CC homeschooling communities are for-profit businesses. For instance again, this statement The CC chapter that met at Calvary Chapel Fremont also incorporated as a nonprofit in 2018. After 22 years as an Air Force pilot, God poked Brian in the chest and said, You will homeschool!Within two months of his retirement, he was tutoring Challenge B with his eldest son. Another church in California received a similar tax bill in 2016. Classical Conversations directors also may be misclassifying their employees. you make it what you want. The specific group targeting CC in this situation is hard to pin down but the tactics are similar to other groups who dislike classical education. I have worked 2 years as a Foundations and Essentials director and now about to complete my 2nd year as a Challenge director. My husband owns several small businesses so I KNOW what goes on the higher up you get and the more you have to jump through government hoops. Its not about the money, which is not very much after you pay licensing fees to CC.. I could focus on enjoying learning alongside my children! The majority of CC campuses meet at churches. Hows this for a definition of exploit? When youre a part of Classical Conversations, you belong to a local community thats got your back, whether you need help with math or an extra hand running errands. It hurts me emotionally. Please, I beg you, do something to stop this.. I was a Classical Conversations student through elementary school, middle school, and into high school before I graduated - the community and encouragement I found in the group is still. But what about socialization? She called me consumed with stress about an audit, recalled Buckland. Thats when Calvary Chapel received a $27,000 property tax bill related to a local CC chapter that used the church building for weekly homeschool meetings. Having been in CC for 8 years, tutored 2, directed FE 3 going on 4 I think Ive been through the gamut of what CCs structure and business model holds. God trusts parents with their children, and so should we. No one is making CC Directors stay, right? The Roys Report also reached out to ADF to request an interview about their involvement with CC and partner churches, but ADFs media relations contact said the legal group has no comment at this time. When Bortins granted a brief interview last fall, I challenged him about his no fines claim. Brown then remembered information CC had sent Calvary Chapel when the church first began hosting the CC program, stating that the church now had membership with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a legal group which defends challenges to religious freedom. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. This increased the total licensing fee and had the effect of decreasing the Challenge Directors per-student income. These whistleblowers reveal a multi-level marketing scheme that they say exploits homeschooling parentswho, seemingly by design, rarely benefit from their front-line work of overseeing the CC education model and recruiting other families to the network. This means your family has the For various reasons, be it a family move, nationwide school lockdowns, or just trying something Community is at our core, with families doing life together as they learn. That is not almost nothing or not much money as it is often described and justified. She had hired a homeschool girl to serve and clean up, while this ladys daughter was at her expensive private school. (Ephesians 6:4). It is hard, but homeschooling is hard. The support of community enhances our ability to fulfill parental duties. They did what was right in their own eyes. Unfortunately the complex nature of our tax laws doesnt allow for a blanket statement that wouldnt also potentially be harming to CC. Classical Conversations, Max Brand Audiobooks, Lucky Brand Bookmarks, News Magazines, New Yorker . You dealt with me unethically, and I sure hope you change in the future how you deal with churches. Please see the notes below on the calculations, assumptions, and figures used to come up with these estimates. I do ponder how Jesus would react. Though property tax exemptions vary and are determined by state and sometimes county laws, she said assessors generally frown on a for-profit business, like CC and its communities, benefiting from use of tax-exempt property. Perhaps our founding documents? The Roys Report reached out to CCs corporate office for comment and CEO Robert Bortins Jr. granted a brief interview. We have not had any issues (with) churches getting fines or anything like that, said CEO Robert Bortins Jr. last year during a webinar for CC directors. You and your child benefit from the type of comprehensive, Christian education that creates a lifelong love of learning. At a homeschool convention in 2017, Topp told Bortins about the book. However, CCs hired PR firm provided a statement which reads in part: We regularly consult with our legal and tax advisors to ensure we are acting with integrity and in compliance.. Im not getting friends for my kids out of it. Dispute: "Did God really say?" Deny: He didn't really say that. Learn who we are and how we started. The article documents specific CC statements that are blatantly false, to quote Pastor Tim Brown. CC Corporate site states that they have: He did not. $145 / 55 Application Fee (first student / subsequent students) goes to corporate That directing job opened my eyes to the lack of true support within the CC structure. Tuition Paid for Essentials Students: 25,000 x $335 = $8,375,000 (The percentage CC received varied due to discounts given families with multiple children enrolled.). We not only provide you with a consistent roadmap that you can follow at your own pace, but also connect you with a local homeschool community group, giving you accountability and the support of knowing you are not in this journey alone. They are an extension of my family and make a difference in my success as a homeschooler. TOTAL DIRECTOR income on Foundation and Essentials Students is estimated to be: Nearly five years later, the potential risks are still not being fully disclosed to either CC local directors or CC partner churches according to all evidence. Application Fees (based on average fee) for Foundation Students: 74,000 x $85 = $6,290,000 If its one meeting a week, thats peanuts. In heavy-handed legalese, the letter warned that CC would seek injunctive and monetary relief for the irreparable harm you have caused. Attorney Deana Labriola wrote: Classical Conversations demands that you immediately cease . Bortins claimed his webinar statement as factual because the churches were not financially responsible for that amount, he said. I would encourage reading the article carefully and looking for missing information. Directors were not notified, they had to stumble upon the information on their own. Its like a ministry. As a former director who directed for 9 years, I can clearly state that this information was not shared prior to about a year ago, well after the Lettergate scandal (letters describing this property tax risk were anonymously sent to every church hosting a CC community). When you hear the word rhetoric, what do you think of? Furthermore, while Foundations/Essentials keeps the entire family on the same page, Challenge splinters the family in too many directions. The accountability of community both sharpens and humbles its members. // Browns failure to do a quick google search // I no longer woke up from the middle of the night in a panic that I was missing something or doing something wrong. The Rev. Domestic members, please click the link below to access your CC Connected account! Am the happy director of a Challenge a group and have sought to warn them strengthened by attending Conversations... 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