It's a very simple question Ian.
'Yes' or 'No' to business or expensive hobby will suffice.
You usually have all the answers. You usually state that you KNOW the facts, so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to answer.
This really is more idle curiosity,but it still should be able to be answered. With the mere pittance received by DS and LS they had a very expensive hobby, tough to maintain on that pittance. To say nothing of donating some very expensive horses to another ministry.
Been a while since I was on the farm and maybe I have forgotten a few things. Fran or IRSPro should be able to correct me or clarify if I am wrong.
Wouldn't the donation of these two horses have to be donated to the ministry of Lewis? That would mean then Lewis also had a horse business but it was run thru his ministry. Who is Lewis and is he SDA? Can someone tell me why the Sheltons would rely on donations to pay their salary and then donate money or animals to another ministry?
These are not pets, no matter how fond of horses you are.
In order to purchase, breed and sell horses you have to have had them for more that a couple of months. It is not a fast turn around business or hobby.
On this relatively low salary where did the money come from before there was anything to sell?
If you take a look at a few figures it becomes hard to believe this was only a hobby.
94,000.00-roughly 80.00 a month to care for each horse x 15. That alone is almost 15,000.00 Not the purchase but the maintenance. Without grazing land it goes up from there. With grazing land the funds to fence it in would not be cheap. Horses take between 1-2 acres a day for grazing. If you are buying hay I know it has to be up from the 3.00 a bale we paid in the 80"S .
Then donate two of these expensive animals,those purchased out of pocket.
Then all those little incidentals in life
Insurance,home owners and auto and health insurance. Tithe, and I am assuming he pays tithe and offerings, another 10,000.00
Clothing,food, vehicles,the hundred and one things that make up a normal life.
Claiming on personal income tax of 94,000.00, 30,000.00 in charitable giving as would show on the tax form. Church and the anticipated 20,000.00 cash receipt. Without living expenses his personal income would show now at 64,000.00. Then deduct the daily cost and the purchase cost.
So I guess I am still left in the dark. Were the Sheltons audited on their personal income? re the horses considered part of the 3ABN ministry?There was something more than a pittance to set this up.
I personally dn't care what the salary of the Sheltons were, as long as it was clearly stated and they lived with those means in their personal lives
Still find it curious that of the three most vocal and staunchest defenders are now going mute. Not that difficult to answer and you have never cared till this question whether someone believed you or not, so why now??