Please e-transfer a tax-deductible donation to NTBCdonations@gmail.com
Alternatively, please deliver or mail a tax-deductible donation payable to New Testament Baptist Church.
Address: 26404 Highway 16 Parkland County, AB T7X 3G2
More Details on the Fund
Dear Friends of New Testament Baptist Church,
RE: Development Permit – $322,000. Offsite Levy Fund Donation Request
As indicated in the attached Action Plan and Information Fact Summary, New Testament Baptist Church of Edmonton and the Independent Baptist Christian Education Society are Non-Profit Registered Charities. For the past 30 plus years and currently, these two closely associated ministries continue to be faithfully engaged in preaching the Gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, in obedience to the Great Commission, evangelism, missions, church planting, and the operation of an accredited grade K-12 Christian School serving hundreds of academy, and distance learning students and families in Alberta.
Since 2018 the church and school have been dealing with a heavy financial burden and dispute with Parkland County involving $322,000 in Off-Site Levies related to Development Permits for our existing portable modular elementary school classrooms, and the Pastor’s recently upgraded used mobile home residence. Please note the original mobile home was on the church site for over 15 years prior to applying for the related permits. The educational classroom Development Permit originally triggered the Offsite Levies in 2018.
Subsequently, the church / school has recently applied for another Educational Use Development Permit for an additional used portable modular school classroom unit. The County has taken the position that any related previous or new Development Permits are subject to the payment of the outstanding $322,000 Off-Site Levies.
Please note the County has broad local discretion to grant Offsite Levy Exemptions, but in our case, the previous and current Mayor and Council have decided to refuse our requests for an exemption. The County has responded with letters referencing a legal opinion stating they will only exempt Public and Catholic Schools based on the current legislation. Furthermore, our local Councilor Kristina Kowalski has emailed her fellow County Elected Officials and Senior Administration with a message to stand firm in opposition to our Offsite Levy Exemption request.
After consulting with several friendly MLA’s and elected officials, including an expensive legal review, we were advised to “Go Public”. Accordingly, we have initiated a Provincial Citizens Petition to amend the Municipal Government Act to grant Offsite Levy Exemptions to ALL Non-Profit accredited K-12 faith-based religious and non-religious schools and associated charities. We are advocating for fair and equal application of the law for ALL students and families. Evangelical Christians and other non-profit schools should NOT be forced to pay the double financial burden of education taxes, plus Offsite Levies to educate their children. It is unacceptable that the County is politicizing the education of our children and monetizing charities. The tithe belongs to the LORD, not to Ceasar or Parkland County. Accordingly, we have prepared an Offsite Levy Exemption Petition stated as follows:
To the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in Legislature Assembled:
We, the undersigned residents of Alberta, petition the Legislative Assembly to urge the Government to introduce legislation that, if enacted, would grant municipal off-site levy exemptions to all non-profit faith-based and non-religious independent private accredited schools (grades kindergarten to 12), and to any registered charities associated with those schools.
We are now ready to move forward with a short-term and long-term action plan to resolve this conflict. We are requesting you to please help and support us by taking the following steps.
-
PLEASE sign the Offsite Levy Petition and encourage your family and friends to also sign copies available on the Website. Please deliver or mail the original signed Petition documents to the church address.
-
PLEASE PRAY that the Municipal Government Act will be successfully amended as per the Offsite Levy Petition, and Parkland County will eventually refund the Offsite Levies paid by the Church.
-
PLEASE e-transfer a tax-deductible donation to NTBCdonations@gmail.com
Alternatively, PLEASE deliver or mail a tax-deductible donation payable to New Testament Baptist Church.
Address: 26404 Highway 16 Parkland County, AB T7X 3G2
Please note ALL tax-deductible charitable donations will be deposited in the “Offsite Levy Fund” for payment of the related levies and legal fees. In the event that the Offsite Levies are eventually refunded or exempted, any related donations will be reallocated toward the future development of additional church / school facilities and a gymnasium for the students.
THANK YOU !!! for your prayers, kind help and generous support for religious freedom and justice for every family and school student in the Province of Alberta. GOD keep our land glorious and free!
IN JESUS NAME,
Sincerely, Pastor Brian Coldwell