Cornerstone Fellowship Pastor Takes Issue with Township Request

It was reported in January that The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey chose to contribute $300,000 to Galloway Township in lieu of taxes it would have paid when it purchased the Seaview Resort.

Taking this as a model, the township then asked nonprofits, including AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center and township churches, to contribute money to help offset Galloway’s $1.78 million debt.

One of the pastors in Galloway has taken exception to that request.

“I’m not speaking for my church or its congregation, but I’ve never heard of a government asking nonprofits for money,” Cornerstone Fellowship Church Pastor Fred Schwenger Jr. said. “This is unprecedented. Members of our church are paying more in property taxes to Galloway this year because of reassessment.

“Where we are, city water and sewer do not come down Route 9. We don’t send children to the schools, and the township doesn’t plow Route 9. We have a volunteer fire department, another nonprofit. Calling the police is the only way we might call on municipal services.”

A letter sent out by the township in January requested the contribution be made through the Township’s Community Events Fund, which is used to help the township fund community events without using taxpayer money. Founded in 1998, it operates outside of the normal township budget.

The letter stated any donation could be a general donation, or it could have a specific earmark.

“Last year the church took on a building project and paid thousands of dollars in property taxes until our CO was complete,” Schwenger said. “We also paid thousands in building permits. I believe we can argue that we already give far more to the community than we take from it. We minister to, care for, and educate community members. We provide a safe place for children to learn values that will help enable them to become respectful members of society, thereby saving the community money that might have to be spent on delinquent youth. We also make charitable contributions to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission.”

As of Friday morning, no non-profits had made any contributions into the fund, Acting Township Manager Steve Bonanni said.

“Government is constantly quoting the separation of church and state and trying to limit the involvement of religion in the public sector,” Schwenger said. “In a time when many Americans have expressed anti-government sentiment at the ballot box, why is it suddenly all right to ask churches and other nonprofits to bail them out? What about running the government more efficiently?

“As a business owner I know that if my business operated with the budget, speed and efficiency that Galloway does, I would be turning over every stone for money, as well. While I say again that I am not speaking for our congregation and church, but as a resident of the community and a taxpayer, I hope that no charitable nonprofit organization will find it necessary to donate their members' monies to fund the government.”