Fruehsonne.de

Hi agnelli,

before I try telling you from my memory (which often fails me I'm afraid), why don't I just copy Illig's statement as it has been published?

Here it is:


Information Letter December 2014

12.MATTERS FROM ABROAD

Br. Martin Illig has provided a short review of the events in Germany.
We gladly include it in this feedback.

I would like to give a short summary of important developments in the German Latter Rain Mission and explain in more detail our main prayer request.

Immediately after taking office in November 2012, we had to apply for the reinstatement of our non-profit status in order to avoid having to pay taxes on prior and future income. The Lord helped wonderfully.

Provisional non-profit status was granted quickly. We hope to regain permanent non-profit status soon. We also had to appeal to different revenue offices for leniency concerning paying taxes as a result of having lost our non-profit status retroactively from 2006 to 2012. Because of many prayers and the professional support of our tax advisor and legal team, eventually all tax offices agreed to charge us only a small amount on top of the initial amount of 150,000 Euros (two million Rand) that was paid in 2012. We are very grateful towards the Lord that the different German tax offices were merciful. If they had claimed all relevant amounts for a period of seven years, the cost could have been very high.

Presently our most urgent prayer request is concerning pension demands. The German government pension fund is demanding pension back pay on behalf of 24 previous Faith Home residents. We had to object to these demands, otherwise we would have been forced to pay very large sums into the German Pension Fund.
Our lawyers argued against the validity of these demands because there is no precedent in the German judicial system that could directly be applied to our unique situation. However the German Pension Fund rejected all our appeals. Eventually we had no choice but to file suit with the court at Heilbronn. We expected the first case to be heard at Heilbronn before the end of this year, but apparently it has been postponed to 2015.


The German Latter Rain Mission is the plaintiff, the government is the accused. It needs to be stated clearly that we do not have court cases against any previous faith home residents, but against the government!

We plead for earnest prayer for this matter since the upcoming court cases could have far reaching consequences for all four faith homes in Germany. Needless to say, this is truly a serious matter. Again, we want to thank all our brothers and sisters for their prayers for the German Latter Rain Mission. We are trusting the Lord, knowing He will not forsake us. He has helped us in the past in wonderful ways and we trust He will also carry us through in the future.

Greetings from Germany
Martin Illig

I just realize, I should have inserted Illig's statement in Afrikaans as well, since some people in Germany might understand Afrikaans better than English.

Here it is:

12.SAKE UIT DIE BUITELAND
Br Martin Illig het ’n kort opsomming van die gebeure in Duitsland verskaf. Ons sluit dit graag by hierdie terugvoer in:

“Ek wil graag hiermee ’n kort opsomming van die belangrikste ontwikkelinge in die Duitse Spade Reën Sending gee en meer breedvoerig ons belangrikste gebedsversoek verduidelik.

Onmiddelik nadat ons, ons amp aangeneem het in November 2012, het ons aansoek gedoen vir die herstel van ons nie-winsgewende status om te verhoed dat ons agterstallige en toekomstige belasting op alle inkomste moet betaal. Die Here het wonderlik gehelp. Voorlopige nie-winsgewende status is vinnig verleen. Ons is baie dankbaar teenoor die Here. Ons vertrou dat ons binnekort ons permanente nie-winsgewende status sal herwin. Ons moes ook ’n beroep doen op die verskillende belastingkantore vir toegeeflikheid oor die betaling van belasting, terugwerkend vanaf 2006 tot 2012, as gevolg van die verlies van ons nie-winsgewende status. Vanweë al die gebede, die professionele ondersteuning van ons belastingadviseur en ons regspan, het alle belastingkantore ingestem om slegs ’n klein bedrag te hef. Dit is bo en behalwe die aanvanklike 7 bedrag van 150,000 Euro (twee miljoen Rand), wat in 2012 betaal moes word. Ons is baie dankbaar teenoor die Here dat die verskeie Duitse belastingkantore genadig was. As hulle alle relevante bedrae vir ’n tydperk van sewe jaar sou eis, kon die koste baie hoog gewees het.

Tans is ons mees dringende gebedsversoek met betrekking tot pensioen-eise. Die Duitse Regering Pensioenfonds eis pensioenbetalings namens 24 vorige Geloofshuisinwoners. Ons het beswaar aangeteken teen hierdie eise, anders was ons gedwing om baie groot bedrae in die Duitse Pensioenfonds in te betaal. Ons prokureurs het beswaar aangeteken teen die geldigheid van die eise omdat daar in die Duitse wetstelsel geen presedent bestaan wat direk toegepas kan word op ons unieke situasie nie. Nogtans het die Duitse Pensioenfonds al ons besware verwerp. Uiteindelik het ons geen ander keuse gehad as om ’n geding aanhangig te maak by die hof in Heilbronn nie. Ons het verwag dat die eerste saak voor die einde van hierdie jaar verhoor sal word, maar soos ons verneem is dit uitgestel tot 2015. Die Duitse Spade Reën Sending is die eiser, en die regering die beskuldigde. Dit moet duidelik gestel word dat ons geen hofsaak teen enige voormalige Geloofshuisinwoner maak nie, maar teen die regering!

Ons vra vir ernstige gebed vir hierdie saak, aangesien die komende hofsake verreikende gevolge vir al 4 die Geloofshuise in Duitsland kan hê. Dit is onnodig om te sê dat hierdie werklik ’n ernstige saak is.

Weereens wil ons al die broers en susters bedank vir hul gebede vir die Duitse Spade Reën Sending. Die Here het ons in die verlede op wonderlike maniere gehelp en ons vertrou dat Hy ons ook in die toekoms sal deurdra. Ons weet Hy sal ons nie verlaat nie.

Groete uit Duitsland”
– Martin Illig