Thy Kingdom Come Ministries asks Washington County to reinstate tax-exempt status; board defers to tax assessor

Terrell Gibson, who identified himself as the legal representative of Thy Kingdom Come Ministries, asked the Washington County Board of Supervisors to reinstate the ministry's tax-exempt status after the group reacquired church property in December.

Gibson told the board the ministry had regained possession of the property at "228 MLK" in Greenville and was renovating the building to bring it up to code. He said the organization objected to the earlier revocation of its exemption and to a recent $5,000 tax bill it received after a period when another congregation occupied the site. "We were not renting the church" between 2022 and the present, Gibson said, adding that the tax bill was "erroneous based upon an assumption that we would rent the church." He requested the board reinstate the ministry's tax-exempt status effective Jan. 1.

Supervisors said they would not take immediate action without a recommendation from the tax assessor. One supervisor noted related litigation and appeals pending in county court and the Mississippi Supreme Court and asked Gibson to allow the courts and the assessor to resolve outstanding legal disputes before the board revisits other claims.

The board directed staff to ask the tax assessor to review the ministry's file and report back; no vote to reinstate tax-exempt status was taken at the meeting.

Why it matters: A restored tax-exempt status would reduce the ministry's tax liability and set a precedent for similar requests; the board's insistence on an assessor review and pending litigation underscores the procedural limits of the board's role.

Next steps: The tax assessor will review the account and report to the board; the board did not set a timeline for the report.