Internal Revenue Service
Attn: R. Hutchins
Dear R. Hutchins,
I am sending this letter in reply to your correspondence regarding our Tax Exempt Status, this letter along with the enclosed attachments should cover any and all of the questions you asked in the aforementioned letter.
Sincerely
H. Jeremy Stiefel
Vice-President
Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc.
Items 1-3 Board Members
Executive Board:
President – Howard J. Stiefel
Vice-President – H. Jeremy Stiefel
Secretary – Charity D. Weinschenk
Howard J. Stiefel is the founder of HSM, Inc. and has sat as president since it’s original founding in 1984. He is an ordained minister, and a private business owner.
H. Jeremy Stiefel is the son of Howard J. Stiefel and is also an ordained minister and has been a youth pastor for the past 8 years. He has also been involved with prison ministry and working with the homeless, drug addicted, and alcoholic people within our community and surrounding states. He is a published author and has a book titled “the Gifts of the Spirit” which is an educational book on the gifts the Holy Spirit have given to us according to the Holy Bible. He also has an associates degree in commercial art which allows him to help with advertising and also gives him a knowledge of how to reach certain demographic groups.
Charity D. Weinschenk is the daughter of the founder and no longer works for him, she is currently employed by John Deere Tractor Works in Waterloo as a coordinator in a mechanic exchange program, she deals with invoices, and scheduling of hotel rooms, finances, etc. that may be needed by the mechanics while they are on the business trips, all skills that allow her to be able to perform her job as secretary of the Ministry.
Board of Directors:
Joshua C. Stiefel
Joshua is a high level maintenance employee of Tyson and knows all the local codes are regulations for the area of operation for the ministry and is in charge of all maintenance and construction projects to ensure they comply with local and federal laws, as well as give advice on any and all bids placed for such work to ensure they are fair and reasonable bids and prices. Joshua has also worked for about five years with children’s ministries at a local church and as such can help us with reaching the younger children in our community. Joshua is also working toward obtaining his ministerial license.
Jennie Stiefel
Jennie is a younger mother who stays home with the kids as well as operates a small daycare. She is also felt to be a person who can help us understand and minister to the needs of young children. She also has served with children’s ministries in a local church. She is also gifted in the areas of praise and worship (music ministry) and as a married couple Josh and Jennie also serve to give insight on the young married people in our community which the churches in the area as a whole have failed to reach, therefore we have voted them into board membership to help us reach this un-reached demographic section of our community.
Joel Klemish
Joel was elected to the board because he is a successful business owner who knows how to properly run a business and has the knowledge and experience to protect those business interests, in this case the interests of Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc. Joel has ministered in word and song for quite a long time now. He also represents a section of adults over 50 years old, and thus is able to help us to better set up our “senior” ministries to help reach the older men and women of our community in a way they can relate to and receive easier.
Nancy Klemish
Randy Klever
Randy has worked as an usher in a local church for at least the past 5 years. He is a blue collar factory worker, and he also has contacts with local bankers, which gives him the ability to reach out to a wide range of demographics as well as help us set up programs to reach said groups of people. He has worked with youth as an assistant youth minister in the past. He has a creative and artistic mind which brings new and interesting ideas to the table which helps us keep up with the changing community around us. Randy was nominated for position on the board because he has shown a great interest in helping the ministry reach its goals and a sincere and eager interest in working with and volunteering his time and assets to help fulfill the goal of the ministry.
Dennis Anderson
Dennis holds an Executive office with Cedar Falls Utilities,
in
Item No. 4 See Attached Addendums
Item No. 5
In the past we have spread the word about our ministry by word of mouth and by handing out pamphlets and business cards made out to advertise both our services as well as the web site which has a page listing the times and addresses of our services. We have not yet advertised as we have just recently signed the lease on a building which will allow us to have the space we needed before we could advertise. I also personally to “in home” ministry with many young couples who are recovering drug addicts and alcoholics, as well as attend and lead many bible studies in the surrounding rural community, which all have spread awareness by word of mouth of those attending and ministered to. In the near future we will be placing newspaper ads and will have a listing coming in the new addition of the local phone book. I have enclosed some of the items we have published and printed to help advertise. I also have had a book published that is meant as a teaching tool and also promotes the ministry, a copy of the cover and a small sample of the text is included with this package.
Item No. 6
We expect the congregation to grow continually, especially now that we have a building to worship in which will allow growth to take place. We have had to move from two places of worship because the congregation had outgrown the available spaces. We began services with about four or five individuals over a year ago, and are now up to approximately 20 regular attending members, but we minister to so much more people, as we are an “outreach center” as well as a church and believe that our duties are more than what can be done in the four walls of the church, we go into private homes, as well as prisons and care facilities such as assisted living centers and retirement homes to minister as well.
Item No. 7
For this item I will refer you to the enclosed copy of the Bylaws of Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc. which were not in effect as of the application of this form. The account register as well as the income and spending of the ministry are all to be reviewed quarterly by the whole board to assure there are no items or discrepancies that may show that any member of this Ministry or Board may be using the ministry or organization for personal benefit. The addition of non family board members since the reformation of the Non-Profit Organization was done for this reason.
Item No. 8
This question is closely related to question 5, we have just
obtained the lease on a building and are in the process of having a preeminent
sign made for it front and back. (it is
a downtown building located in downtown
Item No. 9
See Included Page 12
Item No. 10
The only paid employee of Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc. is H. Jeremy Stiefel See Addendum “SALARIES/COMPENSATION/WAGES”
Item No. 11
See Attached Copy of Printed Webpages
Item No. 12
Copy of Lease attached
Item No. 13.
See copy of book cover page and sample text. This book is distributed by the church book store, as well as online on our site and at the site of the publisher; the book is also available on amazon.com as well as Barns and Noble’s web site. Also are copies of the cover sheet of cd’s distributed through the church’s bookstore produced and made by Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc.