What would you do for a tax exemption?  Some people buy a home.  Some people have children.  And one guy decided to become a pastor!

According to abc.com, Illinois real estate agent George Michael allegedly converted part of his home into a chapel and became ordained as a minister by signing up with an online program in order to be exempt from tens of thousands of dollars in taxes on his multimillion dollar lakefront property.

Michael contends that all he was trying to do was help his wife, who has multiple sclerosis, and his disabled daughter worship at home instead of traveling miles to the nearest Armenian church. He says that he chose online ordination because it was faster than spending years at a theological school.  But one state judge has called Michael’s tax exemption application “a sham,” arguing that Michael’s professed faith — the Armenian Orthodox religion — is at odds with the church that licensed him online – the Church of Spiritual Humanism.  (Ya think?!)

In order to prove that a part of his home had been converted into a church, the city requested that he send them pictures.  So he did, and one of the photos submitted by Michael showed his home with a cross installed on its exterior. But it was noted by a judge that the cross was drawn on the photograph with a marker and did not physically exist at the time the photo was taken of the building.

As Michael pursues his battle for the exemption in court, local government officials are preparing to send him a property tax bill of roughly $225,000 for 2007 through 2009.  Michael says that he is fed-up with the hassle and has put the house/church on the market…for $10 million!