BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — The pastor of one of Minnesota's largest churches said an IRS investigation into his ministry's finances is "politically motivated."

The Rev. Mac Hammond is recognizable to a wide audience through Sunday morning TV broadcasts of his services at Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park.

Hammond wrote in a letter to congregants that "enemies of the gospel" are behind the inquiry. He preaches the prosperity gospel, which says that God wants his faithful followers to be rewarded spiritually and financially.

In March, the church declined to comply with an IRS summons, arguing that the law states the request must come from a "high-ranking official" of the IRS. The IRS has filed a petition in U.S. District Court to force the church to answer a demand for detailed financial information.

A court hearing is set for Oct. 2.

In his letter, Hammond said the agency's actions are part of "a very clear effort, on a national scale, to discredit, defame and intimidate" prosperity gospel preachers.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is seeking the financial records of six ministries that follow the same theology to see if they comply with IRS rules on nonprofit spending and compensation.

Hammond's church is not one of the six targeted groups.

Grassley has insisted that he is not focusing on any church teachings, but on whether the ministries follow tax laws for nonprofits.