Legal & Insurance Issues
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need to get attorneys or insurance companies involved in the happenings of a church. But we don’t live in a perfect world. We need legal input—for everything from overtime pay laws to the legal use of movies in a sermon. The following is not legal advice just ideas …
Trademark & Copyright 101: Protecting your Church Brand
In this webinar, we will discuss what trademark and copyright is, the importance of filing for protection, and the trademark and copyright application process. Brianna Nevels, Associate Attorney with the firm, will also be [...]
Data Erasure vs. Risk Management
The Clash of Privacy and Protection of Vulnerable Populations Protecting Personal Information Everyone has a story about personal information fraudulently obtained by a security breach, Phishing email scam, or sold by a vendor gathering [...]
What’s a Pastor to Do When Called to Testify in Court?
Have you ever had a church member ask you to testify in court on their behalf? At some time in your ministry, you will likely receive questions from a congregant requesting your attendance and [...]
When Church is Work – 5 Trending Legal Issues for Christian Employers
Making sure Sunday, and every day, runs smoothly at church requires a dedicated team. Whether it takes 2 or 52 to staff your church, you need a solid foundation of employment practices to protect [...]
Cyber Criminals in the Church: A Whopper of a Tale
In today’s world, not even the church is immune to cyberattacks. Our ministries are vulnerable to phishing, data theft, and even extortion. The attorneys will provide examples of damage and recovery from organizations just [...]
The Equality Act
Hey Fletch … This week we had a leadership discussion around the Equality Act. Our senior pastor brought this topic up in an elder meeting. It raised some questions worth answering or trying to answer. Our [...]
Religious Freedom During COVID-19 and Beyond
The world has changed dramatically over the past year. In the midst of the global pandemic, ministries are caught in the crosshairs of determining how to protect their religious practices and their flock. There [...]
Sexual Harassment in the Church
Hey Fletch … I would like to bring our staff through some type of sexual harassment training and share our sexual harassment policy. Are you aware of any videos, articles or resources that you [...]
Federal Courts Adopt Pro-Intern Approach
Whether to pay interns or not has been a sticky subject for a long time. Do you know about the recent decisions from federal appellate courts that have adopted a more flexible, pro-internship approach? This [...]
Brotherhood Mutual Coronavirus Update
It is always a good idea to stay in touch with your insurance carrier in a time of crisis. Brotherhood Mutual is a sponsor of XPastor and has provided a free resource guide for [...]
Utilize the Experience of Your Insurance Agent
Charlie Cutler is the Managing Partner of ChurchWest Insurance Services and works with over 3,000 churches. He offers these thoughts from the perspective of an insurance agent. As ChurchWest says, “A good agent will [...]
An Insurance Company on Child Protection
Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company has a free, 60-page ebook, Child Protection in a Ministry Environment: Guidelines for Ministry Workers. With sample policies and forms, the major areas of the book are: Identifying Abuse: Disrupting [...]
Reflections from an Attorney on Sexual Offenders
Eventually most churches encounter a known registered sex offender who is either already in the congregation or desires to attend. Trying to determine whether or how to live with a wolf is dangerous and fraught [...]
Preventing Sexual Abuse in Your Church
Sex abuse claims remain the top reason churches go to court each year. Fletch interviews Matthew Branaugh, editor for Christianity Today’s ChurchLawAndTax.com, about this troubling ongoing trend in the church. What policies and protocols [...]
Use of Movies and Trademarked Images in Church
Hey Fletch … This may not be in your wheelhouse but I know you have a lot of experience and knowledge! We are doing Christmas at the Movies this year. When it comes to [...]
Attorney’s Perspective on Designated Funds
Thursday, November 1, 2018 Hey Fletch … I’ve been reading about designated funds and I’m still confused. Do you have a tax expert or attorney who can also comment on the issue? DRF—We have done [...]
Mandatory Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Update
California has recently updated the requirements for sexual harassment prevention training. Your state may have similar regulations. The bottom line---train all staff. Tiffany Henning at HR Ministry Solutions, XPastor's go-to resource for HR information, [...]
Poll of Church Health Insurance Benefits
Monday, October 22, 2018 Hey Fletch … I promised to send you the results of our poll of 18 churches. Here is the file with what we found. What do you glean from the findings? [...]
Health Insurance Going Up 123%
Tuesday, September 11, 2018 Hey Fletch … I am looking for some advice on health insurance for my team. We provide a high deductible plan for our employees and have contributed a percentage of the [...]
How Your Ministry Can Help Prevent Child Abuse Through a Safety System
In past months, scores of allegations of child sexual abuse have come to light, many for the first time. On the heels of these revelations, churches and ministries have begun to better understand that [...]
Sexual Abuse Risk and Record Retention
Every child-serving organization is responsible for the protection of children in its care. To discharge that responsibility, the organization should take reasonable steps to create an effective safety system that prevents child sexual abuse. [...]
Health Cost-Sharing Ministries
Tuesday, July 31, 2018 Hey Fletch … I have a question about rising medical costs for employers. There are several Christian-based health cost-sharing ministries, such as MediShare, Christian Healthcare Ministries, and Samaritan Ministries. On [...]
Insurance for Sexual Abuse, Part 2
Saturday, June 16, 2018 Hey Fletch … Our church has $2 million in umbrella insurance. Does that cover sexual abuse as well? DRF—When I get a question on insurance issues, I always turn to [...]
Insurance for Sexual Abuse, Part 1
Friday, June 15, 2018 Hey Fletch … Our church has $2 million in umbrella insurance. Does that cover sexual abuse as well? DRF—When I get a question on insurance issues, I always turn to the [...]