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 …
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 [...]
Legal Issues with Songs on a Church Website
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 Hey Fletch … We live-stream our worship service and also have some recorded worship songs on our website. Someone asked me if that is legal. Thoughts? DRF—That is a huge [...]
Electronic Waivers and Signatures
Church events are the lifeblood of any congregation’s community. From youth camp to volunteer activities to childcare, parents love having kids enjoy the events their church hosts every week. But not a week goes [...]
Church Without a Tax-Exempt Status
Friday, March 2, 2018 Hey Fletch … I just began as the pastor of a rural midwestern church with 150 in worship. We do not have a tax exempt status. We pay tax on [...]
Recording Songs in the Worship Service
February 1, 2018 Hey Fletch … Someone suggested that we record some songs during our worship service and create a CD from them. Any thoughts on this? DRF—Off the top of my head, I [...]
Church Insurance Infographic
One of the most important decisions an Executive Pastor will make for his church is insurance coverage. Do you know what to look for when shopping for an insurance policy for your church? Are you [...]
MinistrySafe Institute Teaches about Sexual Abuse
Receive training to help your church avoid sexual abuse. In 1997, a watershed lawsuit---the Rudy Kos Case---resulted in a $119 million verdict against the Catholic church for child sexual abuse. Twenty years later, much of Christendom [...]
Copier Leasing and Negotiation Tips
As an attorney, the vast majority of business and church executives I talk to dread their copier lease expiring as they must deal with leasing new ones. Recently, we helped a church with a multiple [...]
Should Your Church Consider a Cell Tower Lease?
A sales rep stops by your church office with a simple offer. Your building is ideally suited to be a cell phone tower. The equipment will be practically invisible. If you lease the space to [...]
Expanding Abuse Reporting Requirements
Am I a mandatory reporter? If an adult describes having been abused as a child, am I required to report? When? How do reporting requirements impact individuals providing spiritual guidance? Around the country, state legislatures are [...]
Fact: Insurance Costs a Lot and Can Be Very Complicated
I should preface this review of a somewhat painful education with the proclamation that some of the people I enjoy most in the world are insurance agents and brokers. With that said, I think [...]
Model for Amending Governing Documents
Most churches amend their governing documents once every decade or so. It is a daunting task. Besides, many members of churches hate change. Most churches delay amending their governing documents until a crisis hits. During [...]
Copyright and the Pastor’s Sermon
Bob Smietana, in an article for Christianity Today, addresses copyright and the pastor's sermon. His article is entitled, "Who Owns the Pastor's Sermon? Church or pastor? When sermons become books that make millions in [...]
Sexual Abuse: Denial Won’t Make It Go Away!
In 2012, five employees at Victory Christian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma were arrested for a two-week delay in notifying authorities of sexual abuse allegations. Read with care to prevent such from happening in your church. [...]
Overtime Pay in the Smartphone Era
The Fair Labor Standards Act exempts employees employed in an executive, administrative, or professional capacity from the minimum wage and overtime pay provisions. To be covered by one of these exemptions, an employee must perform [...]
Church Mergers: Legal and Financial Matters
Each year, thousands of U.S. churches—plus tens of thousands of others elsewhere around the globe—are sensing that they could fulfill their God-given mission better together than separately. They're exploring new ways to join forces for [...]
Intellectual Property Policy
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church---items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is the Intellectual Property Policy of Christ Community Church [...]
Before You Pay the Pastor
What should church leaders note before structuring compensation plans? Compensation planning for clergy and other church staff presents several unique tax issues that are not well understood by many church leaders and their advisers. Here are [...]
Copyright Issues Affecting Churches
Think twice before singing that new worship song next Sunday or before using that scene from a popular movie as an illustration in your sermon. Believe it or not, even with the very best [...]
The First Amendment: Why the Court Won’t Hear Your Church Fight
Hypothetical situation: A church’s board of directors opposes the pastor, not agreeing with a certain vision or course of action, each claiming to have the best interest of the church in mind. The church’s congregation is [...]
Change in Florida Sexual Abuse Law
How has the law changed? How does this change in law affect you? Will this impact other states’ laws? On April 26, 2010, Florida lawmakers passed a bill removing the statute of limitations (or time limits) for victims [...]
Sexual Abuse Safety Issues in Ministry
In recent years, our society has begun to understand the widespread nature of child sexual abuse. Studies indicate that one female child out of every three and one male child out of seven will be [...]
Standards of Care are Rising for Church Planters and Missionaries
Douglas W. Myers was a Baptist pastor and church planter. Myers allegedly received training and funds from the Florida Baptist Convention, and others, in connection with planting two churches in Florida. Myers pled guilty to [...]