Legal Information

Church Leaders

Church leaders operate in an increasingly complex maze of legal restrictions and requirements and in a legal environment that is increasingly hostile to religious freedom. Many church leaders express concern about these legal standards and question whether or not their church is legally protected and healthy.

We focus on proactively tackling this problem. Our point in addressing this subject is not to make every church leader into an attorney (that’s probably a scary thought for many). Rather, we look to the example of the Apostle Paul, who used both his Roman citizenship (Acts 16, 22) and Roman criminal procedure (Acts 25) to further his ministry. Rather than ignoring or fearing legal standards, church leaders should be equipped with legal information so they can approach their ministry goals with confidence. Further, despite the challenges of our times, churches still enjoy many strong legal protections. Here are several legal areas/principles church leaders should know about:

• The Importance of Bylaws
• Child Protection
• Religious Freedom for Ministries
• Religious Freedom in the Marketplace
• Employment Law Basics
• Intellectual Property
• Tax Law Basics

Christians

Christians are often encouraged to live out their faith in their place of business, school and neighborhood. (Matthew 5:16). However, many Christians are concerned about legal restrictions that might affect their ability to share and live out their faith. We are working to inform Christians about these legal standards so they can confidently carry out the Great Commission. Here are several key legal areas/principles Christians should know about:

• Religious Freedom in the Marketplace
• Religious Freedom at School/University
• Religious Freedom at Church
• Employment Law Basics
• Witnessing in a Public Place
• Participating in the Political Process

We have developed ebooks that discuss these legal principles in more detail, and we produce a weekly podcast that covers important legal information.