The Michigan Court of Appeals recently vacated a ruling of a trial court that granted summary judgment in favor of a local church that had been sued by an employee for age discrimination. The trial court had refused to hear the case based on its understanding of the First Amendment and its interplay with employment in religious institutions; however, the appellate court ordered the trial court to hear the case and apply the law consistent with Winkler v. Marist Fathers of Detroit…

When the 2019 term of the United States Supreme Court starts in just a few weeks, one case may be of interest to churches and religious leaders interested in following the developments of First Amendment jurisprudence. In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Court will seek to answer the question of whether it violates the religion clauses or the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution to invalidate a generally available and religiously neutral student-aid program simply because the program affords students the choice of attending religious schools…

Increasingly, nonprofit organizations, including churches, engage in business activities usually reserved for the for-profit sector. For example, several churches rent out facilities as commercial landlords or operate coffee shops as part of the church’s ministry strategy…