Five Steps to Protect Your Church in the New Year

At Reynolds Law Group, PLLC, we don’t just say, "Nope. Don’t do that. It’s too risky." Instead, our mission is to help you unlock the power of your ministry—not lock it away.

As a pastor or board member, your goal is for your church to fulfill its mission—to reach its redemptive potential in serving its community. At Reynolds Law Group, we want to empower you to focus on achieving that vision by helping you reduce the risk of distracting and potentially destructive legal issues. Our approach involves four key steps:

1. Incorporation

If your church is not incorporated, your employees, officers, and directors are unnecessarily exposed to personal liability. Incorporating creates a legal entity that can conduct business, borrow money, purchase property, and shield its officers and directors from legal exposure. These benefits are equally important for churches. Without incorporation, it’s more difficult to secure a loan, buy or sell property, and you leave the church’s leadership exposed to legal liability.

2. Updated Constitution and Bylaws

Most churches review their constitution and bylaws only when there’s a problem. But this can lead to surprises! Writing, reviewing, or revising church governance documents might not be exciting, but it’s crucial for legal protection. We recommend an annual review by the lead pastor and board to ensure the bylaws are up to date and that the church is following them properly.

3. Adopting Policies and Procedures

While policies and procedures might seem tedious, they are essential for effective ministry. While you can’t eliminate all risks, adopting effective policies and procedures in these six key areas helps reduce risks:

• Children’s and Youth Ministry

• Financial Accountability

• High-Risk Activities

• Staff

• Board

• Facility Use

4. Implementation of Policies and Procedures

Attending conferences and taking copious notes is great—but without implementation, the knowledge gathered is useless. The same applies to policies. Adopting a Cash Handling Policy, Youth E-Communication Policy or Sexual Abuse Prevention Policy is beneficial, but if the policy just sits on the shelf and isn’t effectively put into practice, it can do more harm than good.

Review of Policies and Procedures

A few years ago, a Social Media Policy might have seemed unnecessary for most churches, and a Youth E-Communication Policy might have been unheard of. But as culture changes, it’s vital for your policies and procedures to keep up. An annual review by the board and consulting with your attorney every three years ensures your policies are up to date and properly followed.

Reynolds Law Group Can Help

For more information on how Reynolds Law Group, PLLC can help protect your church against legal threats, contact our team by clicking the button below.