Any church can be sued by anybody at any time. However, churches can reduce their risk of being sued, losing in court, and suffering financial setbacks by taking several steps. Let’s take a look at what you can do today to avoid getting sued.

If The Right People Are On The Plane, I Get 23 New Kids

The newest blog at Reynolds Law Group, PLLC discusses the Board’s role in keeping the church or nonprofit out of the news and out of court. Too many nonprofits wind up in the news because the board failed to fulfill their fiduciary obligations. Learn how you and your board can avoid this mistake!

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…

Most pastors or social entrepreneurs don’t start a church or a nonprofit organization out of a burning desire to draft, adopt, and follow exciting policies. But, having good policies provides protection and stability, allowing the organization to fulfill its mission…

First Church is taking a trip to a youth event across the state. In total, twenty-four (24) minors and six (6) adults are taking the trip. Of the adults, three (3) are college students under 21 years-old. Who should be allowed to drive church-owned or church-rented vehicles on the trip?

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…

In nonprofit organizations and churches, Board members have a fiduciary duty of care to oversee the financial management of the organization. This doesn’t mean that the Board must approve every purchase order or walk through every receipt—that would be too cumbersome a process and would likely intrude on the responsibilities of the senior leader and staff…

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…

I’ve always loved a good atlas. As a kid, I spent hours looking at maps, including the Rand McNally Road Atlas of the United States. That atlas shows you states, counties, cities, interstate highways, state highways, county roads, lakes, rivers, populations, and so much more. There’s nothing wrong with modern apps that help plot a course, but there’s nothing like a good old-fashioned atlas for a road trip…

You Don’t Need an Estate Plan

At one time, it was inconceivable that churches would be named in a lawsuit, but today it is all too common. In fact, many churches are sued by their own members, not just by people from outside the church.  So, what are the top three reasons churches end up in court?

Ten days before new federal regulations raising the salary threshold for exemption from overtime pay from $23,660 to $47,476 were to go into effect, Federal District Judge Amos Mazzant of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a preliminary injunction that temporarily halted the increase.

Bob was injured in a car accident three years ago. Does he still have time to file a claim to recover for his injuries? How about the damages to his car?

Sally went to the doctor who told her that a mass was not malignant. Three years later, another doctor identified the same mass as cancer. Can Sally file a medical malpractice claim, or has time run out?

Keep reading to determine if you still have time to file your claim.

Who owns my sermons?

We’ve all seen it, breaking news stories involving board members allegedly failing to fulfill their fiduciary duties to the organization. So, that begs the question: What are the fiduciary duties of a board member?