LEGAL Archives - Church Executive


PROTECTING THE FLOCK: Important insurance steps to take for church members abroad

Traveler with suitcase in airport concept.Young girl walking with carrying luggage and passenger for tour travel booking ticket flight at international vacation time in holiday rest and relaxation.

By Doug Gulleson The focus of every church is serving God, serving others, and encouraging others to serve in their own part. For many churches, the desire to serve extends to all parts of the globe as members embark on missions and provide humanitarian aid to spread the word of God and serve those in […]

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Will the Supreme Court soon approve first religious charter school?

MAY 1, 2025 — On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two consolidated cases from Oklahoma which starkly present the clash between the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause and its Establishment Clause. The first Clause says that the government can’t penalize or interfere with the free exercise of religion; the second says that […]

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CRIMINALIZING THE SEXUAL GROOMING OF CHILDREN

  Several states expand child protection laws By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris Preventing child sexual abuse in churches and child-serving programs continues to present a significant challenge. Sexual abusers have no visual profile, so the risk cannot be recognized visually — it can only be recognized behaviorally. These behaviors are known as the abuser’s […]

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ON THE DOCKET AGAIN: government funding for religious schools

As early as this summer, two Supreme Court rulings could effectively eviscerate The Establishment Clause, which forbids governments from supporting religion or favoring one religion over another, or religion over non-religion — a potentially monumental pivot point for church schools. Church Executive has profiled several Supreme Court cases during the last few years where church […]

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EXPERT ADVICE: PROTECTING THE KIDS IN YOUR CARE

  By RaeAnn Slaybaugh With a combined 25 years of experience working with Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) and its church clients, Risk Management Vice President Andrew Shockey and Underwriting Human Services Product Manager Michael Nester know background checks. First and foremost, they know that not enough houses of worship are conducting them — and why. […]

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SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION IN THE CHURCH: 25 years in review

By Georgia McKnight The risk of child sexual abuse in the Church is real … and not new. Media in its various forms has bristled with horrifying headlines for three decades; few have provided any positive coverage. Since 2000, steady messaging from insurance professionals, lawmakers and subject matter experts has revealed a lack in the […]

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The Church Executive Top 10

  A look back at the articles that mattered most  to our readers in 2024 By RaeAnn Slaybaugh In the past year, Church Executive has covered a lot of topics. Among them, a handful resonated best with our readers. With the help of our thought leader partners, we’ve written about rapid expansion, building projects, and […]

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FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT: How Recent Changes Could Affect Your Church

By Denise Craig, CAE, CCA Back in April 2024, the US Department of Labor published a rule requiring all employers (including churches) to increase the minimum salary threshold for exempt workers in both July 2024 and January 2025, with regularly scheduled increases after that. However, in mid-November 2024, after the first increase had occurred and […]

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You can’t afford to look the other way

  To protect your church, you must anticipate — and mitigate — risk transfer related to third-party facilities use By RaeAnn Slaybaugh For many churches, offering the use of their facilities to outside groups is an excellent source of income. It’s also a great way to send a welcoming message to the surrounding community.  However, […]

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STOP SEXUAL ABUSE: How to navigate a sexual abuse allegation from the PAST

By Gregory Love and Kimberlee Norris Historical allegations — those that relate to alleged abuse occurring years or decades ago — have become common. In the past two decades, churches of all sizes have encountered sexual abuse allegations related to abusive behavior occurring at the hands of staff members or volunteers from the past. When […]

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