By Kimberlee Norris, attorney at law The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in the Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue case, wherein several parents are challenging a state court decision canceling a tuition subsidy program because it could be used to help send kids to church-affiliated private schools. As we noted last year when the […]
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By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris “Pastor Arrested for Molesting Teens in Youth Group,” screamed a recent media headline in a heavily populated metropolitan area. Unfortunately, it’s not an anomaly; headlines detailing child sexual abuse in ministry contexts occur almost daily. The reality is daunting: one in four girls and one in six boys will be […]
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Proven strategies to keep your people safe — from recognizing red flags to re-screening practices, cost considerations, and navigating potentially sensitive conversations Many churches fall victim to an “it-can’t-happen-here” mentality. In actuality, what makes churches especially prone to ill-intentioned volunteers? Norton: The nature and admirable traits of most clergy is one of compassion and trust. […]
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Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue poses critical church-state separation issues By Kimberlee Norris, attorney at law The Supreme Court will be deciding Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue this Term. The decision could be very important for Church Executive readers, particularly if it alters or clarifies the Court’s 2017 holding in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Pauley. […]
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How to properly protect your parish from scammers By Elizabeth “Betty” Norman Cyber criminals seek out organizations that seem unsuspecting. Unfortunately, churches often offer just what they’re looking for. In late April 2019, Father Bob Stec of the Saint Ambrose Catholic Parish in Brunswick, Ohio found himself sending a note to parish members that no […]
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Sexual abuse: training ministry staff to care well AND prevent At the beginning of each new year, many of us make New Year’s Resolutions: evaluating our past year or present circumstances and resolving to improve on a particular matter (i.e., more time with the kids, less coffee, more exercise). For the Southern Baptist Convention, the […]
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Red flags and best practices to better protect your religious organization They’re on the news on a regular basis: stories of church theft, fraud and embezzlement. Sometimes the culprit is the church accountant who intentionally misrepresents church spending. Sometimes it’s the church food pantry director, who purchases food for the church — and $30,000 in […]
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Whether you’re an established megachurch with multiple campuses or you’re a small local church in a tight-knit community, it’s equally important to provide a benefits program for full-time staff. But with rates going up by 10 to 20 percent every year, it can be a challenge for smaller churches to keep up. The result? Understaffed […]
Read More >Help protect your church’s youngest members by taking these steps By Elizabeth Norman Childcare centers and preschools at churches across the nation are experiencing rapid growth right now — in fact, many of them are at capacity and even require waiting lists. With this demand, it’s important to remember to revisit procedures to help keep […]
Read More >View this insightful webinar — “Bring the Benefit Back to Your Employee Benefits Program” — now at: www.churchexecutive.com/webinars By Skylar Griego Like any employer (faith-based or not), it’s important for a church to provide a benefits program for full-time staff. This can be a struggle for a small church when program rates commonly increase 10 to 20 […]
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