A lot of the legal responsibilities for a church fall to the Trustees. I also think that the Trustees are usually the most experienced and best equipped to deal with legal issues. Here’s specifically the duties they should be prepared for:
- PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS: Buying, selling, and leasing church property is complicate because who is the Owner of the church? No one is the owner, but the church has to follow the process to be able to show that they have the authority to do what they are trying to do.
- LEGAL DOCUMENTS: Deeds, corporate documents, and the like all become permanent records. It’s nice when the church has a plan for these whether it’s a fireproof safe or a safety deposit box at the bank.
- CONTRACT REVIEW: Protecting your church from a bad contract is a valuable service. A contract with unfavorable or ambiguous terms will scar a church.
Useful Links
- GCFA’s Legal Manual: http://www.gcfa.org/services/legal-services/legal-manual/
- Record Retention Guide: https://www.dakotasumc.org/media/files/CONFERENCE/5_Conf_Finance_Benefits/Finance/RecordRetention.pdf
- Lexology’s Contract Review Tips: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=a6336040-ca4a-4e0f-acb1-aac502e43fdf
- Dave Ramsey’s Guidance on Contracts: https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/4-things-to-remember-when-negotiating-contracts
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