Legal / Organizational
New churches should consider the following steps in establishing the proper legal structure (this is not professional legal advice. Consult an attorney for professional legal advice... the following is a guide to follow in consultation with a professional).
Renting Public Buildings
- Here is a good explanation of the law regarding church use/rental of public buildings.
- Laws & School Administrators - Public School Ordered to Pay Damages for Refusing Church to Rent a High School Auditorium
- Lamb's Chapel - Freedom of Religion/Freedom of Speech -- Whether a local school district that allows its facilities to be used for social and civic purposes may prevent a religious organization from using the facilities to show a movie that presents family issues from a religious perspective.
- Good News Bible vs. Milford - Freedom of Speech — Whether a public school policy creating a limited public forum that expressly bans religious groups from school facilities constitutes viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment freedom of speech.
Additional Resources
- Possible Legal Snares for New Churches by Ken Camp - WACO, Texas (ABP) - The day when churches were considered off-limits to lawsuits is gone, meaning congregations need to beware of legal snares, lawyers told participants at a church-state conference held on the Baylor University campus. Biblical Recorder: Journal of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
- Legal Issues in Church Planting by Alan Witham (PDF file)
- Tax Information for Charities & Other Non-Profits
- Liberty Counsel DOT org (excellent resource)
Constitutions and Bylaws
