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The mere act of sending a text to another person does not create liability, even if the texter knows that the recipient is operating a motor vehicle. People often receive text messages while driving a vehicle, and choose not to read or respond to them. Texter liability arises ...

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It’s considered to be the “biggest religious liberty case of the year”—and this morning, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Jack Phillips, the owner of Colorado bakery Masterpiece Cakeshop, who had refused (on religious grounds) to make a gay couple’s ...

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The ministerial housing allowance is “the most important tax benefit available to ministers”—but since October 2017, that benefit has faced an uncertain future.

A refresher: On October 6, Judge Barbara Crabb of the District Court for the Western District of ...

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This case study originally appeared in “Creating Sexual Harassment Policies for Church Workplaces,” a feature article in the March/April 2018 issue of Church Law & Tax Report.

A federal district court in Oklahoma ruled that a church could be sued on the basis ...

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Thom Rainer Talks Underpaid Church Staff and What You Can Do About It. “I really hope that on this particular podcast we have a heavier representation of, for lack of better words, the church laity as we do the church staff or the pastor because the information that you’re ...

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To help churches better understand some of the issues involved with volunteer drivers, ManagingYourChurch.com talked to Frank Sommerville. He is an attorney and editorial advisor for ChurchLawAndTax.com.

What should you know before allowing volunteers to drive on behalf of the ...

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Minister’s Parole Conditions Regarding Church Attendance Are Challenged. “In Manning v. Powers . . . a California federal district court granted a preliminary injunction banning the government from enforcing two parole conditions imposed on Sherman Manning, a Baptist ...

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Churches Now Eligible for FEMA Disaster Aid. “Churches suing the US government for funds to rebuild after Hurricane Harvey received some good news at the start of 2018: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has revised its policies to make churches eligible for ...

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Taking minutes arguably tops the list of “most thankless jobs,” and those who assume the role often wish they hadn’t been such a willing volunteer. But accurate minutes are a parliamentary procedure “must” for all nonprofits—including homeowners’ ...

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GOP Tax Bill Will Not Include Johnson Amendment Repeal. “In a minor win for Democrats, the final GOP tax bill will not include a repeal of the Johnson Amendment, a change that would have allowed religious institutions and all nonprofit entities organized as 501(c)3s to ...

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This past year’s most popular articles on ManagingYourChuch.com show the wide variety of financial, legal, safety, and tax matters that church leaders face. This list is based on unique page views in 2017 of articles published throughout the year.

10.“9 Tips for Planning ...

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Founder of Largest US Christian Music Festival Arrested on Child Molestation Charges. “The man who launched America’s largest and longest-running Christian music festival has been ‘indefinitely suspended’ from the ministry and his church following his ...

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GOP Tax Bill Passes Senate Vote. “Senate Republicans passed a $1.5 trillion tax bill early Saturday morning [December 2] that bestows extensive benefits on corporate America and the wealthy while delivering mixed blessings to everybody else. After a frantic round of negotiations, ...

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Research Shows Evangelical Giving Trends. “While the multi-million dollar tally of Giving Tuesday donations will take time to compile, we already know which kinds of charities are most favored by American evangelicals. Giving continues to rise for many categories of ministry, ...

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Ohio Pastors Face Indictment for Sex Trafficking Charges. “A third Ohio pastor has been indicted on sex trafficking charges, and prosecutors say all three men worked together to entice underage girls with money in exchange for sex. A federal grand jury in Toledo has indicted ...

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House, Senate Restore Adoption Tax Credit in Tax Reform Plan. “Apopular tax credit for adoptive families that was controversially cut by House Republicans in their initial tax reform plan has finally been restored. Meanwhile, the adoption benefit will be preserved in the ...

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Twenty-Six Churchgoers Killed in Texas Mass Shooting. “During its 11 a.m. worship service, a Southern Baptist church in rural Texas suffered not only America’s latest mass shooting but the deadliest church shooting in US history. At least 26 worshipers, ranging in ...

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Indiana Court Rules Sex Offenders May Go to Church Services When Children Are Present. “The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled that sex offenders are allowed to attend church services even while children are present to attend Sunday school. The ruling handed down Tuesday ...

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IRS Will No Longer Accept Tax Returns with Unaddressed Health Coverage Requirements. “The Internal Revenue Service said that for the upcoming 2018 filing season, it‎ will not accept electronically filed tax returns where the taxpayer does not address the health coverage ...

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1. Prepare job descriptions for all employees. Be sure to itemize essential job functions. These are functions that are job related and required by business necessity. Do not list functions that will not be required in performing the job in question.
2. Review job application forms and eliminate any question that segregates or classifies applicants on the basis of disability.