Members' Inspection of Church Records

Key point. Nonprofit corporation laws generally give members a right to inspect corporate records at a reasonable time for a proper purpose. Members of churches incorporated under such a statute therefore have a limited inspection right. However, this right does not apply unless the member can demonstrate a proper purpose.

An Ohio court ruled that a member of a nonprofit corporation did not have a legal right to inspect corporate records.

A nonprofit organization was incorporated under an Ohio statute that gives members a legal right to inspect "all corporate records … for any reasonable and proper purpose and at any reasonable time." A member of a nonprofit corporation asked to inspect (1) minutes of the board; (2) financial records; and (3) membership records. His stated purpose was to determine whether or not he had been secretly "excommunicated" from the organization. ...