Image: Getty/Mansoreh Motamedia

Recommended Reading

Church Disruptions and How to Respond

Church disruptions are top-of-mind for many faith leaders in today’s fractured landscape. Read on for valuable tips, insights and recommendations.

The Editors

Dealing with church disruptions is not a normal part of the weekly worship experience. But in today’s climate, faith leaders must plan for them.

As Rich Hammar notes in Pastor Church & Law, 5th Edition, churches are under no obligation to let people disrupt worship services. And, in reality, church leaders have the law on their side when it comes to church disruptions:

“Churches do not have to tolerate persons who disrupt religious services. Church leaders can ask a court to issue an order barring the disruptive person from the church’s premises. If the person violates the order, he or she may be removed from church premises by the police and may be found to be in contempt of court.“

Bookmark this recommended reading list (and subscribe to Church Law & Tax today for full access) for help navigating these situations.

Learn how to ask a disruptor to leave your church to picking. Pick up a few tips on diffusing a potentially dangerous situation in “Responding to a Dangerous Person“, and hear from the head of security at Saddleback.com on what matters most in mass shooting response plans inside “Mass Shooting Preparation is All About Planning—Not Panic.”

Disruptive Church Members

An adult male who exhibited bizarre behavior in his church and community could not be involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital since he was not a danger to himself.

This content is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. "From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations." Due to the nature of the U.S. legal system, laws and regulations constantly change. The editors encourage readers to carefully search the site for all content related to the topic of interest and consult qualified local counsel to verify the status of specific statutes, laws, regulations, and precedential court holdings.

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