What you don't know can hurt you

What problems could we create by amending them?

Court rules that the First Amendment bars it from resolving the complaint.

Have an attorney review any arbitration policy to ensure its enforceability.

A Florida court ruled that a church board properly removed a pastor without a congregational vote.

A Georgia court ruled that the first amendment guaranty of religious freedom prevented it from resolving a lawsuit brought by a minister challenging the legality of his removal by his church.

A Missouri court ruled that it was prevented by the first amendment guaranty of religious freedom from resolving a lawsuit brought by ousted church officers challenging the legal validity of their removal.

The Iowa Supreme Court suggested that it was barred by the first amendment guaranty of religious freedom from resolving a dispute involving the interpretation of church bylaws, but it refused to dismiss the case on procedural ground.

A District of Columbia court of appeals ruled that the first amendment prevented it from resolving a lawsuit by a purported church member who claimed that the election of a pastor at a church business meeting was invalid because it was in violation of procedural requirements mandated by the District of Columbia nonprofit corporations law.

A Texas court ruled that it lacked the authority to intervene in a local church dispute involving the retention of a pastor.

Follow your church's bylaws and state law to ensure the validity of your membership meetings.

Courts will not resolve disputes that involve church doctrine.

If religious doctrine is involved, courts typically won't intervene in governance disputes.

Misuse of church funds can lead to legal problems.

Pastor tries to sue church for violating bylaws.

A Maryland court ruled that a church dispute over an election did not have to be arbitrated but could be resolved by a civil court.

An Ohio court ruled that it could invalidate a church's election of a pastor if the election violated the church's bylaws and if it could resolve the dispute without any inquiry into religious doctrine.

An Ohio court ruled that the members of a nonprofit corporation could not vote by proxy at a special business meeting since proxy voting was not authorized in the corporation's articles of incorporation or bylaws.

Your church's guide to the latest updates.