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A Pair of Noteworthy Supreme Court Decisions For Church Leaders

A pair of Supreme Court decisions are noteworthy for church leaders and bivocational pastors.

The Editors

A pair of noteworthy Supreme Court decisions are worth reviewing for church leaders, and bivocational pastors and church planters working secular jobs.

The first, Groff v. DeJoy, represents a significant shift in the way employers treat religious accommodation requests under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Bottom line? Employers face a higher standard when rejecting such requests, meaning employees enjoy greater protection when they come across work situations that clash with their religious beliefs and convictions.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of a Colorado web designer who worried the state would use its anti-discrimination laws to force her to create websites celebrating marriages she does not endorse (303 Creative LLC v. Elenis). It’s an outcome that underscores the possible ways a church can assert First Amendment defenses if the church falls under a state or local public accommodations law and gets penalized for violating the law due to its religious activities.

For members, Church Law & Tax Co-Founder and Senior Editor Richard Hammar, and Church Law & Tax Editor and Attorney-at-Law Matthew Branaugh joined forces to highlight what these important cases mean for churches and church leaders, alike:

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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