Q&A: Church’s Responsibility for Board Decisions

It’s important to understand if board members are acting with “apparent authority.”

David Middlebrook

Is the church responsible for its board members’ actions?

The church is bound by the actions of its board, assuming those actions were taken following proper procedures such as pursuant to the church’s bylaws or constitution, and were undertaken as a proper function of the board. So, if the board approved a vendor contract to lease a copier, the church is probably responsible. Even if the board acted without authority, the church might still be responsible under what is known as apparent authority. Apparent authority means that the person dealing with the church through the board reasonably believed that the board had authority to act on behalf of the church.

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