Legal Woes for Churches Rise
ROGERS, Ark., June 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Churches have seen an increase in their legal woes over the last few years. From mass shootings and corporate missteps to sexual harassment and child abuse, churches across the country often seem to be reeling. As these concerns rise, law firms have started to both confront and assist churches.
"Generally speaking, churches are not prepared to exist in a world where people aren't afraid to sue them," said Josh Bryant, managing attorney of Church General Counsel, a new firm that helps churches develop policies and procedures to prevent an incident that might lead to litigation. "While no organization can completely eliminate risk, cases show systemic, procedural deficiencies in how many churches operate that lead to a risk of harm to others, and ultimately to the church."
Bryant started Church General Counsel in 2018 to help churches get their legal documents in order and implement these best practices. "For example, there are processes churches can follow that greatly reduce the risk of someone offending against a child at church," Bryant said. "No adult should ever be alone with a child. Volunteers should wait six months after joining before the church allows them to work with children. While a background check will only catch as few as 4% of would-be offenders, it is still vital. References should be checked. Volunteers should be prohibited from contacting children outside church without the parents' knowledge. All of these procedures can go a long way in staving off an offense."
Bryant says the same principles can be applied to a variety of church operations with legal overtones, including property use, financial management, and employment. "Our mission is simply to protect the church from those who would do harm in the church, thereby harming the church," Bryant said. "The church has a message of hope to share with the world. We cannot effectively share that message when churches are left insecure by broken, non-existent procedures."
Church General Counsel is a ministry to churches, helping them get legal documents in order, address legal concerns, and implement policies and procedures that minimize risk while maximizing efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more at www.churchgeneralcounsel.com.
If you would like more information on this story, please contact Josh Bryant at (866)597-5621, or by email at [email protected].
SOURCE Church General Counsel
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