In our current cultural and political climate, uncertainty exists when it comes to religious freedom. As an employer, make sure you take these six practical steps for the protection of religious freedom for your church or ministry.
Establish a standard across your ministry to help current and prospective employees and church members understand the deeply held beliefs that drive your ministry’s decisions and policies.
Once your statement of beliefs and policies are written and agreed upon, distribute them to your staff as a foundation to help drive decision-making. Your statement of beliefs can have an impact on many employment-related decisions your ministry makes, including:
No matter the size, every ministry needs an employee handbook to communicate the policies and expectations of your ministry as a workplace. Creating and distributing an employee handbook can help offer protection from potential disputes. By clearly and comprehensively documenting rules and the consequences, you allow disciplinary measures to be a matter of your ministry’s policies rather than a seemingly personal decision. Creating structure and consistency in the onboarding, daily operations and offboarding can be an investment with a high return.
Meet with your managers and team to discuss the handbook, how it specifically applies to them and examples of handling tricky situations. Discuss and determine whether additional policies should be added or if existing policies should be updated.
Create a process with consistent benchmarks across all employee reviews and ask managers to document both positive and negative aspects of their reviews in the evaluations. Thorough documentation can help protect your ministry in the event of any employment-related legal action.
Having a trusted attorney or advisor privy to your operational and legal conversations will help your ministry understand new laws and any resulting requirements. They can help shape policies and procedures and evaluate them at least annually.
If your church doesn’t have the budget for an attorney or legal advisor, find out if other cost-effective options are available, such as a willing church member with a legal background or a pro-bono legal service in your area.
Choosing an insurance provider who understands and provides religious freedom protection liability coverage can help protect your ministry from specific issues that your ministry may face.
At GuideStone®, we understand that protecting religious freedom is just one of your many risk management responsibilities. We’re here to guide and advocate for your ministry so that you can focus on the Lord’s calling in your life. For more information, contact us at InsuranceSolutions@GuideStone.org or (214) 720-2868, Monday through Thursday, from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT and Friday, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be construed as legal advice. Readers should use this article as a tool, along with best judgment and any terms or conditions that apply, to determine appropriate policies and procedures for your church's risk management program.
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