2023 Top 25 Legal Questions

Credible guidance, at the click of a mouse. Of nearly 100 topics, ministry leaders accessed Legal Assist's FAQs more than 48,000 times. From bylaws and boardrooms to parking lots and service animals, these 25 questions are your peers’ top queries of 2023.

Numbers indicate yearly pageviews as of 12/31/23.

  Question 2023 2022
pageviews + ranking
2021
pageviews + ranking

1

Does our ministry need to obtain a special permit before serving or selling food? 

7,014

6,518 (3)

4,159 (3)

2

Are ministries allowed to remove disruptive people?

6,818

7,714 (1)

4,025 (4)

3

Do we have to report all injuries, even those that are insignificant?

3,555

5,647 (2)

5,802 (2)

4

What should ministry leaders know about donor-directed donations?

2,664

3,833 (4)

2,462 (5)

5

As a church board member, what issues should I be aware of?

1,592

2,270 (5)

1,023 (10)

6

What should our ministry know about bylaws?

1,368

1,240 (7)

564 (21)

7

Does our ministry need permission to use people's pictures? 

1,298

2,240 (6)

1,743 (7)

8

What are the potential tax ramifications for leasing ministry parking lots to outside entities?

1,043

1,246 (9)

1,074 (9)

9

Does the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) apply to our ministry? 

865

1,206 (8)

1,497(8)

10

Should our church have armed security guards?

786

871 (12)

760 (17)

11

What should we do when a background check turns up a criminal record? 

781

1,047 (10)

800 (14)

12

One of our church attendees uses a service animal and would like to bring it to church How should we respond?

748

683 (18)

214 (33)

13

What rules apply when hiring youth to perform work for our ministry?

591

733 (14)

544 (23)

14

How do good Samaritan laws apply to our ministry?

515

275 (N/A)

337 (N/A)

15

Are clergy members required to sign marriage licenses?

514

718 (15)

967 (11)

16

How can our ministry identify an independent contractor for tax purposes?

486

702 (16)

787 (16)

17

What should our ministry be aware of before recording conversations?

458

688 (17)

447 (25)

18

Is our ministry required to display labor law posters?

383

372 (25)

96 (43)

19

How do we protect against liability related to youth/special needs activities?

362

593 (20)

863 (12)

20

What risk management issues are associated with lending our church facility to an outside group?

361

630 (19)

610 (19)

21

Does our ministry need an Employer Identification Number (EIN)?

352

485 (22)

688 (18)

22

How should our ministry respond to a subpoena?

341

325 (N/A)

370 (N/A)

23

What is an activity participation agreement?

341

474 (23)

556 (22)

24

What should ministry personnel know about mandatory reporting requirements?

329

593 (21)

571 (20)

25

Should we allow a registered sex offender to attend our church?

302

447 (24)

447 (24)

Legal Assist is a free service for all ministries, whether you're a customer or not. Our in-house team of attorneys is ready to provide the risk management guidance you need to help protect your people, property, and mission.*

Got a complicated question?

*Important information: Brotherhood Mutual is pleased to provide Legal Assist as a complimentary resource. The services we offer through Legal Assist are intended to provide general legal information to our current and prospective policyholders. The information we provide is intended to be helpful, but it does not constitute legal advice and is not a substitute for the advice from a licensed attorney in your area. Accordingly, no attorney/client relationship is created through this process, and no legal advice will be provided. We strongly encourage you to regularly consult with a local attorney as part of your risk management program.

 


2023 Top 25 Safety Library Topics

In addition to the most-clicked legal topics, we’ve also compiled a list of the 25 most visited articles in our Safety Library for ministries in 2023.

Numbers indicate yearly pageviews as of 12/31/23. 

  Article 2023 2022
pageviews + ranking

1

Six Tips for Resolving Conflict in the Church

11,719

2

5 Steps to Starting a New Ministry

11,469

20,361 (2)

3

Sex Offenders—Allowed to Attend Church?

8,412

7,396 (6)

4

Mandated Reporting Not Limited to Child Abuse

6,702

9,080 (3)

5

Make Sure Your Church and School Bus and Van are Up to Licensing Standards

5,071

6,066 (7)

6

Incorporating Your Church: Why and How?

4,534

8,932 (4)

7

Service and Emotional Support Animals at Church

4,418

3,602 (11)

8

Are gifts to ministry workers taxed?

3,983

5,868 (8)

9

Complying with Copyright Laws

3,604

5,176 (9)

10

Surveillance Cameras at Church

3,286

2,687 (17)

11

Dealing with Disruptive Individuals

2,349

3,355 (12)

12

Records Retention for Ministries

2,332

2,976 (14)

13

Child Abuse Prevention

2,248

2,604 (23)

14

Can a Ministry or Charity Lose its Tax-Exempt Status?

2,033

3,165 (13)

15

Legal Guidelines for Photo and Video Use

2,031

2,626 (19)

16

Lending Church Facilities: Facility Use Agreements

1,987

2,921 (16)

17

Sweepstakes, Doorprizes, and Raffles: Is your Church Fundraiser Legal? 

1,936

1,772 (23)

18

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Maintenance

1,935

1,128 (42)

19

Surviving a Violent Attack at Church

1,828

2,634 (18)

20

Is Generative AI Too Good to Be True? Tips for Ministry Leaders

1,610

21

Unrelated Business Income and How it Affects Your Ministry

1,577

1,974 (22)

22

Handling Protests at Your Church

1,536

4,053 (10)

23

Create a Medical Response Team

1,516

1,257 (39)

24

Ten Questions Every Church Board Member Should Ask

1,479

2,956 (15)

25

Making the Decision to Have Armed Security Team Members

1,428

1,555 (25)

Find more resources

*The information provided via the articles and resources in our Safety Library is intended to be helpful, but it does not constitute legal advice and is not a substitute for the advice from a licensed attorney in your area. We strongly encourage you to regularly consult with a local attorney as part of your risk management program.

Updated February 1, 2024