In today’s litigious society, quality legal resources are a must for pastors and churches. The following links place legal aid at your fingertips.
Christian Copyright License
Copyright law is very clear on copying music. If you do not have express permission from the rightful owner of the song, you cannot make a copy. However, many church music leaders have found that seeking permission is a time-consuming and administrative nightmare. It’s true. Copyright law is fair but impractical. That’s why more than 145,000 churches across North America use the Church Copyright License from CCLI. For an annual license fee, any church can receive legal authorization to copy from over 150,000 songs for congregational use. The Christian Copyright License website will walk you through the process.
The American Center for Law and Justice
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) specializes in constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C. The organization is dedicated to protecting your religious and constitutional freedoms. The ACLJ offers its legal services at no cost to clients and focuses on the issues that matter most.
The Christian Law Association
The Christian Law Association is a “ministry of legal helps.” Its purpose is to provide free legal assistance to Bible-believing churches and Christians who experience legal difficulty in practicing their religious faith because of governmental regulation, intrusion, or prohibition of one form or another. Since 1969, the number of legal attacks on ministries has exploded. Cases involve Christians arrested for witnessing to others in public, public school students being told they do not have the right to read their Bibles at school, churches being excluded from communities, Christians being fired for sharing their faith at work, and thousands of other shocking assaults on our precious religious freedoms. The Christian Law Association exists to preserve Christian liberty for your children and grandchildren.
BuildingChurchLeaders.com
Writing or revising a constitution and bylaws can be painstaking because you’re trying to do many things: plan the way you govern your ministry, protect your church from legal intrusions, constructively work through any internal disputes, and put your church in a place to do ministry rather than spin your wheels. This inexpensive download ($24.95) helps you implement documents for your church’s governance and organization.
http://www.buildingchurchleaders.com
The websites on this page have been recommended by Free Will Baptist pastors and leaders. The inclusion of a link, however, should not be considered a blanket endorsement of the site. Discernment is encouraged on the part of every reader.