Establishing your church: legal steps, charity status, and governance explained “Help! When are we a church?” A great question! Many Christians believe in the “ecclesia” meaning of a church – a gathering of God’s people rather than the bricks and mortar of a church building. You might have started meeting together unofficially in someone’s house, … Read more …
Well-intentioned payments or gifts to volunteers can lead churches and charities into difficulty. Key takeaways Understand the legal distinctions: Know the difference between volunteers, workers, and employees. Be cautious with payments: Even well-intentioned payments or gifts can change a volunteer’s status. Use resources: Utilise resources such as our Volunteer Pack for guidance on maintaining volunteer … Read more …
Political engagement by evangelical Christians A recent survey by the Evangelical Alliance found that: 93% of UK evangelical Christians were certain or likely to vote in the 2024 General Election. 10% are members of a political party and/or campaign for one. 38% engage in politics beyond voting in elections. 70% believe that the church shouldn’t … Read more …
The Charity Commission. Employment law. Property Regulations. Data Protection. Sometimes complying with the law can seem complicated and burdensome to churches. Which policies and procedures do churches legally need? We’re here to help. We at Edward Connor Solicitors understand that churches want to be legally compliant as part of their service to Jesus and we … Read more …
Spring is certainly here with buds blooming and lambs leaping in the fields! As we often think about spring-cleaning our homes, could it be time for a spring-clean of our employment policies and procedures too? Changes in employment law this year Employment law is ever changing and evolving. This spring is no exception with an … Read more …
The Charity Commission have published new guidance for charities on accepting, refusing or returning donations. You can find the Commission’s guidance page here. The guidance’s aim is to empower charity trustees to make the right decisions when deciding whether to accept, refuse or return a donation. It confirms that the Commission’s position is that a … Read more …
The Charities Act 2022 received Royal Assent in early 2022, and has been implemented in phases since then. Two years later, and we are at the final phase, with a last tranche of provisions of the Act coming into force on 7 March (except that concerning ex gratia payments which has been pushed back to … Read more …
After a relatively quiet period regarding changes to employment law, we now have a “London Bus” situation, with a number turning up at once. Updated copies of the Employment Pack, Worker Pack and Voluntary Worker Pack, incorporating the changes, are available for purchase on our website. For those who are subscribed to our Premium service, … Read more …
At our AGM in early February this year, our trustees and members came together to hear about the amazing work we’ve been able to do, where our journey so far has led us, our current position, and our vision for the future. At the AGM we shared copies of our Annual Review – an engaging … Read more …
Towards the end of last year, we were delighted to welcome to the ECS family Katherine Coxon, who joined our busy Charities Team as a Charity Solicitor. Having trained in a different field of law, and taken a career break, Katherine’s is a story of how skills, experience, and a passion for a cause can … Read more …
