Category Archives: Church Law
**UPDATE** Increased Salary Threshold for Exempt Employees Blocked by Texas Court
By Robert Showers Esq. and Justin R. Coleman, Esq. On November 15, 2024, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas overturned the US Department of Labor’s (DOL) rule to increase the salary threshold for exempt employees. As identified in our original article (https://www.simmsshowerslaw.com/salary-threshold-for-exempt-employees-to-increase/), the DOL increased the minimum annual salary… Read More »
Companies Now Required to Report Beneficial Owner Information to Federal Government
By Kyle D. Winey, Esq. and Melissa L. Ruby, Esq. In 2021, the U.S. Congress enacted the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), a law which authorizes the collection of beneficial ownership information (“BOI”) of domestic and foreign corporations and limited liability companies. This law, purportedly enacted to counter money-laundering schemes and financial terrorism networks, creates… Read More »
Virginia Church and Religious Entities Employment
Legal Updates for Churches Attribution: H. Robert Showers, Esq. Kyle D. Winey, Esq. Date: 7/31/2024 View PDF View recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUBNLcgOL8s
The FTC Slams the Brakes on Non-Compete Agreements: What Employers Need to Know
By Kyle Winey, Esq and Robert Showers, Esq In a landmark regulatory decision, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took a decisive step toward protecting worker mobility by banning most non-compete agreements. This ruling, effective 120 days after its publication in the Federal Register (likely around late summer 2024), significantly impacts employers’ ability to restrict… Read More »
Salary Threshold for Exempt Employees to Increase
By Robert Showers Esq. and Justin R. Coleman, Esq. On April 23, 2024, the Biden Administration, through the US Dept of Labor (DOL), announced its final rules regarding overtime pay for all United States employees. These rules will significantly impact which employees qualify for exemption from overtime pay as “white collar” and “highly compensated”… Read More »
Safeguarding Your Sanctuary – Asset Protection for Churches and Nonprofits
By H. Robert Showers, Esq. Introduction A church or nonprofit’s corporate structure is vital for both its long-term maintenance and day-to-day operations—but a single corporate structure no longer suffices to protect and provide all available advantages. The 21st century has seen an uptick in secular lawsuits that purposefully target churches and religious nonprofits. This,… Read More »
The Power of Well-Drafted Church Bylaws
By H. Robert Showers, Esq. I. Introduction Fifty years ago, few people—especially churchgoers—would have dreamed of suing the church. However, the legal climate today has changed dramatically, and lawsuits against churches are increasingly common. Fortunately, every state except West Virginia now permits churches to incorporate.1 Incorporation is a powerful tool for churches and member… Read More »
3 Legal Strategies to Decrease Your Liability
By Kyle Winey, Esq. I. The Need for Liability Limitation We live in a highly litigious culture. Businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations are increasingly exposed to legal liability. For example, businesses increasingly fear the vitriol of litigious patrons—and for good reason. That’s why all businesses, nonprofits, and churches should take significant measures to protect… Read More »
West Virginia’s Complicated Relationship with Church Incorporation
By H. Robert Showers, Esq. and Justin R. Coleman, Esq. West Virginia’s current Constitution prohibits the State from allowing any church under its authority to incorporate, making it the last state not to allow church incorporation. Article VI, Section 47 of the West Virginia Constitution explicitly states: “No charter of incorporation shall be granted… Read More »
Church Third Party Uses: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You!
Renting or allowing use of church and ministry facilities has many new added risks: child abuse liability, unwanted use purposes (same sex marriages) or activities on premises (illegal or risky), liability that is not covered by insurance or renters’ indemnity, jeopardizing tax exempt status of property, entity or UBIT and getting dragged into court… Read More »
