Employment law in churches

[Timmey9]

What is the name of your state? NY

I was wondering what the legal rights of clergy members are when it comes to firing them. Is their such thing as wrongful termination? Does seperation of church and state take away their legal protections? What is there is a fraud committed or anyhting along those lines? Thanks

 

[Beth3]

I was wondering what the legal rights of clergy members are when it comes to firing them. Is their such thing as wrongful termination? Yes.

Does seperation of church and state take away their legal protections? No.

What is there is a fraud committed or anyhting along those lines? You need to explain what sort of fraud you're talking about.

 

[cbg]

While yes, there is such a thing as wrongful termination in churches, that does NOT mean that a clergy member cannot be fired.

In most churches of my experience, the pastor is under an employment contract. What does the contract say?

 

[seniorjudge]

I believe you would need to start by figuring out what kind of legal structure you are talking about.

There is a vast difference between a country church as an unincorporated association and the Catholic church.

So, let's start with that.

What kind of church?

What kind of legal structure?

 

[HomeGuru]

This church is not a Korean Baptist church right?