Expanded Minsiterial Exception Case

On Jan. 11, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in a significant church employment dispute, giving religious organizations wide latitude in hiring and firing clergy and other employees who perform religious duties. In its unanimous decision, the high court explicitly recognized a legal doctrine known as the “ministerial exception.”
The case, Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, involved the dismissal of a teacher at a Lutheran school in Michigan who performed both secular and religious duties. The teacher argued that she had been fired in violation of laws protecting people with disabilities. Specifically, she claimed that the religious school had retaliated against her for asserting her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But the high court ruled that the ministerial exception trumps anti-discrimination laws. “The interest of society in the enforcement of employment discrimination statutes is undoubtedly important,” Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. wrote for the court. “But so too is the interest of religious groups in choosing who will preach their beliefs, teach their faith, and carry out their mission.” Read more....

Directors personally liable for negligence of a nonprofit board

Directors and officers must exercise reasonable inquiry, skill and diligence in performing their duties and must have a reasonable basis for their reliance on any information provided them. If it is determined that officers or directors of a nonprofit corporation have not fulfilled their fiduciary duties with respect to the management of the organization, creditors may be able to hold the directors personally liable for the nonprofit’s debts. Read more....

Online Symposium on Consecrated Life

First Session - January 8, 2012, 2pm ET A Prophetic Moment: Transforming the Shadow and Bringing Religious Life into the 21st Century

Religious life is a call from God to be a distinct voice in the wilderness. Within this wilderness is shadow material that begs to be uncovered and transformed. Is this the prophetic work that Religious are called to in the 21st century? In light of the vows and the trends of the Church, these shadow elements and their transformational possibilities will be explored.
Presenter: Linda Buck, CSJ is a Sister of St. Joseph of Orange. She is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and holds a Master’s degree from Pepperdine University in Clinical Psychology. She is an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University and a Certified Spiritual Director. Linda provides workshops and retreats focusing on the integration of spirituality and psychology.
Register: www.ahereford.org/symposium