Legal Issues for Congregations

Information provided for congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The general counsel of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is an attorney, recommended by the presiding bishop, and employed full-time in the Office of the Secretary. As the in-house lawyer for the churchwide organization, the general counsel provides legal advice and services to the officers, the Church Council, the Churchwide Assembly, and the programmatic units in the churchwide office. The general counsel is not the attorney for the whole church, its congregations, members or clergy.

This Web site is part of the general counsel's effort to make general legal information concerning the church more widely available to members, pastors, congregations, synods and affiliated ministries. Through the ELCA Attorneys Association, the general counsel helps synods, congregations, and other affiliates to find qualified attorneys who can represent their legal interests.

Click on the questions in the left hand column or choose one of the subject areas below.

Questions About Writing and Amending the Congregation Constitution

Model Constitution for Congregations
Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Fisher's Net offers a free online distributive learning course in Congregation Administration, which includes legal issues among other useful topics.

Legal Issues for Synods

Legal Disclaimer
Attorneys are expected to provide disclaimers and the ELCA general counsel is no exception. It is important for visitors to this website to understand that information on this site does not constitute legal advice to anyone. In addition, the use of this website, and the sending or receipt of information through this medium does not create attorney-client relationship of any sort. Visitors to this site should be aware that communication in this manner may not be considered as privileged or confidential. Individuals requiring legal assistance should engage a qualified attorney, licensed to practice law in the particular state or jurisdiction where the legal issues have arisen. Members of the ELCA, pastors, congregations, synods, and others affiliated with this church should always consult their own attorneys, accountants, or similar professionals whenever legal issues or problems arise. Neither the churchwide organization nor the general counsel is responsible for any loss, injury, liability, or damage related to your use of this site, whether from errors or omissions in the content of this site or any linked sites, from the site being down, or from any other use. Thank you for visiting.