My Pastor Friend Was Sued—Am I in Danger Too?
Oct 14, 2025It's normal to wonder, "Am I in danger too?" when another pastor is sued. Being a pastor may be very dangerous because they are spiritual leaders, church leaders, and people who are personally responsible. Every pastor has to know about these risks, how to protect oneself, and what they may do to decrease their risk.
This whole book talks about the most common legal issues that pastors face, the conditions that can lead to lawsuits, the protections that are available, and the best strategies to preserve your ministry and personal property.
Pastors Often Have to Deal with Legal Risks
- Issues at work
- Church employees or volunteers who claim they were unfairly let go
- Allegations of harassment or discrimination
- Arguments about pay and hours
- Being responsible for injuries and damage to property
- Things that happen by accident on church premises
- Being in charge of church events
- Duties to keep people safe and secure
- Speech and Slander
- Accusations that arise from public statements, treatment, or sermons
- The dangers of talking and posting on social media
- Arguments about contracts
- Claims of breaking a contract against vendors, personnel, or ministry partners
- Not sure what oral or written agreements mean
- Responsibility for Money and Trust
- Claims of poor management
- Allegations of fraud or theft
- Not following the regulations regarding how to report finances for nonprofits
Why Pastors Are at Risk
Churches normally have liability insurance; however, pastors can be held personally responsible when:
- Doing things that aren't part of their job as a minister
- Making a mistake on intent or by mistake
- Using your own money to sign contracts or loans
- Doing things that aren't covered by insurance
How to Stay Safe as a Pastor
- Understand what your job is and what you can and can't do.
Clearly explain your duties and limits in your job contracts and church bylaws.
- Make sure you have enough insurance
- General liability insurance for church events and property
- Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance protects leaders from being accused of breaking their duty to act in the best interests of others.
- Insurance for counseling or other professional services that covers mistakes and omissions (E&O)
- Keep Detailed Records
To defend against accusations, it may be highly vital to retain accurate records of decisions, communications, and events.
- Abide by the church's laws and procedures
Follow all the standards for safety, governance, and human resources exactly.
- Get legal help right now
Talk to lawyers that know a lot about church law to go over contracts, rules, and any risks that might come up.
Real-Life Pastoral Lawsuits
A fired employee sued a pastor for wrongful termination, but the pastor won the case because he had the right contracts and paperwork.
Liability claims arose when someone got injured at a church event—insurance and risk management processes helped keep the damage to a minimum.
A lawsuit for defamation occurred because of a sermon with controversial content—legal review and regulations about how to talk to each other made it less likely to happen.
How Church Law and Strategy Can Help Pastors
Regan is in charge of Church Law and Strategy, which helps churches and pastors stay out of trouble by giving them legal counsel, audits of their risks, and plans on how to defend themselves. With our subscription packages, such as The PASTOR SUPPORT PLAN, you can have first access to lawyers who know how to reduce the responsibility of pastors.
Checklist: Am I Also in Danger?
- Be mindful of the legal problems that pastors often run into.
- Know when you are to blame.
- Get the correct quantity of insurance coverage.
- Follow standards for safety and governance.
- Keep detailed notes.
- Get legal reviews on a regular basis.
- Get legal help straight away if you have a problem.
Finally,
The truth is that pastors can get into conflict with the law, but you can protect yourself and your ministry by knowing the risks and taking actions to prevent them. You need to know about prospective problems, get the correct insurance, keep solid governance, and engage a lawyer to decrease your risk and keep doing your vital work with confidence.
The purpose of Church Law and Strategy is to give pastors the legal knowledge and resources they need to execute their jobs safely and well.
Links Inside
- Learn more about the legal technique for paying pastors.
- Find more about the services of a lawyer who specializes in church governance.
- Find out about legal audit reports and church compliance.
Links to Other Websites
- Christianity Today article on Managing Board-Pastor Conflict
- Nonprofit Quarterly on Board and Executive Relationship
- ECFA resource on Board Governance Best Practices
This blog post is for information only and does not give legal advice. You are not a customer of Church Law and Strategy or its agents just because you read this. Please talk to a lawyer who knows your church or organization well for specific legal advice.