Church and Caesar: A Legal Primer for Church Office-Bearers (Ray Pennings)

Church and Caesar

A Legal Primer for Church Office-Bearers

This manual provides an overview of key biblical and legal principles that office-bearers in the church (pastors, elders, deacons) should consider as they work on behalf of the church. Chapters include information on decision-making in the church, reporting to the state, the church as employer, dealing with finances, counseling and abuse issues, discipline, and speaking out publicly.

Setting a big-picture framework, Church and Caesar will help elders and deacons manage the matters before them more informatively and judiciously.

Table of Contents

Preface

1. Purpose of this Manual

2. Putting Church and State in Perspective

3. The Legal Status of a Church

4. Reporting to the State

5. The Church as Employer

6. Dealing witrh Finances

7. Counseling and Abuse Issues

8. Discipline

9. Speaking Out Publicly

Epilogue

About the Author

Ray Pennings is the vice president of research for the Work Research Foundation (www.wrf.ca), a Canadian think tank dedicated to cultural renewal. He serves as a teaching elder in the Free Reformed congregation of Calgary, Alberta, and is chairman of the board of governors of Redeemer University College.

Endorsements 

“Though written from a Dutch Reformed perspective for a largely Canadian context, Church and Caesar is a helpful booklet for those in the broader Reformed community that dwell in the United States. It sets important issues before the reader that undoubtedly arise in the practical, daily life of the church. All office-bearers will benefit from a careful reading of this little booklet.” — Dr. John V. Fesko

“Church and Caesar provides a valuable addition to the growing library of resources for office-bearer training within the church. The style is clear, and the approach is pastoral. Churches and church leaders cannot afford to ignore the discussion and counsel offered in these pages.” — Dr. Nelson D. Kloosterman