On March 9, 2010 the Supreme Court of British Columbia weighed in on yet another church dispute in our province (Viitre v. St. Peter’s Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2010 BCSC 296). Try though they might, churches in B.C. seem to keep ending up before the courts. There are three lessons from this latest conflict that churches…
As the school year draws to a close, you may be thinking about sending your children to camp this summer. Many religious organizations operate summer camps, which usually include some sporting activities. A recent policy statement from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides some indication as to whether or not these sporting activities will be considered…
On January 23, 2009, the Supreme Court of British Columbia released their decision in Lutzv. Faith Lutheran Church of Kelowna, 2009 BCSC59, a case concerning a church fight gone terribly wrong. In early 2007, the Faith Lutheran Church of Kelowna was a small congregation of 110 members. They had recently hired a new pastor. Their National Convention…
There is a wide spectrum of voluntary associations in British Columbia. They range from social clubs to sporting organizations to religious groups to professional associations. But how are the members of these voluntary associations supposed to be treated? A recent decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court confirms that your parents were right – you…
Two recent decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada, related to the Criminal Code offence of “keeping a common bawdy house”, are important markers along the road to moral and legal relativism. The use of the archaic term “bawdy house” should be an early indication as to how an “enlightened” court might view this criminal…
Remarkably, the answer is “No”! At least not always, according to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal that recently held that a large Christian ministry in Ontario could not require their employees to sign a Lifestyle and Morality Statement that reflects orthodox teachings of evangelical Christianity. The primary reason: because they do not primarily serve other…
Churches, along with many other organizations, often fail to recognize the need for great care when entering into contracts. A recent British Columbia Supreme Court decision shows the types of problems that can result from poorly drafted agreements. In 1989 the St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church of British Columbia entered into a contract with the…
“…the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts…the tongue also is a fire…” James 3:5 (NIV) Last year, we reported on a Supreme Court of British Columbia decision chastising a Church over its failure to comply with its own bylaws. A former elder had sued the Church when he…
Giving money to a church, Christian work or other charity usually requires trust. You are trusting that the gift be used for the designated purpose. Many folks want to be generous, but what happens if that trust is broken? Trust is a legal concept and the action of trusting someone forms the basis of what…
The Christian community has an on-going internal debate about the appropriateness of using the courts to protect or advance rights. People often quote I Corinthians 6 to me as authority for the proposition that Christians ought to stay out of the civil courts entirely. I do not want to debate that here as the scripture…