Q: How are legal issues handled in the Church of the Nazarene?

A: The structure of the Church of the Nazarene is such that most legal issues fall within the jurisdiction of the local church or the district. When we are made aware of a potential legal issue, the first step is to determine whether we even have the authority to address it. Most of the time we refer the matter to the local church or district to make sure they are aware of the situation.

For those issues that do affect us we determine whether we need to use outside legal counsel. If necessary, we will connect with an attorney who is licensed in that jurisdiction who has the skills and experience needed to assist us.

My role, as general counsel, is to do the initial review of legal matters, determine what can be handled in-house, and to liaison with outside counsel. I also work with my colleagues at the Global Ministry Center to proactively minimize our risk of liability.

Michael Thompson serves as general counsel for the Church of the Nazarene.

Holiness Today, September/October 2017 

Please note: This article was originally published in 2017. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.