Canon Law Institute

01/02/2022

Thanks to all who have visited this last year. After 25 years since the untimely death of our founder,we may be on the brink of a placement for our canon and religious law program. We ask your prayers for Gods guidance in this long-sought work.

05/21/2021

Don't Hide the Ball-Thoughts on Church Audits

This morning I have my church counsel hat on. I'd like to just speak for a moment to sound financial practices. in the church.

Picture, if you will, a church, diocese or even a national church body that has not had an audit of its books in recent memory. Indeed, the mere suggestion of such a thing is greeted with cries of, "We've never done things that way!" Despite the offer of a donation of USD10,000,, the audit is rejected as too expensive. At the same time, the church, which holds roughly USD1.3 million in funds, approves financial statements that admittedly are incorrect and a budget based on the incorrect figures.

Bait for an IRS gearing up to take on organizations like the church? You bet it is. Cause for complaints by donors? To borrow an expression from a senator, "Well, duh!"

Tammy Bunting is the Director of Not-for-Profit Services at the AcctTwo accounting firm:

• An audit provides assurance that funds received and expended are in accordance with the donor’s restrictions or the church’s mission.
• It provides a level of assurance to lenders that there aren’t any substantial misstatements of funds.
• It can protect the persons handling the funds from any accusations of misappropriation or fraud.

A common thread is assurance and protection — the value, defined. Matthew 25:21: Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.

As for cost, For a church with approximately a USD1/2 million budget, a full audit would typically range from about $7,500-$12,500, depending on level of complexity with the church financial statements and competence of the accounting staff (if they have a staff) at the church. Applying standard calculations based on an outgo of 60 transactions a month, the cost is more like USD4200 - USD5200 for a financial review or USD6900 - $8550 for the full monty-a proper audit.

There are also other options, such as a review or a compilation. which would be lower in cost.

Let's face it. The risks far outweigh the expense, particularly if a generous soul is willing to front the cost. As churches and religious organizations face the challenges of an increasingly hostile environment in the next few years.

12/31/2020

Blessings in the new year to all of our members, followers and your families!
It looks to be a busy year coming up. We likely will be far more involved on First Amendment issues than our traditional work in the past. Indeed, with the victory of the Diocese of Ft. Worth in the year last past (TBTG!), we pray that the large church property cases are a thing of the past. However, after 22 years, we have at CLI learned never to say "never".
Nevertheless, with ongoing efforts by secular authorities to close houses of worship on health grounds and, sadly, the complicity of some church leaders in those efforts, we will not want for work.
That said, let us take a moment in this holy season to count our many blessings and give thanks for the One who came to be with us to save and redeem mankind.
Again, may you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2021.

In Christ,

Canon Charles Nalls
Executive Director, CLI

12/24/2020

To all who of our colleagues and friends working for traditional Christian causes in the legal arena, Christmas Blessings!

10/02/2020

This is a story with an enormous import. It is the lawsuit situation and the virus, that delivered a one-two punch. However, behind this is the effect of victims' rights legislation.

The New York State’s Child Victims Act was passed in 2019 and suspended the statue of limitations to allow s*x abuse victims to pursue decades-old abuse allegations against adults. .The act allows any person who was under the age of 18 when they were s*xually abused can file a lawsuit without time limitations — a move that rectifies former laws allowing victims to file lawsuits against institutions only after 21 and against perpetrators after 23.

https://dailycaller.com/2020/10/01/diocese-of-rockville-centre-long-island-new-york-bankruptcy-s*xual-abuse/?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2360&pnespid=0LBgqqZRAA2NFha9XQyzRL3dN7s4fdzBX7WXEpgB

10/01/2020

There are so many lawsuits being filed over the restrictions on religious liberty that it has been difficult to keep up with them and report them here at CLI. Several members are involved in these actions, and the Executive Director has been burning up the lines advising folks on the plethora of regulations being issued against the churches.
At the same time, CLI and its parent 501(c)(3) the Ecclesiastical Lawyers Guild face constant scrutiny to see whether we violate our status during the election.
Please keep all of this in your prayers.

09/11/2020

Again, our thanks to everyone who has liked and who is checking the page. We are working on straightening out the companion website in case FB further restricts traditional Christian viewpoints. Look for articles to be posted in the next week or two.

06/06/2020

Our thanks to all who have liked and are following CLI's page!

06/06/2020

Here is the next major interaction among
progressive" activists, homos*xual social engineers, traditional Christians and other conservative religious entities, and the judiciary.

The Philadelphia case involves religious freedom and shutting out Catholics that operate with sincere beliefs.

05/25/2020

On May 22, 2020, the Supreme Court of Texas ruled in favor of the traditional Anglicans in the Diocese of Fort Worth after litigation spanning 10 years.
Since 1996, CLI has maintained that the key to success involving the disposition of property in the Episcopal Church would be through an entire diocese pulling out after laying down the proper corporate ground work. In addition, both in litigation and through its expert witnesses, CLI has maintained that ECUSA's claim of an "implied trust" over other parish property without the consent of the property owner was a legal impossibility. Sadly, a number of liberal and activist courts did not agree.
The Texas Supreme Court applied a long awaited rejection of the implied trust claims of the so-called "Dennis Canon" The TXSC's Constitutional analysis of "neutral principles" as outlined in the long standing SCOTUS decision in Jones v. Wolk is succinct and quite sound. The bottom line: "Applying neutral principles to the undisputed facts, we hold that (1) resolution of this property dispute does not require consideration of an ecclesiastical question, (2) under the governing documents, the withdrawing faction is the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, and (3) the trial court properly granted summary judgment in the with drawing faction’s favor."
Will the ECUSA continue to spend financial and legal resources to continue its assault on traditional Anglicans? If past is prologue, they will probably make the effort. Given the clarity of the reasoning of the TXSC opinion and the full exposition of issues over the protracted course of the case, it is difficult to see a non-frivolous basis on which the ECUSA could prolong the litigation.
Our congratulations and best wishes to retired Bishop Jack Iker, current Bishop Ryan Reed and to the faithful of the real Diocese of Fort Worth.
You can read the full test of the TXSC opinion here:

04/17/2020

For our readers, this is a must.

Is it OK for officals to impose curfew? What about banning church attendance in your car? Can the government order you to wear a mask? We've got answers.

04/12/2020

There now is a patchwork of court decisions on whether there is a religious exception to stay at home orders. Looks like this one is headed to SCOTUS.