[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5549203/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c30000/” height=”90″ width=”450″]Conflicts of interest are an inevitable part of doing any business, including for religious organizations. Josh talks about what a conflict of interest is, potential downfalls resulting from mishandling conflicts of interest, and key practices to handle conflicts of interest responsibly. Churches and other faith organizations should use disclosure statements annually to identify potential conflicts, adopt policies about how to handle conflicts, and regularly follow up and update these documents.
Author: Josh S. Tatum
1728 Whether and How to Act without Meeting
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5526966/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c30000/” height=”90″ width=”450″]In most jurisdictions, to do business in an organization requires either a meeting or a unanimous written consent. In this episode, Josh discusses some of the reasons religious groups might not allow decision-making without a meeting, the minimum requirements of a meeting, and how to act without meetings, namely through unanimous written consent.
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1727 Should Consensus Be in Our Governing Documents?
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5527010/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c30000/” height=”90″ width=”450″ placement=”top”]Consensus is a noble goal in leading organizations to action. But when organizations require consensus, it can lead to a different kind of tyranny when one dissenter stands in the way of doing anything. Josh shares some thoughts about how best to value consensus without requiring it in governing documents.
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Coverage of U.S. Supreme Court’s Trinity Lutheran decision
Here are many of the items covering the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Trinity Lutheran holding that Missouri could not exclude the church from its playground-grant program.
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1726 How to Avoid Copyright Infringement
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5498714/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c30000/” height=”90″ width=”450″ placement=”top”]From educational materials to hymns and worship,
worshiping communities and other religious organizations use content created by others every day. Attorney Randall Cloe explains how licensing of copyrighted materials. He discusses the various clearinghouses to find licenses for music. He outlines the potential consequences of infringing copyright. And he and Josh briefly discuss the exception for religious materials used in worship.
1725 Copyright for Religious Creators
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5462591/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c30000/” height=”90″ width=”450″]Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship and religious organizations, their employees, and their volunteers create content every day. To what degree should they worry about protecting it? 
How does copyright law provide them rights to protect them? Attorney Randall Cloe gives tips on copyrighted material for creators. He tells listeners when to take the step of registering copyrighted material and how to enforce when someone infringes copyright. And he explains how long copyright protections last. Continue reading “1725 Copyright for Religious Creators”
1724 Copyright Overview for Religious Organizations
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5441375/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c30000/” height=”90″ width=”450″]
Copyright is the most important category of intellectual property for religious organizations. Attorney Randall Cloe explains what is covered by copyright law. Copyright is created at the time of creation. Holders of copyright are granted the following rights: reproduction, derivatives, distribution, performance, display, performance by digital audio transmission, attribution, and integrity. Continue reading “1724 Copyright Overview for Religious Organizations”
1723 Intellectual Property Overview for Religious Organizations
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5427225/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c30000/” height=”90″ width=”450″ placement=”top”]Religious organizations use and create intellectual property every day. But what is intellectual property? Attorney Randal Cloe of Carmel, Indiana,
explains the history of protections for intellectual property in American law. The protections seek to protect the fruits of creators’ labor. Intellectual property can be divided into three main categories: patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Cloe describes how to determine which category applies and the consequences of violating another’s intellectual-property rights.
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1722 The Freedom Center of Missouri
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5427187/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c30000/” height=”90″ width=”450″]Josh talks with Dave Roland, the Director of Litigation and cofounder of the Freedom Center of Missouri about the center’s mission. The Freedom Center of Missouri is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and public-interest litigation in six key areas: freedom of expression, economic liberty (the right to earn a living), property rights, religious liberties, limited government, and government transparency.
1721 What is a Blaine Amendment?
[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5362547/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c30000/” height=”90″ width=”450″ placement=”top”]
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer on April 19, 2017. The church is challenging Missouri’s exclusion of religious groups from the state’s grant program for playground surfaces, which is based on the state’s constitution. The relevant amendment is one of many often referred to as “Blaine Amendments.” Josh interviews Dave Roland, the Director of Litigation and cofounder of the Freedom Center of Missouri about the history behind these amendments and their ramifications for modern American law. Continue reading “1721 What is a Blaine Amendment?”