Complimentary Stewardship Tool

The Church Employer
Protection Checklist

10 questions every church should answer before an employment, benefits, or regulatory issue becomes a crisis.

A Stewardship Tool for Church Leaders

Is Your Church Prepared?

A church is a ministry, a community of faith, and an employer. Employment laws, benefits requirements, agency investigations, and changing federal and state regulations can create difficult decisions for pastors, executive pastors, administrators, and ministry leaders.

This complimentary checklist helps your leadership team evaluate your church's religious-identity documents, hiring practices, employee handbook, health plan, regulatory readiness, and eligibility for CEA's legal protections.

Use it with the person responsible for HR, benefits, finance, and governance. Mark each statement you can verify with a current document. Record an owner and deadline for every unanswered item.

0-3

Immediate Review

4-7

Important Gaps

8-10

Strong Foundation

Score one point for each of the 10 sections in which every statement is verified.

What the Checklist Covers

The 10 Questions Every Church Should Be Able to Answer

Question 1

Is your church's religious identity clearly documented?

Question 2

Have you identified which roles are ministerial?

Question 3

Do your hiring practices protect mission alignment?

Question 4

Does your employee handbook reflect both your faith and current law?

Question 5

Can your team handle accommodation and leave requests consistently?

Question 6

Have you reviewed what your health plan actually covers?

Question 7

If relying on CEA protections, have you completed the implementation steps?

Question 8

Are payroll, worker classification, and records audit-ready?

Question 9

Do you know which state and local rules apply?

Question 10

Does your church have a response team and escalation plan?

Important: This checklist is educational and does not provide legal, tax, benefits, or human-resources advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and plan obligations vary by jurisdiction and circumstances. Consult qualified counsel and professional advisors regarding your church's specific situation.

Complimentary Resource

Download the Full Checklist with Your 30-Day Protection Plan

Includes the complete 10-question checklist, "Why It Matters" explanations, next-step guidance for each question, and a 30-day protection plan worksheet.

Download the Complimentary Checklist →

What Comes Next

Protection Is More Than Paperwork

CEA helps Christian employers understand their rights, prepare their workplaces, implement applicable legal protections, and respond to emerging regulatory threats. Qualifying protection is conditioned on active, continuous membership and the requirements of the applicable court orders and settlement.

Explore Church Resources → Learn About CEA Membership →