Wednesday at the RCRI Annual Conference was a full day of conversation and learning for our team. Michael Airdo, James Jansen, and Mollie Werwas presented Defending Religious Autonomy: Ministerial Exception in Practice. Our workshop was designed to help attendees examine and understand the constitutional foundations of the ministerial exception and the church autonomy doctrine, offering practical guidance on applying these principles to employment, property, and governance matters.
Mollie Werwas also served as a panelist in the session Legal Agreements with Archival Repositories. She shared her insight into the requirements and obligations of placing congregation archives in repositories, as well as how leaders can craft agreements that safeguard records and define access for future research.
Later in the day, Michael Airdo, Brian Dolehide, and Stephen Patterson presented Navigating the Legal Challenges of Repurposing Religious Property, which will address the complexities of adapting church properties for evolving ministries while maintaining compliance with zoning, tax, and regulatory requirements.
This is one of our favorite times of the year, and we are honored to contribute to these important discussions and look forward to engaging with conference attendees throughout the week.