Governance in the 21st Century: A Roadmap for Religious Institutions – 4 program on-demand webinar series
Date/Time
21/10/2022
About the webinar series
Religious institutions have faced significant governance challenges over the last few years, and the hurdles keep on coming. In this four part webinar series, learn directly from the leading experts on the key governance issues facing the sector today. Sessions include managing risk effectively at board level, the protections available for religious freedom in Australia, managing the relationship between public benevolent institutions and religious bodies, as well as the corporatisation of religious institutions.
TEN The Education Network’s October 2022 annual law of religious institutions conference provided guidance on a range of topical issues for religious institutions presented by some of Australia’s top religious law experts. We’ve chosen some of the best sessions delivered at the conference and packaged them into this 4 program on-demand webinar series.
We’re doing some editing at the moment and expect to have the series ready for reviewing by late November 2022.
The Programs
Program 1: Church Risk Management: How Well Does Your Board Manage Risk?
Managing risk is a board responsibility which can often be neglected to other, more urgent maters. However, failure to properly manage risk can lead to significant consequences down the track. How well does your religious institution manage risk? This session will provide practical guidance on ensuring your governance frameworks are up to the task, including:
- Governance and risk – understanding the inherent dynamic
- The right governance frameworks – not a one size fits all approach
- Best practice guidance on risk management checklists
- Board composition to best deal with risk
- The role of the constitution in governance and risk management
- Purpose as the guiding light: ensuring alignment between organisational objectives and operations
Program 2: Religious Freedom in Australia? A Reality Check
The question of religious freedom in Australia has been front and centre in Australia in recent years. However, confusion abounds regarding what our laws do and don’t do in a religious context. This session examines the key issues, including:
- What protections are available for religious freedoms in Australia?
- Dealing with religiously framed speech and discrimination
- Understanding where the gaps are in the current legislative framework
- What form should exemptions for religious institutions take?
- How should religious bodies respond to the current debate and where to for future reform?
- Lessons from recent case studies
Program 3: Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s in the Relationship Between Public Benevolent Institutions and Religious Institutions
The ACNC has ramped up its reviews of PBIs amid its concerns that such an entity cannot have both a religious purpose and meet the ACNC requirements for charitable registration as a PBI. This session provides a detailed guide to meeting the PBI requirements set by the ACNC and provides tips for avoiding deregistration, including:
- The traditional characteristics and purpose of a PBI – have these been changed under ACNC requirements?
- What is a “religious purpose” and when will a PBI fail to comply with the ACNC requirements?
- Dissecting the meaning of:
- benevolent relief
- operation in Australia
- What activities does a PBI need to be undertaking to be registered as a charity?
- Distinguishing religious purpose from a benevolent relief purpose – cases and examples
- Relationship management between a religious institution and related PBI – how to maintain the dividing line
- Recent cases, including Women’s Life Centre Inc. v Commissioner of the ACNC [2021] AATA 500, Global Citizen Ltd v Commissioner of ACNC [2021AATA 3313, Australians for Constitutional Recognition for Indigenous People
Program 4: The Corporatization of Religious Entities – Religion at the Crossroads?
Religious institutions have steadily embraced the corporatization of church entities as a way in which to minimize legal risks, ensure fiscal responsibility and good governance. This session examines this recent trend and the key issues it creates for religious institutions, including:
- The adoption of corporate models for churches – when is this a good idea?
- Religious institutions and the operation of substantial commercial enterprises – should you incorporate?
- What risk factors emerge in the corporatization of the church?
- Does the corporate mindset act as a spiritual impediment?
- Understanding the role of the corporate veil
- Financial imperatives – separating church mission from church business
- Does church corporatization improve legal compliance?
- Case studies
Presented By
Rebecca Lambert-Smith
Practice Leader, Moores Melbourne, VicGeorge Kolliou
Director, AG Tax Lawyers Melbourne, Vic.Murray Baird
Anne Robinson
Enquiries/Assistance
If you need assistance or have an enquiry, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team – contact Darren Steele on (03) 8601 7719 or email: [email protected]