Legal
The Charity Commission. Property law. Employment regulations. Data protection. These things often fill churches with dread and distract them from the ministry they should be doing. That’s why we offer practical and legal advice to our family of churches.
Practical Advice Line
If you’ve got a question about any of the practical aspects of doing church, our Advice Line is here to help. Every FIEC church gets 30 minutes of free legal advice every year on any new topic, provided by Edward Connor Solicitors.
Got a question? Just call 01858 411 569 or use our Contact Form and select ‘Legal Support (Edward Connor Solicitors)’.
Please be aware that the Advice Line is subject to the Edward Connor Solicitors’ terms and conditions of service.
Edward Connor Solicitors
Edward Connor Solicitors is a law firm that is also a charity, set up by FIEC in 2018 to support churches and Christian charities.
They can help you with any legal work you need - whether charity governance advice, assistance with staff or employment matters, or property advice.
Edward Connor Solicitors share your gospel priorities and their aim is to advance Christ’s kingdom by using their legal expertise to help your ministry flourish.
They can support you* with things like:
- Setting up a charity
- Issues with your governing documents
- Buying and selling property
- Employment and volunteers
- Data protection
You can visit Edward Connor Solicitors’ website, call them on 01858 411 568, or email [email protected]
*Please note – Edward Connor Solicitors can only offer advice to churches in England and Wales.
Edward Connor Solicitors is a registered charity (charity number 1175305) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company number 10821224). Its registered office is at 41 The Point, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7QU. It is registered for VAT (number GB 277792346). It is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (number 640691).
Finance and Accounting Support
Each FIEC affiliated church can benefit from block membership with the Association of Church Accountants and Treasurers (ACAT), a charity that provides training and support to church treasurers and others involved in church finance and administration.
Block membership benefits
ACAT exists to ensure that church treasurers get the most out of their role and provides a range of resources which are continually updated and developed based on changes to the law and member feedback:
- An online handbook, currently containing 25 chapters covering core treasury and fundraising topics, as well as other areas of administration such as health & safety and data protection.
- A regular newsletter keeping members informed of recent changes in legislation, charity news, and upcoming ACAT training courses.
- An advice line, accessible online or via telephone, to speak with ACAT’s team of experts.
- Other online training resources, videos, and consultation papers.
These resources are accessed through the Members Area of the ACAT website (www.acat.uk.com). If you have never logged into the site before, get in touch with either ACAT or FIEC to obtain instructions and login details (you will initially log in using the FIEC common login details and then be prompted to create an individual member account).
Training for church treasurers
ACAT runs affordable training courses for treasurers, trustees, and anyone else involved in church finance. They also provide training in other areas such as legal duties of trustees, health and safety, risk management, employment, and data protection.
Training courses are run online and at locations across the UK. Details and booking for upcoming training, including ACAT’s flagship course “Being a Treasurer: the Basics”, can be found on the ACAT website.
ACAT also runs an annual conference, delivered by specialist guest speakers from various industry sectors, churches and public bodies. Details and booking can be found on the ACAT Conference web page.
Practical Advice on our website
Here are the latest articles which will help you with the more practical aspects of church life.
