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Law Meets Gospel
By Josh S. TatumReligion & Spirituality
Law Meets Gospel episodes
- Restricted Gifts: The Basics Churches Need to Know
After a four-year hiatus, Law Meets Gospel returns to celebrate 2026's International Podcast Day with a common issue religious organizations deal with: restricted gifts.
In this episode, Josh goes over restricted gifts, unrestricted gifts, and internal designations. He discusses how restricted gifts arise, how to evaluate and process restricted gifts, and why it's important to handle restricted gifts carefully.
In future episodes, we'll discuss gift policies and what to do when it becomes impossible to fulfill a gift's conditions.
13 min - Ten Tips for More Efficient Meetings
Based on my experience with meetings good and bad, I've compiled some tips from both practical and parliamentary sources to get any group on the right track.
- Start on time.
- Identify the meeting's goals and each agenda item's goal ahead of time.
- Set time limits for each agenda item.
- Have all reports submitted in writing with enough advance time for board members to read them, and have any recommendations for action highlighted in the reports.
- Use unanimous consent for uncontroversial questions.
- Don't vote on minutes. Ask for any changes. If there are none, the minutes are adopted by unanimous consent.
- When a report contains only information and not any recommendations for action, don't vote on it.
- When a motion comes from a committee, don't ask for a second. The committee is presumed to include at least two in favor of its consideration. (Also, in small boards—about a dozen or fewer—motions need not be seconded.)
- Clearly articulate any desired action, typically in the form of a motion, to focus discussion. Don't wait until the end of discussion to make a motion.
- If you've finished all business contained in the agenda, don't vote to adjourn. After giving everyone an opportunity to present additional business, just adjourn.
10 min - 1750 Luther's Legacy on Church and State
Josh concludes his conversation with Derek Nelson, coauthor of Resilient Reformer: The Life and Thought of Martin Luther, this time exploring the legacy of Luther's thought on Western society's concepts of religion and government.
19 min - 1749 Luther on Government's Role in Religion
Josh continues his conversation with Derek Nelson, coauthor of Resilient Reformer: The Life and Thought of Martin Luther, this time focusing on Luther's attitudes about government's role in governing religion.
17 min - 1748 Luther on Church and Government
Derek Nelson, coauthor of Resilient Reformer: The Life and Thought of Martin Luther, shares some of the attitudes and work of Martin Luther toward the relationship of Church and government.
20 min - 1747 Law in Luther's DayBefore Martin Luther became a monk, he was a rather successful student whose father encouraged his path into the study of law. Informed in part by his brief stint in law school and other encounters with lawyers in his day, he developed a distaste and distrust for the profession as a whole. Derek Nelson, coauthor of Resilient Reformer: The Life and Thought of Martin Luther, helps explain what a lawyer did in sixteenth-century Germany, what studying the law would have been like, and what Luther thought about the law. Subscribe to the Law Meets Gospel Podcast
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18 min - 1746 Building a Culture of AccountabilityWhen organizations lack accountability mechanisms, they can become stagnant. When someone suggests implementing some accountability or asks specific questions about current practices, the person responsible for that aspect of the faith community's life often takes it as a personal attack. But when a community values accountability as a necessary part of good stewardship, moments of accountability can serve to improve the organization's mission. Developing a culture of accountability takes time, but the process can be served by bringing in an outsider without personal connections to share what best practices look like. The three areas to focus on first in developing this culture are finances, child protection, and employee evaluation. Subscribe to the Law Meets Gospel Podcast
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16 min - 1745 Authority to marryAll states authorize clergy to perform marriage ceremonies. But each state has its own definitions and procedures. For example, some states have narrow definitions of who qualifies as clergy, sometimes even requiring registration. And the consequences of not following these procedures can fall on both the marrying couple and the minister. Related
- In re Peacock, 788 S.E.2d 191 (2016)
- How to Get Arrested for Marrying Same-Sex Couples (July 11, 2013)
- Congratulations, Amy and Hunter! #danceswithwoolfs
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15 min - 1744 Reformation 500!October 31, 2017, marks the five hundredth anniversary of Martin Luther's ninety-five theses, which sparked the Reformation. The ripples of the Reformation still can be seen in the Church and society. Law Meets Gospel marks the occasion with Josh explaining the inspiration for several aspects of the podcast. Law Meets Gospel is inspired by Luther's teaching about Law and Gospel within Christian scriptures. Josh's sign-off, "As you work to meet the worlds need, be wise, be bold, and be joyful." is inspired by two quotes. First, Frederick Buechner's writing, "The place God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." Second, Luther's advice in a letter to Philip Melanchthon, "Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly." Subscribe to the Law Meets Gospel Podcast
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12 min - 1743 Gifts received after dissolutionWhat happens when someone gives a gift to a religious organization that no longer exists? Leaders should consider several things before dissolving an organization to make the answer more certain. First, ensure the organization uses clear language that is also consistent with applicable statutes. Second, determine whether any denominational entity has already been designated as a corporate successor. Third, if there is no denominational entity, consider designating a corporate successor. Fourth, communicate with all community members and supporters and invite those who include the organization in their estate planning to inform the leaders. Finally, when communicating with planned donors, make sure to communicate whether there is a designated corporate successor, so they can include a contingency plan in their estate documents if they wish. Subscribe to the Law Meets Gospel Podcast
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17 min
About Law Meets Gospel
From the publisher's feed
Law Meets Gospel informs faith communities about legal and law-related issues. Each episode addresses a legal or legal-related issue that leaders in churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other…
religious communities face as part of day-to-day business. Host Josh Tatum is an Indianapolis lawyer who works with faith communities, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals across the country on a variety of legal issues. He earned joint degrees in law and theology from Vanderbilt University. Josh practices at Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP.