Legal Steps to Starting a Ministry in the US

  1. Overview
  2. Planting a church in the U.S.
  3. Legal Steps to Starting a Ministry in the US

Step 1: Incorporate your ministry

If you’ve sensed God’s call and decided a new ministry or church is the way forward, the spiritual work has begun — but there’s also some practical, legal groundwork to lay.

Step 2: Obtain a federal EIN

Your ministry’s own federal ID number — free, and often available the same day. Here’s what it is and exactly how to get one.

Step 3: Draft your ministry’s bylaws

The rulebook for how your ministry will operate — and a document you’ll need before you can apply for tax-exempt status.

Step 4: Develop policies for your ministry

Bylaws set the high-level rules; policies handle the real, day-to-day work — including the ones that protect your people.

Step 5: Apply for 501(c)(3) status

The final step — and the one where churches and other ministries are treated very differently. Here’s what that means for you.