Does your church have the policies it's
legally expected to have?
Professionally written, UK church-specific policy templates — covering everything the Charity Commission expects. Ready to download, easy to adapt. No solicitor fees. No blank page.
Essential Compliance Bundle
8 policies · instant download
Most churches are operating with significant gaps in their governance
Running a church is demanding. Policies feel like admin. Nobody goes into ministry to write governance documents. But the absence of a policy doesn't remove the responsibility — it just means that when something goes wrong, you're making it up under pressure.
The Charity Commission expects every church charity to have documented policies for safeguarding, complaints, conflicts of interest, serious incidents, and financial controls. Not having them isn't just risky — it can constitute a failure of trustee duty.
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When a complaint arrives Without a complaints policy, you're making it up as you go — under pressure, with people watching.
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When a safeguarding concern is raised The Charity Commission expects proper procedures. Improvised responses risk regulatory scrutiny.
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When a trustee has a conflict of interest Without a policy, there's no framework — and no protection for anyone involved.
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When a serious incident occurs Charity Commission reporting is a legal requirement. Most churches don't know when, how, or to whom.
Not sure where your church stands? Find out in five minutes.
Download our free Church Policy Audit Checklist — 21 policies that UK churches should have, across three categories, with a scoring guide that tells you exactly where your gaps are.
- Covers all 21 policies: essential, operational, and governance
- Colour-coded scoring guide with clear next steps
- Trusted by church leaders and administrators across London, Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire
- No obligation — genuinely useful whether you buy anything or not
📋 Church Policy Audit Checklist
Choose what your church needs
All templates are professionally written for UK church charities, formatted for immediate use, and fully adaptable to your context. One-off payment. Instant download.
Already have most things covered? Pick up any single policy you're missing.
- Any one policy of your choice
- Fully editable Word document
- Adapted for UK church charities
- Instant download
Everything the Charity Commission expects every UK church charity to have in place.
- Data Protection Policy
- Health & Safety Policy
- Safeguarding Policy
- Risk Management Policy
- Complaints Policy
- Conflict of Interest Policy
- Serious Incident Reporting
- Whistleblowing Policy
Everything in the Essential Bundle plus the full operational set for employing churches.
- All 8 Essential policies
- Staff Handbook
- Finance & Reserves Policy
- Social Media Policy
- Venue Hire Policy
- Lone Working Policy
Need just one or two specific policies?
Every policy is available separately. If you already have most things in place and just need to fill a gap, pick up only what you need.
Written by a church leader, for church leaders
Years in pastoral ministry
These aren't generic charity templates retrofitted for churches. They're written by someone who has lived the realities of church governance, safeguarding, and pastoral leadership.
Policies in the Full Governance Suite
From the legally essential to the operationally necessary — covering everything a small to medium UK church needs to be properly protected and well governed.
Starting from scratch
Professionally formatted, legally grounded, ready to adapt. No blank page, no solicitor fees. A church solicitor charges £150–£200 per hour before they've written a single word.
Built for independent and free churches without specialist support
These templates exist for churches doing governance without a legal team, a diocese, or a denominational HR department to lean on.
Independent evangelical churches
Without denominational infrastructure to provide policy templates, independent churches often have the most significant governance gaps. This is built for you.
Church trustees & deacons
You bear legal responsibility for the church's governance. These templates give you the documentation you need to fulfil your duties — without a legal background.
Church administrators
Often the person asked to "sort out the policies" with little guidance. These are ready to go — professionally formatted, with every placeholder clearly marked.
Multicultural & new churches
Growing churches moving towards Charity Commission registration for the first time. These policies are written for where you are now and where you're heading.
Small to medium churches
50 to 500 members. Employing one to ten staff. Running children's groups, community activities, and venue hire. This is the size these templates are designed for.
Churches reviewing governance
Already have some policies but know they're outdated or incomplete? The Full Governance Suite is the most efficient way to do a comprehensive review and refresh.
"The churches that handle problems well aren't the ones with the best leaders. They're the ones with the best systems."
I'm Dave — a pastor and church consultant based in East London, and founder of DS Ministry Services. I've spent 15 years in pastoral ministry and church consultancy, working with churches across London, Kent, Essex, and Hertfordshire.
DS Ministry Services exists to give UK churches the governance infrastructure they need to focus on what actually matters: their people and their mission. These policy templates are the resource I wish had existed when I was navigating church governance in the early years of my ministry.
Book a free 20-minute consultationProfessional Diploma in Pastoral Supervision
Formal qualification in supporting staff in caring and ministry roles.
Currently studying for an MBA
Combining pastoral experience with formal business and management expertise.
15 years of pastoral ministry
Senior pastor of a multicultural evangelical church in East London.
Church consultant & adviser
Working across London, Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire on governance, growth, and sustainability.
Are these legally compliant?
All templates are drawn from current Charity Commission guidance, UK legislation (including the Charities Act 2011, UK GDPR, PIDA 1998, and the ERA 2025), and recognised best practice for UK church charities. They are not a substitute for legal advice in complex cases, but they reflect the current regulatory expectations for independent churches.
How much work is involved in adapting them?
Every placeholder is clearly marked in [BRACKETS]. For most churches, adapting a policy takes 20–40 minutes — filling in names, roles, contact details, and reviewing the content against your context. The policies are designed to require minimal structural change for a typical independent evangelical church.
We're not a registered charity. Do these still apply?
Yes. Every church that operates as a charity — registered or not — is subject to charity law. The Charity Commission's expectations apply to you even if you're not formally registered. As of 2031, churches with income over £5,000 must register. These templates are relevant now.
What format do the policies come in?
All policies are delivered as fully editable Microsoft Word (.docx) documents. Professionally formatted, with consistent branding ready for you to apply your own. They open in Word, Google Docs, or LibreOffice.
Can I use these if we're Baptist / Methodist / Pentecostal?
Yes. The templates are written for independent and free churches without denominational policy provision. They're designed to be adapted for any evangelical church context. Denominationally affiliated churches should check whether their denomination provides their own templates first.
What if I need something that isn't listed?
Book a free consultation and we can discuss your specific needs. DS Ministry Services also offers bespoke policy drafting and full governance reviews for churches that need something beyond what the standard templates cover.
Give your church the protection
it deserves.
Start with the free checklist to see where you stand. Or go straight to the Essential Bundle and have eight critical policies in place today.