Someone asks if you would be willing to join the board. Or the vestry. Or the eldership. You say yes, because the church needs people and you want to help. What you may not have been told is that Australian law has a name for what you have just become.
This article was last verified in July 2026. Charity governance requirements can change. Check the current position with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission at acnc.gov.au before acting on anything you read here.
You Are a Responsible Person
If your church is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), anyone who is a member of its governing body is a "Responsible Person" under Australian law. The legal term in the ACNC Act 2012 (Cth) is "responsible entity" (section 205-30), but the ACNC uses "Responsible Person" in all of its guidance, and both terms mean the same thing.
What matters is the function, not the title. The definition captures anyone who is a member of the body responsible for directing the charity, regardless of what that body is called. A board member, an elder, a vestry member, a parish councillor, a church councillor, a member of a deacons court, a trustee: all of these are Responsible People under the ACNC framework if the church is individually registered.
This applies to volunteers and paid leaders alike. Unpaid service does not reduce the obligations.
A note on scope: some small churches are registered as Basic Religious Charities and are exempt from some governance standards. The exemption is narrow and is easily lost if the church is incorporated, holds deductible gift recipient status, or receives more than $100,000 in government grants. Most small incorporated churches that are also ACNC-registered are fully subject to the standards. If you are unsure whether your church is a Basic Religious Charity, check its registration status at acnc.gov.au.
The Seven Duties
Governance Standard 5 is the standard that applies most directly to Responsible People as individuals. It is set out in section 45.25 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Regulations 2022 (Cth) (Division 45, Subdivision 45-B). It requires a charity to take reasonable steps so that its Responsible People know their duties and carry them out, specifically:
Act with reasonable care and diligence.
Act honestly and fairly in the best interests of the charity and for its charitable purposes.
Not misuse their position as a Responsible Person.
Not misuse information they have obtained as a Responsible Person.
Disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest.
Ensure the financial affairs of the charity are managed responsibly.
Not allow the charity to operate while insolvent.
These duties are concrete. Duty 5 means disclosing a conflict to the other board members before it becomes an issue, not waiting to be asked and not participating in the vote while the matter is being decided. Duty 6 means the whole board is responsible for the church's financial health, not only the treasurer; individual board members cannot simply defer to the treasurer's judgment on whether the finances are sound.
For churches incorporated as associations under state law, which is the most common structure for small churches, complying with the equivalent duties under the relevant state associations incorporation act is taken to satisfy Governance Standard 5. The two frameworks converge rather than stack.
The duties are set out in full on the Duties of Responsible People page on the ACNC website.
Where to Start
The ACNC takes a proportionality approach with small charities. A church with no paid staff and a simple structure is not expected to implement the same systems as a large social services provider. What matters is that the basics are in place and that Responsible People understand what the role requires.
For someone new to a church board, committee, or equivalent governing body, a practical starting point looks like this.
Read the governing document. This is usually called the constitution or rules. It sets out the scope of the board's authority, how decisions are made, and any specific obligations the board carries under its particular structure.
Review the most recent financial statements and ask questions if anything is unclear. Every board member carries responsibility for the church's financial position; reading the treasurer's report does not substitute for understanding it.
Declare conflicts of interest as soon as you become aware of them. If a matter is before the board where a personal interest or a close relationship is relevant, let the other board members know before or at the start of that meeting, and step back from both the discussion and the vote.
Confirm that you are not disqualified from managing a corporation. Governance Standard 4 requires the church to check this when appointing Responsible People; if you are unsure, the ACNC's Disqualified Persons Register is publicly searchable.
Two resources worth reading when starting in the role: the ACNC's Governance for Good guide, written for Responsible People at charities of all sizes, and the New to a Board or Committee factsheet from Justice Connect, updated in March 2025 and written in plain language for volunteers and committee members.
Saying yes to the governing body of an Australian church carries a weight that is rarely spelled out when the question is asked. Knowing what the role requires is the first step in carrying it well.