No member of any church, synagogue or religious body shall be liable in tort or contract for the actions of any officer, employee, leader, or other member of such church, synagogue or religious body solely because of his membership in such church, synagogue or religious body. Nothing in this section shall prevent any person from being held liable for his own actions.
§ 8.01-220.1:3.Immunity for members of church, synagogue or religious body.
Chapter 3. Actions · Article 21. Miscellaneous Provisions · Last amended 1997 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceSection 8.01-220.1:3 protects members of a church, synagogue, or other religious body from being held liable in tort or contract for the acts of the organization’s officers, employees, or other members based solely on their own membership, while leaving each person liable for what they personally do.
Full Text of § 8.01-220.1:3
Plain-English Summary
This section addresses a narrow but recurring liability question for religious congregations: if someone sues over conduct by the organization’s leadership or another member, can every ordinary member of the congregation be dragged in as a defendant purely because they belong to the group? This section says no. Membership alone does not create tort or contract liability for the acts of an officer, employee, leader, or other member.
The second sentence limits how far that protection reaches. It does not shield a member from liability for that member’s own conduct — someone who personally commits a tort or breaches a contract remains answerable for it. The immunity in this section is specifically about not being swept into liability for someone else’s actions on the sole basis of shared membership.
Frequently Asked Questions
If a church employee does something wrong, can every member of the congregation be sued?
No. Section 8.01-220.1:3 protects members of a church, synagogue, or religious body from liability for the acts of an officer, employee, leader, or other member based solely on their own membership.
Does this section protect a church member who personally does something wrong?
No. The statute expressly preserves liability for a person’s own actions; it only blocks liability that would otherwise be imposed purely because of membership in the organization.
Does this immunity apply outside of religious organizations?
No. By its terms, § 8.01-220.1:3 protects members of a church, synagogue, or religious body specifically.
Does this section shield the church or synagogue itself from liability?
No. It addresses the liability of individual members for acts of others in the organization; it does not immunize the organization or its officers and employees for their own conduct.
Does this cover contract claims as well as tort claims?
Yes. The statute bars both tort and contract liability against a member based solely on membership.
Amendment History
1997, c. 480.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Code of Virginia, published by the
Code of Virginia, Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: church member liability virginiasynagogue member lawsuit virginiareligious organization member immunity virginia codecan you sue every church member virginia