A church, if it meets most of these criteria, is automatically considered a 501(c)(3) charity. However, churches that are automatically considered charities must also adhere to requirements that are common to the 501(c)(3) status, such as no inurement of benefits (no benefit to an insider such as a staff member or director), little to no lobbying, no political advocacy, and activities that are legal (see How Not to Lose Your Tax-Exempt Status).