"Here are five simple suggestions for keeping your church safe in this area" - SBC Voices
"Although a budget isn’t considered by many to be a spiritual topic—much less an exciting ministry conversation to have—every church faces financial issues. And every church, at some point or another, will face a budget shortfall." - Facts & Trends
"...the 45,000-church association launched the initiative to help congregations and church boards “show and share God’s love” for their pastors in different ways beyond the church budget. Data shows that about half of pastors in the U.S. make less than $50,000 per year while serving their churches over 50 hours per week." - Christian Post
Read the series.
My wife was in pre-op for delicate tear duct surgery this past Monday. Two surgeons were involved: an otorhinolaryngologist and an ophthalmologist. The younger of the two, the ENT doctor marked Kathee’s left eye – it’s this one. In walked the older of the two1 who announced, “I’m not a surgeon, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night.”2 Well, he really is a surgeon and I’m not an accountant and I haven’t slept in Holiday Inn Express in years! But I am resolved to follow GAAP3 and EFCA standards on financial reporting:
ECFA Standard 3 - Financial Oversight:
Every organization shall prepare complete and accurate financial statements. …
The financial statements (and the disclosure of the financial statements) are key components of transparency, both within the ministry and to donors and the public. This flows directly from biblical principles: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19–20 NIV).
"The group that brought the federal lawsuit against the cash version of the clergy housing allowance has decided not to appeal the unanimous Federal Appeals Court ruling that upheld the thing. They have a clever title to this news: Appeals Court Blesses Housing Allowance." - SBC Voices
Twice I’ve had opportunity to manage the finances of another individual. The first was my son Roger’s deployment to Iraq. He was a student at Saint Cloud State and a reservist in the USMC when he was called up and had to deploy. It happened rather suddenly. He and I took these steps:
Upon his return,1 all reverted back to him. (I was amazed that his ‘95 Chevy S-10 started with no issues having been stored for almost a year – “Like a Rock”).2
"No tithes, offerings or severance pay have gone to Harvest Bible Chapel’s former senior pastor, and he won’t see any in the future, according to the latest update from the popular megachurch." - Chicago Tribune
Read the series.
Kludge. Also kluge: “’An ill-assorted collection of poorly-matching parts, forming a distressing whole’ (Granholm); esp. in Computing, a machine, system, or program that has been improvised or ‘bodged’ together; a hastily improvised and poorly thought-out solution.”1
