In this biweekly column, longtime executive pastor and XPastor.orgfounder David Fletcher takes on readers’ questions about finances, staffing, communications, and more. Submit your questions using the subject line "Hey, Fletch" to editor@churchlawandtax.com.
Administration
I understand what a challenge it can be to focus on ministry when finances are tight. Over the years I have received several questions on the topic of supplemental income. Some of you have asked about precautions when working on supplemental income projects. I have heard from ...
The following excerpt about wills and estate planning is adapted from “Encouraging Estate Gifts in Your Church” in the June 2018 issue of Church Finance Today.
Churches can get into trouble if they get too involved in the process of procuring a gift or bequest. That’s ...
In this biweekly column, longtime executive pastor and XPastor.orgfounder David Fletcher takes on readers’ questions about finances, staffing, communications, and more. Submit your questions using the subject line "Hey, Fletch" to editor@churchlawandtax.com.
A very kind but anxious fellow named Tom calls your finance office and informs your team that he just realized he accidentally submitted a donation to your organization in the amount of $5,000. He meant for it to be $50. He pleads for an immediate refund of the difference, since ...
In the last few weeks, members of our church have given testimonies about how they found our church, why they came to visit, and the reasons they decided to stay. It’s been fun and encouraging to listen to people talk about the church I love—and to hear parts of ...
In this biweekly column, longtime executive pastor and XPastor.orgfounder David Fletcher takes on readers’ questions about finances, staffing, communications, and more. Submit your questions using the subject line "Hey, Fletch" to editor@churchlawandtax.com.
The other day, I was listening to Thom Rainer’s recent podcast on “what to do if your church does not pay you adequately.” In it, Rainer’s cohost, Jonathan Howe, prompts him to tell a story about his early years in ministry, highlighting his financial ...
In this biweekly column, longtime executive pastor and XPastor.orgfounder David Fletcher takes on readers’ questions about finances, staffing, communications, and more. Submit your questions using the subject line "Hey, Fletch" to editor@churchlawandtax.com.
I ...
Many churches struggle with knowing what a fair wage is for their pastors and staff. Our guess is that your church is among them.
For more than 10 years, Church Law & Tax has been creating the Compensation Handbook for Church Staff to help churches better understand fair ...
In this biweekly column, longtime executive pastor and XPastor.org founder David Fletcher takes on readers’ questions about finances, staffing, communications, and more. Submit your questions using the subject line "Hey, Fletch" to editor@churchlawandtax.com.
First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, California—known as EvFree Fullerton—has wrestled a lot with the question of whether to buy or own.
Right now, EvFree, which averages a combined 2,500 people at its three Sunday services, has made the decision to own a variety ...
To help churches better understand some of the issues involved with volunteer drivers, ManagingYourChurch.com talked to Frank Sommerville. He is an attorney and editorial advisor for ChurchLawAndTax.com.
What should you know before allowing volunteers to drive on behalf of the ...
Robert’s Rules just wouldn’t have clout if it didn’t provide a standard order of business. It provides a six-part agenda that can get you started:
- Reading and approval of minutes
- Reports from officers, boards, and standing committees
- Reports from special committees
Church staff and pastors are often great at dealing with people, but they aren’t always great at dealing with money. That’s especially true when it comes to negotiating their own compensation, says David Fletcher, executive pastor of First Evangelical Free Church ...
Taking minutes arguably tops the list of “most thankless jobs,” and those who assume the role often wish they hadn’t been such a willing volunteer. But accurate minutes are a parliamentary procedure “must” for all nonprofits—including homeowners’ ...
On December 20, the Republican bill overhauling the tax code passed a final vote in the House and went to President Trump’s desk. What implications does the new bill have for churches and church leaders, and what do they need to be aware of as they plan for 2018? To help ...
The gospels attest that Jesus talked a lot about money. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables found in the gospels deal with handling money and possessions. Howard Dayton, who has written and lectured extensively on the Bible and finances, claims that “the Bible offers ...
After serving on church boards for decades and helping set salaries for dozens of church staff members, I’ve learned that setting compensation fairly is one of the most difficult tasks for church administrators and board members. Many factors might prevent a pastor or ...
David Fletcher is an executive pastor and founder of XPastor.org, a website serving executive pastors nationwide. XPastor.org also hosts an annual conference. Editor Matthew Branaugh recently conducted an email interview with Fletcher about the surprising changes with the executive ...