Q: I recently took on the job of church treasurer. I’m not a CPA, but even I can tell our records are in disarray. How can I unravel the inconsistent accounting methods used in the past? Should I recommend a church audit to help straighten everything out?
I am aware of one business administrator that required the church be audited as a condition of her accepting the employment agreement. While that gives everyone an idea of what problems existed before she arrived, an audit is not always a cost effective solution to the issues.
If the church has not been audited before, the money is probably better spent to have an accountant experienced in church finances complete a consulting engagement to sort through potential problem areas and give suggestions on better accounting processes and policies.
