Common Church Finance Department Mistakes and How to Remedy Them

Romans 12:4 notes that the body is made up of many parts, and they all have different functions. We use this analogy in many contexts, and it is appropriate when considering the workings of a church. Your church needs ministries such as preaching, discipleship, and worship, but you also need support ministries. These can include IT, facilities, administrative . . . and financial operations.

A church’s finance department is one of the most significant of its support ministries, as well as being one of the most misunderstood and overlooked. Yet church leaders rely on the information their finance departments provide, and if that information is inaccurate, significant—or even catastrophic—results can occur.

In the work I have done for churches and ministries as a certified public accountant, I’ve seen personnel layoffs, ministry reductions or discontinuations, and lack ...