Church Finance Committee Job Description

Just like businesses, churches need people in different roles to help make everything run
smoothly. Some of the positions, such as the pastor and administrative assistant or secretary,
receive compensation, while volunteers fill the other positions. One such position, church
finance committee member, works as part of a team to manage and track a congregation's budget
and finances. The job description for the church finance committee includes several main duties.

Members
The exact number of members on a church finance committee varies from church to church. In
some congregations, the committee consists of a combination of deacons or consistory members
and regular church members, while others use just church members. The church finance
committee chooses a chairperson to lead it. Depending on the church, the congregation may
appoint or elect the committee members. Other congregations elect or appoint a chairperson,
who then selects committee members.

Planning
Before developing a budget each year, the church finance committee asks the heads of the other
church committees and groups to submit written requests for funds. The committee then meets to
put together the budget, taking into account payroll for paid positions, the committee requests,
overhead costs and special funds. The committee proposes the budget to the congregation, asking
for approval. The church finance committee may also annually recruit and train offering counters
to assist with recording member's contributions each week.

Annual Duties
Throughout the year, the church finance committee oversees the budget, keeping the finances in
line. The church finance committee stays in contact with the church's treasurer, assisting him in
tracking finances and keeping with the budget. At regular church business meetings, the church
finance committee presents the current financial statement. The church finance committee may
also present at an annual church voter's meeting. (Reference 2) In some congregations, the
church finance committee sends a letter, copy of the year's budget and a pledge card to each
member of the congregation. During tax time, the church finance committee takes care of the
church's taxes and also manages the church's investment accounts and insurance needs.
(Reference 3)

Miscellaneous
The church finance committee also has other duties throughout the year. Some church finance
committees assist the congregation in appointing or electing the church treasurer and financial
secretary. A church finance committee member may need to fill in for the church treasure in case
of absence. The church finance committee approves special offerings the church may want to
collect. If a congregation wants to conduct a fundraiser, the church finance committee must give
approval. The church finance committee also must approve special outreach donations,
unexpected expenditures and changes in investments.

Church Finance and Business Management

We pride ourselves on our ability to develop innovative and cost-effective
techniques geared specifically to churches and other faith based
organizations. In addition to the traditional accounting, auditing, and
tax needs of the church, we provide training, workshops and consultation
to help church leaders "be good stewards over God's business and
financial affairs." Some of the areas that we have successfully assisted
clients include:

Payroll and personnel matters

Clergy Compensation Packages
Accounting policies and procedures
Accounting software selection, setup, and training
Budgeting
Obtaining 501(c) (3) tax exempt designation
Managing IRS audits
Loan packaging to finance your next project
Trustee training
Filing tax returns for unrelated business income
Charitable contribution reporting requirements
Cash management, banking, and investing idle cash
Creative thinking about income generation
Prompted by the information from Oxfordshire, I dug out some old notes on income generation - that I
thought might be helpful. Below is a list of 'resource types' that all voluntary and public services have in
some way. I have used the whimsical (and probably not very ethical) example of what a local church
might do to generate income - to illustrate these resource types. I hasten to add that I am not
advocating any of these methods at all! (One of the first rules of income generation is that whatever you
do - has to accord with your ethical principles and legal parameters.)

 Staff - Knowledge & Creativity (Vicar offers counselling to local businesses)

 Staff - Staff time (Choir Sings for Local Radio to create Christmas jingles)
 Staff - As potential customers (Send a list of parishioners to religious publisher)
 Staff - Non work expertise (Church Warden's model making expertise to sell to local firm of
architects)
 Information - Patterns of performance & results.(Send popular hymns chosen for services to
music publishers)
 Information - About individual clients / users etc. (Send names of babies Christened to the local
branch of Mothercare)
 Physical Assets - Buildings (Use the Church steeple for a mobile phone mast)
 Physical Assets - General Equipment (Loan church hall chairs to local hotel for big events)
 Physical Assets - Specialist Equipment (Charge for access to register of births and deaths to
people researching family trees)
 Stakeholders - As potential customers (Church Commissioners to offer ethical financial advice)
 Stakeholders - As potential sponsors or supporters (Local Firms advertising in church
newsletter)
 Stakeholders - As potential partners (advertise local education evening adult ed classes)
 Profile - ‘Brand’ reputation (Give stamp of approval to a pine furniture manufacturer)
 Profile - Access to media and public (Charge for inserts in the newsletter such as pizza delivery
businesses)
 Systems and services - Software (Sell petty cash system to local shops)
 Systems and services - Expertise in how things are done (Sell skills at organising large events
(the fete) to local businesses wanting celebrations)
 Systems and services - ‘Piggy backing’ existing services (Arrange to tie up marriage services
with local dressmaker)
 Waste ...is someone else’s supply...? (Church space on weekdays use for a Local nursery)