Should a Pastor be on the Church Bank Account? Yes, a pastor should be on the Church Bank Account. Check for pastors using church funds for personal use and what happens to a church when the pastor dies. Similarly, Paul says that a pastor is to be the “house-manager” of the church. This analogy that Paul makes implies that the pastor is a leader. Second, a pastor is an expositor of the Word. One of the final charges that Paul gave to a pastor was for Timothy to “preach the Word” (2 Tim.
A pastor is a person who leads the congregation in worship and prayer. They are responsible for the spiritual well-being of their congregation. In order to do this, they need access to the church’s finances. They may also want to make purchases that are not related to the church’s mission or purpose. In these instances, they should be able to access their personal account on the same bank account as their church’s account. This means that there is no need for separate accounts – one personal and one business—because they will both be at the same place with only one login required.
Churches are nonprofits and must use fund accounting to track revenue and expenses. Fund accounting helps churches separate revenue and expenses based on how they came in and how they’re used. In short, the accounting method churches should use is fund accounting.
Should A Pastor Be on The Church Bank Account
Should A Pastor Be on The Church Bank Account?
Pastors, pastors’ wives and church members often ask if the pastor should be on the church bank account. And the answer is no!
I’m assuming this is a small church.
- If your church is small, you may want to consider alternative methods of compensating a pastor.
- If your church is growing, it’s important to put systems in place that will scale as the church does.
- If your church is large enough and has the resources for it, hiring a business manager would be a good idea.
You need a system that creates trust and accountability.
A system that creates trust and accountability is essential. The pastor needs to know that the church will pay their bills, but the church needs to be sure that their money is being spent wisely. If a pastor is on the bank account with no checks and balances in place, there will be no way of knowing if they’re spending your money properly or not.
Pastors need to have access to funds in order to pay expenses (think: gas, groceries, rent). But they also need someone else who can review those expenses and make sure everything was done according to policy. This person becomes an accountability partner that helps keep everyone honest in their management of ministry finances.
You need to protect your pastor.
As a pastor, you have a calling from God that is unique in its responsibilities and perks. You’re called to shepherd a flock of people that are unpredictable at best and hostile at worst. In this role, you need protection. The church should provide it for you as much as they can.
The great news is that there are many things that churches can do to make your life easier and safer:
- A generous salary with full benefits (health insurance included). This removes financial stress from your life so that you can focus on ministry instead of worrying about paying bills or buying groceries for yourself or your family.
- A car allowance or gas reimbursement for those who drive their own vehicle to work every day—which most pastors do because public transportation isn’t exactly convenient or reliable in rural areas where many churches are located. This makes getting around much less stressful for pastors who were already struggling financially before becoming one!
What Happens To A Church When The Pastor Dies
In my opinion, it is always better to have two authorized signers on the account. This would include:
- The pastor
- The treasurer or business manager (depending on how your church is organized)
- The board chairperson and either the treasurer or business manager (if different people)
I would also recommend that at least one other person from the board be added as an authorized signer. This could be any member of the board of directors (including a spouse if a spouse has no other duties in your church).
Put yourself in the pastor’s shoes.
Let’s imagine that you are the pastor of a church and you’ve been asked to open up your personal bank account for the church’s use. You have also been asked to be on the church’s bank account, which is a common practice in churches across America.
In this situation, what would you do? How do you feel about having your personal information attached to the congregation? Can you imagine how it would feel if someone went through all of your online accounts just because they could? What if they found something embarrassing or questionable—would they share it with others?
Now that we’ve put ourselves in our pastor’s shoes, let’s take a look at some ways we can better support our pastors by protecting their privacy while still maintaining transparency within our churches:
Put the business manager in charge of the account.
Now that you’ve decided to use your bank account as a business, who should be in charge? There are a few options.
- The pastor can manage the account. This option is not recommended for several reasons: (1) pastors are busy people and do not have time to handle the details of the day-to-day transactions on an account; (2) pastors may not understand how bank accounts work or how much money their church has; and (3) pastors can easily make mistakes that negatively affect the church’s bottom line.
- A deacon could manage the account. Deacons are also good choices because they often have experience in business and financial matters, but they must work closely with other members of your leadership team so they do not go off on their own with expenditures or transfers without approval from others in leadership positions within your congregation.
Pastors Using Church Funds For Personal Use
In order to prevent one person from having control of the church bank account and to keep the pastor out of the middle of church finances, a system of checks and balances is necessary. Having two authorized signers on your account will help create this system. The business manager should be in charge of your account.
The second person who signs off on all transactions should be someone who is not involved with day-to-day operations but has been chosen by the church leadership because they have demonstrated their financial leadership abilities and have shown that they have integrity when it comes to managing money. An elder or deacon who has received unanimous approval from the congregation as being trustworthy and sincere with God’s people may also receive this designation.
Regardless of how you choose to appoint them, you want someone who will not allow themselves or others around them to take advantage financially or otherwise from within a ministry context, especially if that person is in charge when it comes down to their job description! It makes sense then that any financial decisions involving large sums would require both signatures before funds could be released from an account into any other accounts outside those controlled by those authorized parties (e.g., credit cards).
Conclusion
If you’re looking for more information about this topic, you can check out our other articles on the subject as well as some helpful books on church finances. For more resources, you can visit our church management page here.