By Rev. Dr. Perry J. Hopper, MBA After two years of doing ministry and worshipping with the uncertainty of the pandemic, most churches have returned to in-person worship. Church attendance at mainline churches had been experiencing a steady decline before the pandemic, and that has been exacerbated because churches were forced to worship online for […]
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What is the insurance carrier looking for? Abuse claims have become increasingly frequent and highly publicized. Expansion of statutes of limitations has resulted in insurance carriers defending claims from activity alleged to have happened decades ago. As a result, insurance carriers are asking for more documentation to allow the carrier to better defend against […]
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As a church leader, you would, of course, be horrified to learn that someone in your congregation is suspected of abusing or mistreating a child. But are you required by law to report this abuse to the authorities? At what point does clergy confidentiality prevent you or the pastors at your church from reporting […]
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It’s the call no ministry leader wants to get — that a church employee or volunteer has been accused of sexually abusing a child. Unfortunately, predators see churches as an easy target. That’s why it’s important to acknowledge and plan for the possibility that child sexual abuse could happen at your ministry. Your insurance company […]
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By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris Every year, it seems a particular organization or entity is embroiled in a sexual abuse crisis: the Catholic Church, USA Swimming, Penn State University, USA Gymnastics/Michigan State University, Hillsong Church, Ravi Zacharias Ministries, Boy Scouts of America… and the list goes on. This year, headlines are swirling around […]
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Church Executive: Are churches typically easy targets for fraud? Sarah Barham: Yes, because typically one person is responsible for completing all financial responsibilities from beginning to end. This means one person opens the mail to review invoices, sets up vendors in the accounting software, writes the checks, reconciles the bank accounts, and produces financial reports. […]
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For the past 14 years, we’ve been experiencing near-historic low rates, and it appears those days might soon be gone as rates have risen over the past several months. The wonderful news? Many churches were able to take advantage of the low rates either by refinancing, purchasing a new property, or renovating or building a […]
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Before you talk with any lending group, your church will need to fully understand the ups and downs of its last three years of financial statements. Church lenders will always focus on undesignated income, cash flow, debt and equity trends. The first thing churches really want to know, however, is their borrowing capacity. Determining this […]
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Here’s how to avoid some common payroll mistakes Church Executive: Why is it important for a church to understand the differences between an employee and a contractor — and what are those differences? Sarah Barham: It’s important to understand the differences because of the employer’s tax responsibility and reporting requirements. The church will […]
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Proactive Communication ‘From the Front’ By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris In many churches, the topic of child sexual abuse is raised from the pulpit only in the context of an impending crisis within the ministry. Many ministry leaders hope to never need to address the issue of child sexual abuse from the pulpit. The […]
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