When I was growing up in a pastor’s home, I remember the building fund appeals and public declarations of how much we had raised for the new sanctuary. I remember watching the magic of construction progress over the next few years. Behind the scenes, however, there were meetings with bankers, bond brokers, and large donors […]
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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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It’s time for ministries to be the Gospel standard. When brought to light, abuse in the church should be handled swiftly. Sometimes it can be challenging to know how to respond, so below, we’ve provided considerations should your church face allegations. As experts in church insurance and ministry, we know that the importance of protecting […]
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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 a common scenario in houses of worship: Who’s in charge of the property committee? “Our elder, Joe, heads that up.” What about the finance committee? “Yes, Susan is our accountant and oversees the finances.” And the sexual abuse prevention plan? “Well, our children and student ministry leaders do the background checks, interviews and […]
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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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Infinite growth, invariable expansion At the nation’s premier multisite church, two financing needs take precedence above all: flexibility and simplicity By RaeAnn Slaybaugh North Coast Church in Vista, Calif., is one of the 20 largest churches in the United States. It also consistently ranks among the country’s fastest-growing, most influential churches. But it all started […]
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