Applying for a Home Mission Grant
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Church Finances
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First Aid Update October 2009
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Five Year (Quinquennial) Inspections
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Health and Safety Posters
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Landfill Communities Fund
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Making sense of your Trust Status
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Meeting and interviewing prospective ministers
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Minimum Wage Information
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Planning your induction service
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Preparing for a pastoral vacancy
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Support of Individual Christian Workers
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The Vetting and Barring Scheme
Church Finances
Advice from Geoff
BUC Guidelines
Notes from our Treasurers' Day
Looking after the finances of a church, whatever its size,
can be a daunting task.
WEBA administrator Geoff Starling has been involved with church finances since the age of 16, and has served as both a church treasurer and a professional auditor.
His first piece of advice is that finance should not be the remit of just one person within a church.
The church treasurer can be seen as the co-ordinator of a number of teams, who take responsibility for different aspects of the job such as counting money, banking, budgeting, and working with independent examiners or auditors.
In fact, church treasurers should always be mindful of the fact that it is the managing trustees (usually the deacons) who are legally responsible for the financial management of the church, and not the church treasurer alone. (See Understanding your Trust Status)
Secondly, treasurers are advised to make use of all the help on offer. WEBA runs an annual Association Treasurers' Day, usually during the early part of the year - watch the events section on this site and book your place. You can download notes from some of the Treasurers' Day seminars at the bottom of this page.
Independent examiners and auditors are very often pleased to be asked advice, and involved in the process, rather than finding out about problems later on.
Don't forget that our Payroll Officer can give help and advice on all matters pertaining to employment and pay.
"Rather than struggle, ask for advice" Geoff suggests. "Above all, don't avoid a problem!"
There are also a wide range of guidelines available on the BUGB website at www.baptist.org.uk.
Here are direct links to those guidelines specifically concerning finance:
F5 Taxation Guidelines for Churches and Ministers
F6 Accounting Guidelines on Charity Accounts with income under £100,000
F7 Charity Accounts with Income over £100,000
F8 Gift Aid Guidelines
F9 Charity Reserves
F10 Annual Reports
F11 Church Risk Assessment
F13 Self Assessment and the Minister
You may also like to read BUC Guideline C20, Help! I'm a Church Treasurer.
Here are some notes and powerpoint slides which provide useful summaries of some topics covered at our 2010 Treasurers' Day:
Powerpoint Presentation by Ed Marsh of Burton Sweet Auditors
Notes and Powerpoint slides from the 2009 Treasurers' Day:
Accounting and Reporting Update powerpoint slides by Ed Marsh of Burton Sweet
Powerpoint Slides from a presentation by the Baptist Insurance Company
Payroll notes from Pauline Sysum: 1. Statutory sick pay and maternity pay
Payroll notes from Pauline Sysum: 2. Paternity pay, adoption pay, minimum wage
Payroll notes from Pauline Sysum 3: Holiday entitlement and online returns
Payroll notes from Pauline Sysum 4: Expenses and benefits in kind