I hope I am posting this anonymously, because I am not trying to create a problem, only avoid one. I need some advice, backed up with scripture references if possible. Here's my situation:
I became treasurer of my small (we're doing good to have 30 people out on Sunday morning) church because the treasurer for the past 6 years (since the church started) moved and I was pretty much the only other man my pastor could count on to be there at every service. I am a 22 year old with no training or experience in money management, but the former treasurer showed me how he kept the books and I thought I could handle it. Our church's monthly budget is about $2,500 a month (at least it was before he and his wife left). Half of that goes towards our mortgage payment, a fifth goes for our pastor's housing allowance, and the rest goes to utilities and church maintenance issues. Some months we save a little, other months we end up spending what we saved. When I became treasurer, our general fund balance was less than $100, although we had almost $2,000 between our other two funds.
Here's my concern. My pastor has a habit of spending the church money however he sees fit without consulting with anyone. He and I talk a lot. I'm like his right-hand man since I am surrendered to the ministry, teach the children's Sunday School, and fill in the pulpit whenever he is out of town or simply asks me to. I am the only one he can count on to come out for visitation. A while back, before I became treasurer, I casually mentioned that I thought he should consult more with the men of the church (we have two other men who come out if they feel healthy enough, and two more who come out if they have nothing else to do) to make it look like more than a one-man show. A week or two ago, my pastor comes to me and says, "I'm gonna have to replace my printer. The paper keeps getting jammed, and it's just time. I found this one at a really good price ($200) and, in the past, I've bought my own printer, but my family just doesn't have the money right now, so the church is gonna have to buy it for me." I suggested he run that by the men and made the comment that the money is the church's, not his, and he should ask the men about how they want to spend the money before he makes major purchases that aren't absolutely necessary (like purchasing light bulbs, or repairing a broken toilet). His response was to, the next day, sit me in his office and lecture me about how the money was the Lord's, and, as the Lord's servant, he could spend it however he saw fit, and I needed to submit to the authority of my pastor. My job as treasurer, he said, was to keep the books, sign the checks, and never question what he did with the money. That same night, I emailed him our financial report, and informed him that, before the end of the week, our general fund would be in the red over $150.
I don't feel comfortable letting him spend money "how he sees fit" - especially when we're broke. You can't spend money we don't have (despite what the politicians say). He gave me scripture to back up what he said about submitting the the pastor, and I think he'll only listen to scripture to back up my side. I have four verses from Proverbs that give the biblical principal of seeking godly counsel, but I wanted the advice of more experienced Christians. Should I simply let my pastor spend the money however he wants to, or am I right to want some extra level of accountability? I really need any advice you all can give (even if you think I'm wrong), and scripture to back it up, if at all possible. Oh, and we're an Independent Baptist Church, so we don't have any organization to give us guidelines on my responsibilities as treasurer.
Thanks!
I became treasurer of my small (we're doing good to have 30 people out on Sunday morning) church because the treasurer for the past 6 years (since the church started) moved and I was pretty much the only other man my pastor could count on to be there at every service. I am a 22 year old with no training or experience in money management, but the former treasurer showed me how he kept the books and I thought I could handle it. Our church's monthly budget is about $2,500 a month (at least it was before he and his wife left). Half of that goes towards our mortgage payment, a fifth goes for our pastor's housing allowance, and the rest goes to utilities and church maintenance issues. Some months we save a little, other months we end up spending what we saved. When I became treasurer, our general fund balance was less than $100, although we had almost $2,000 between our other two funds.
Here's my concern. My pastor has a habit of spending the church money however he sees fit without consulting with anyone. He and I talk a lot. I'm like his right-hand man since I am surrendered to the ministry, teach the children's Sunday School, and fill in the pulpit whenever he is out of town or simply asks me to. I am the only one he can count on to come out for visitation. A while back, before I became treasurer, I casually mentioned that I thought he should consult more with the men of the church (we have two other men who come out if they feel healthy enough, and two more who come out if they have nothing else to do) to make it look like more than a one-man show. A week or two ago, my pastor comes to me and says, "I'm gonna have to replace my printer. The paper keeps getting jammed, and it's just time. I found this one at a really good price ($200) and, in the past, I've bought my own printer, but my family just doesn't have the money right now, so the church is gonna have to buy it for me." I suggested he run that by the men and made the comment that the money is the church's, not his, and he should ask the men about how they want to spend the money before he makes major purchases that aren't absolutely necessary (like purchasing light bulbs, or repairing a broken toilet). His response was to, the next day, sit me in his office and lecture me about how the money was the Lord's, and, as the Lord's servant, he could spend it however he saw fit, and I needed to submit to the authority of my pastor. My job as treasurer, he said, was to keep the books, sign the checks, and never question what he did with the money. That same night, I emailed him our financial report, and informed him that, before the end of the week, our general fund would be in the red over $150.
I don't feel comfortable letting him spend money "how he sees fit" - especially when we're broke. You can't spend money we don't have (despite what the politicians say). He gave me scripture to back up what he said about submitting the the pastor, and I think he'll only listen to scripture to back up my side. I have four verses from Proverbs that give the biblical principal of seeking godly counsel, but I wanted the advice of more experienced Christians. Should I simply let my pastor spend the money however he wants to, or am I right to want some extra level of accountability? I really need any advice you all can give (even if you think I'm wrong), and scripture to back it up, if at all possible. Oh, and we're an Independent Baptist Church, so we don't have any organization to give us guidelines on my responsibilities as treasurer.
Thanks!
raying: