It is not a priority for them to hire a "experienced bookkeeper". The Pastor can either do the bookkeeping or corral a member who has some organizational or financial skills and then turns it over.
We offer our clients an in depth knowledge of the unique challenges facing religious organizations today. We spend many hours every year continuing to stay abreast of the new regulations and current tax laws that will affect our non-profit clients including churches, synagogues, mosques, church schools, church daycares and other religious-based organizations.
Even if you have a church member who is a certified accountant or bookkeeper, hiring a specialist for your church's bookkeeping needs will likely be a large investment. We recommend that you make this an important priority. Three ways that investing in your church will benefit you are:
The church bookkeepers are often mistaken with accountants for a long period. They have very different responsibilities. Bookkeepers are responsible for maintaining the financial records of the church. This includes income records and expense records. They are responsible for keeping records of every transaction that the church makes. It is their job to keep track all accounts. They also verify that accounting procedures have been followed correctly. Accounting, on other hand, does all the accounting work and provides auditing and tax planning as well as financial planning, payroll processing and consulting.
We believe that everyone should be able make financial decisions with confidence. Our site does not feature every company or product on the financial market. However, we are proud of the fact that the advice we provide, the information we provide, and the tools and resources we create are objective, independent and straightforward.
In the case of a church, a bookkeeper could be required to also wear the shoes of an accountant and treasurer. They are therefore in charge of all financial aspects of the church. Their responsibilities include but are not limited to;
Want the youth director to be able to add her expenses directly to your accounting system but don’t want her to have access to payroll information? Atlanta Church Bookkeeping LLC has you covered.
Working in church accounting, you share the same responsibilities as an accountant in any other organization. You record expenses, track contributions made by the congregation, and monitor spending on various programs. Your duties center around bookkeeping, documenting and controlling finances for a church.
81% of church revenue came from individual donations. 34% of congregations have endowments, which constituted on average 4% of their revenue. Only 2% of churches received revenue from government grants; 12% received finance from non-government grants.
Common Church Budget Categories
Personnel (salaries, benefits, etc.)
Administration (operating expenses)
Facilities and Equipment (utilities, insurance on property, maintenance)
Outreach (missions, evangelism, social events, etc.)