Today's Parish | Ideas and Inspiration for Pastors, Parish Ministers, and Leaders

The case: How do I get the budget under control so I can do what I was ordained for?
I don’t have much financial expertise. But now I have to manage a large parish budget, and I’m sinking under all the numbers and spreadsheets. There must be a simpler way to do this. How can I get the budget under control so I can spend more of my time doing ministry?

FATHER MARK G. REAMER, OFM
Provide careful oversight

Funding the mission of the parish is critically important, as is providing careful oversight and stewardship of the financial resources. It is just as vital to do so with transparency and accepted accounting practices. Financial administration is a great ministry, though for us with a shepherd’s heart, not always the most rewarding.

Three suggestions:
1. Hire a business manager
2. Zero balance budget with internal cost controls
3. Finance Council

Business manager
Hire a business manager who can oversee the finances and collaborate with you. I’m not a wiz at finances. My business manager is. With guidance from me, the finance and councils help us create a budget that is rooted in the mission of the parish. Remember, the budget is a theological statement of priorities. We set our goals and objectives first and then look to how we will fund them.

Zero balance
Be sure you have a zero balance budget (the net of all revenue and expense is zero) that accounts for all revenue and expense including capital, savings, and investments. Also make sure you have internal cost controls that account for expenses at all times. Your diocese probably has guidelines for this.

These controls are for the protection of the people who handle the money in your parish—including you. For example, if an audit shows something missing or there’s a drop in the Sunday collection, by following the internal business controls, you’ve protected them as well as yourself.

Finance council
Canon 537 says: “In each parish there is to be a finance council….” This just makes good sense! Surround yourself with competent people who can not only keep you from sinking but also navigate the ship toward smooth sailing.

Each year, the chair of the finance council and I stand before the assembly at each weekend Mass to provide an accounting of our resources. Following the Mass, members of the finance council are also available to respond to any questions. Several weeks later, we invite all parishioners to fill out a pledge card for their sacrificial gift to fund the mission of our parish.

It’s well worth the time it takes to set this up and you’ll discover you’re doing ministry without even realizing it!

***

FATHER KEVIN C. MULLINS, OSA
Use all your available resources

As pastors, we have unique and particular responsibilities to oversee and achieve the works of the church in our apostolate. The principles of good stewardship should be the guiding force to help you fulfill the mission of the church and your particular parish. This necessitates careful and focused budgeting of time, talents, and (certainly) finances; and the larger the parish, the greater the need to be vigilant and to guard against potential fraud or embezzlement.

Thankfully, there are plentiful resources available to you.

Diocesan policies
Most dioceses today have very helpful personnel, policies and practices, and manuals to guide you through the complexities of financial matters. I urge you to develop a good working relationship with your diocesan finance personnel. They are one of your most valuable resources.

Finance council
It is essential, and canonically required, to have a finance council. With knowledgeable and experienced people as members, this council can wisely advise you, scrutinize operations, insure transparency, and help achieve the vision, goals, and objectives set forth by you. They would, of course, work in consultation with your parish council.

Business manager
It is especially helpful to have a competent business manager at your right hand. This is the person who can be your financial ears and eyes and keep you informed, as you need to be.

Peer support
After 20-plus years of ordained ministry, I am all the more aware of the valuable wisdom, advice, and insights that my peers willingly share—but only if they are asked. So don’t be afraid to ask questions of other pastors. And, trust me, in time, others will seek similar advice from you.

In the final analysis, numbers are just numbers. It is what underlies them that matters most. In whatever you do, always invite the wisdom, truth, and guidance of the Holy Spirit into all these matters—and trust that God’s abundant grace will help you steer the course.