ARTICLES

I recently learned of another court ruling that further clarifies how clergy are compensated.  Now I am no accountant and I encourage you to always consult a licensed CPA, like those at The Provisum Group, for tax advice. The US Tax Court & Board of Tax Appeals recently released a decision against two Minnesota husband-wife…

As President of The Provisum Group, I lead a group of talented professionals who manage the finances of churches and faith-based charities across the country.  Every day, we have to ensure compliance for our clients with laws, regulations and judicial precedents of a multitude of different federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. There is one situation, however,…

Late last year a federal judge ruled that the housing allowance received by clergy was unconstitutional. With the passage of new tax laws at the federal level and in light of this ruling many pastors are asking themselves, “what happens now?” I wanted to share with you some information put together by the ECFA that…

My three adult sons were all year-round athletes in high school. My wife and I were endlessly sitting in hot, smelly gyms or on cold rainy sidelines for almost twenty years. My kids grew up in a generation where everyone got a trophy. My generation taught the next generation that winning is just showing up.…

Do Hard Conversations Promote Growth? Not always.  But avoiding them usually hinders growth. In church business, we are called to steward and to lead.   The stewardship side of our role is to manage the church’s assets like our own.  Stewardship requires that we do what is right regardless of the resistance to a decision.  The…

‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:8) Simple right? But over the years I have talked with so many leaders in the church and I have noticed that financial stewardship in the church is never simple. Ask church leaders to tell you the words that pop into…

  Ministry leaders are responsible to do what Jesus did—to watch over ministry finances. Jesus watched people giving in the temple and commended a widow for the great sacrifice she had made. Though she gave only two coins (known as a “mite”), she gave all that she had. (See Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:1–4.) In the…

  The common error of thought in many churches is, If we build it, they will come. Whether it’s a new website, a new pastoral hire, or a new strategy, churches sometimes feel that if they simply do something new they will reap the rewards. The truth is that before you decide on what you are going…