Any Parish Finance Council members out there?

[jmj777]

My pastor just called and asked if I would like to be on the Parish Finance Council. I am extremely honored and immediately agreed to it, but I really don’t know what the position entails.

Any advice/(name removed by moderator)ut would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Peace.

+JMJ+

 

[TimothyH]

The cart might be before the horse. It is probably better to find out more before agreeing.

I learned the hard way that just because a priest or pastor asks me to do something doesn’t always mean that it is God’s will in my life or that it is what’s best for me.

Im not a finance committee member but I do go to some other meetings. Church politics is something which you will surely be exposed to. I excused myself from a meeting just last night to use the restroom when gossip and argument started about a specific person.

-Tim-

 

[pianistclare]

Generally the Pastor can do what he wants.
But he does run major purchases and or situations that need remedying by the Finance Council. They make recommendations. The Auditors like to have someone else to blame. Just kidding.
They prepare and make sure the Financial report is made available to the parishioners, usually via the bulletin or a separate mailing.
But, Generally, the Pastor can do whatever he wants.

Ask one of the existing members, their identity is not a secret.
Good luck!

 

[Phemie]

I’m on our Parish Finance Council. We’re there to advise the Pastor, but he’s the final say on things. We keep an eye on what is spent and for what. It’s security for the parish. Ideally, those on the finance council should be financially savvy.

Granted, there are some Pastors who give the Finance Council a lot more power than Canon Law does. Our last Pastor did, we had to approve all purchases or he didn’t make them. But those pastors are few and far between. The diocese normally imposes a limit on what a Pastor can spend without diocesan approval.

 

[Sunbreak]

I also think it would be best to find out directly from the pastor or another finance council member what this would require. It could vary depending on your archdiocese and your pastor’s preferences. At my parish, sad to say, the finance council members (only 2) are really nothing much more than just the names on the paper since each parish is its own corporation and must have a few parishioners officially named in the documents as part of the corporation. The pastor decides everything and at best, maybe mentions to them what he is going to do. The situation could be totally different at your parish where there may be a much more active role.

 

[pianistclare]

I’m on our Parish Finance Council. We’re there to advise the Pastor, but he’s the final say on things. We keep an eye on what is spent and for what. It’s security for the parish. Ideally, those on the finance council should be financially savvy.

Granted, there are some Pastors who give the Finance Council a lot more power than Canon Law does. Our last Pastor did, we had to approve all purchases or he didn’t make them. But those pastors are few and far between. The diocese normally imposes a limit on what a Pastor can spend without diocesan approval.

That’s a good point. Purchases under 5 grand our Pastor doesn’t need approval…thing like that fix basic plumbing, beef up the air conditioning, replace a glass door, etc.
But over that amount he has to submit 3 bids, etc. you know the drill.

 

[dconklin]

I am on staff at a parish in the Faith Formation office. Our’s is a large parish (4500 families) and the FC plays a very important role. Since I have been on staff (11 years) we have payed off the debt on the Parish Life Center, raised money for a new church and built that church.

If you do take a roll on the FC, work to give the Faith Formation/Religious Ed office as big of a budget as possible. We do important work!

Good luck!

 

[pianistclare]

I am on staff at a parish in the Faith Formation office. Our’s is a large parish (4500 families) and the FC plays a very important role. Since I have been on staff (11 years) we have payed off the debt on the Parish Life Center, raised money for a new church and built that church.

If you do take a roll on the FC, work to give the Faith Formation/Religious Ed office as big of a budget as possible. We do important work!

Good luck!

:clapping:

 

[Phemie]

I am on staff at a parish in the Faith Formation office. Our’s is a large parish (4500 families) and the FC plays a very important role. Since I have been on staff (11 years) we have payed off the debt on the Parish Life Center, raised money for a new church and built that church.

If you do take a roll on the FC, work to give the Faith Formation/Religious Ed office as big of a budget as possible. We do important work!

Good luck!

Things are very different at our parish, with 1/10 the number of families.

Our only paid employee is a handyman for a few months in the summer – and that only because he’s sickly and has depended on the parish for the last 20+ years to give him enough hours in the summer to live off unemployment insurance during the rest of the year.

 

[otjm]

I am not on a Finance Committee for a parish, but my day job is preparing the 30 year budget (called a Reserve Study) for homeowners associations. It would not be a bad idea to have some familiarity with the process and means of arriving at such a budget. All of the physical plant needs to have a timeline drawn for what needs to be replaced/repaired over the next 30 years, as well as staff salaries and benefits, and any apostolic ventures which require $$.

There are any number of philosophies of how to handle money - in itself a contentious subject - and one has to deal with civil and Church law, as well as the tax man. It can be a good process, or it can be extremely contentious, or somewhere in between.

 

[jmj777]

My pastor recently told me that the paperwork should have gone through to the Archdiocese so that I could be named a trustee by September. What specifically is expected of a finance council member who is also made a trustee?

I am a little baffled as to why I was chosen as I don’t have particular expertise in finances; although I do love math. Despite these things, I am extremely honored to have been personally chosen by our pastor.

Peace.

+JMJ+

 

[1ke]

My pastor recently told me that the paperwork should have gone through to the Archdiocese so that I could be named a trustee by September. What specifically is expected of a finance council member who is also made a trustee?

I am a little baffled as to why I was chosen as I don’t have particular expertise in finances; although I do love math. Despite these things, I am extremely honored to have been personally chosen by our pastor.

Peace.

+JMJ+

In my diocese, each parish is a legal corporation. The board of directors includes the Bishop, Vicar General, and Pastor plus two lay members appointed by the pastor. So you are being appointed as a board member of the corporation.

They legally govern the corporation. Their duties involve filling out some paperwork annually and having an annual meeting which is recorded in minutes and kept in the corporate books at the diocese. Occasionally, they sign legal documents, such as bank documents, tax documents, etc.

Beyond that, there are no duties.

I suppose they would have official duties of voting if the parish were to merge with another, be closed, or some other legal need arose.

 

[jmj777]

1ke, when put that way, the position sounds like one that is more of a legal technicality rather than of real importance or significance. I guess I mistakenly took it for something bigger and more meaningful. My ignorance is showing. Thank you for your explanation.

Peace.

+JMJ+

 

[1ke]

1ke, when put that way, the position sounds like one that is more of a legal technicality rather than of real importance or significance. I guess I mistakenly took it for something bigger and more meaningful. My ignorance is showing. Thank you for your explanation.

Peace.

+JMJ+

I wouldn’t say that it is not meaningful. As a member of the board of directors, you have a legal and fiduciary responsibility to the parish.

A pastor should choose such a person from among finance council members based upon their character, responsibility, fidelity to the Church, etc. It is quite a compliment to be selected.

 

[PaulinVA]

1ke, when put that way, the position sounds like one that is more of a legal technicality rather than of real importance or significance. I guess I mistakenly took it for something bigger and more meaningful. My ignorance is showing. Thank you for your explanation.

Peace.

+JMJ+

I would consult an attorney before you agree to this. This is indeed a big deal. You need to determine what your liability is if the parish is sued, there is abuse, etc.

 

[1ke]

I would consult an attorney before you agree to this. This is indeed a big deal. You need to determine what your liability is if the parish is sued, there is abuse, etc.

Can’t speak for others, but our directors are indemnified with board insurance through our insurance provider.

 

[jmj777]

Still quite confusing, if the position is really as a double checker of sorts and there are no real duties outside of signing paperwork and looking over corporate books, what kind of personal liability could I really expect to assume?

It doesn’t seem to be much of a significant role that would warrant being personal liable for criminal/civil matters if we meet only a handful of times throughout the year.

Peace.

+JMJ+

 

[PaulinVA]

Still quite confusing, if the position is really as a double checker of sorts and there are no real duties outside of signing paperwork and looking over corporate books, what kind of personal liability could I really expect to assume?

It doesn’t seem to be much of a significant role that would warrant being personal liable for criminal/civil matters if we meet only a handful of times throughout the year.

Peace.

+JMJ+

If you are a director of a corporation, you have a fiduciary responsibility and are responsible for the way the corporation operates.

As ke said below, there is director’s insurance that defends against and pays for civil judgements against directors.

The fact that it’s explained as signing a few papers and looking over corporate books - yikes! I think that is something that should be entered into with great seriousness.

 

[thistle]

My pastor just called and asked if I would like to be on the Parish Finance Council. I am extremely honored and immediately agreed to it, but I really don’t know what the position entails.

Any advice/(name removed by moderator)ut would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Peace.

+JMJ+

Why would you agree to something before you know what it entails??

 

[jmj777]

Thistle:

I wanted to be more active within my parish and I had put in my name for the parish advisory council, but was not chosen. Father called and offered me a position with the parish finance council. In the past, I have held supervisory and financial positions outside of church, but never revealed it to him, so I was surprised at the offer. I do believe I would be capable of fulfilling this role and would be committed to serving to the best of my ability, once I understand all that it entails.

I don’t see anything keeping me from accepting such a position and I believe it will be a positive and worthwhile experience. To be honest, the fact that he chose me was the icing on the cake as he could have easily chosen any other parishioner.

Peace.

+JMJ+