It’s not always easy for pastors and church leaders to make thoughtful decisions about what information to share about money in congregational life, and how to share it.
Here are some questions I’ve been thinking about:
What is the purpose of the financial reporting of the church?
Who needs to know this information? President/moderator? Board? Staff? The congregation at large? Why do they need to know it? When do they need to know it?
What do our polity and structure tell us about how to answer these questions?
What does our history as a congregation tell us?
How can we make these decisions with the best long-term interests of the ministry in mind?
I’d like to know, how do you make these judgments in your church?