Finance

The United Methodist Committee on Finance (often referred to as the finance board) is the central administrative body responsible for raising, managing, and distributing the church’s monetary resources. Its primary goal is to ensure the church has the necessary funds to achieve its ministry and mission objectives.

The responsibilities of the finance committee are governed by the denomination’s Book of Discipline and typically include the following core functions:

Budget Development:

Compiles annual budget requests from various ministry areas and staff to create a unified operating budget, which is then submitted to the Church Council for approval.

Financial Management:

Develops and implements plans to raise the income necessary to support the church’s ministries.

Oversight and Accountability:

Provides regular financial reports to the congregation, ensures proper internal controls are followed (such as separating duties between the financial secretary and the treasurer), and safeguards monetary resources.

Budget Adjustments:

Monitors cash flow throughout the year and recommends any necessary changes to the annual budget to the Church Council.