Why Your Church or Ministry should be Incorporated Recently I conducted a Church and Clergy Tax Conference in a neighboring state. During the question and answered period I learned that one of the Churches in attendance had never formally registered with their state, nor were they a legitimate 501 (c) (3). The Board Members [...]
Pastor, Is What You Just Did Legal? In the complex world of Church ministry, many Pastors think they are doing a noble deed, when in reality they may be breaking the law. Since the Church is a non-profit entity and therefore exempt from taxes on its Tithes and Offerings, the IRS has page after [...]
Pastor’s Blog – Friend or Foe? In the age of electronic media, which now includes electronic church, Pastors continually look for ways to stay on the cutting edge of technology, and in their efforts to minister to their congregants, as well as non-attendees. One of the great methods for this has been the Pastor’s [...]
Do Not Misclassify Employees As I travel across this great nation teaching Clergy Tax and Law Conferences I am amazed at the number of great Pastors and Churches who are uninformed or do not care about certain laws that apply to Churches. Just because there is the “Separation of Church and State,” we must [...]
The Responsibility of the Church in Matters of Bullying You see it on television; you see it on social media. It happens in schools, daycares, kids recreational programs, and yes it is happening in Churches all across the United States. I am talking about the national dilemma in America of bullying. We are [...]
Protecting Our Most Valuable Asset Our most precious asset in the Church is not money, talent, or staff. Our most precious commodity is our children – especially those who are Nursery or Children’s Church age. As such, they require special attention by those in leadership to ensure they are properly cared for and protected. [...]
GETTING ON BOARD As I travel across the nation teaching Church and Clergy Tax Conferences, it troubles me when Pastors or Board Members retain the services of Chitwood & Chitwood, only to be castigated by their Churches or Trustees who feel as if they should be able to continue to do “Church as usual.” [...]
Is the Church’s Exempt Status in Jeopardy? At a recent Church and Clergy Tax Conference, the Pastor seemed shocked when I told him that he could not have a separate account in his Church that solely benefited him over and above his normal salary. He felt as if the Church “owed” it to him, [...]
Is God Obligated To Protect You? Most Pastors are familiar with several Scriptures that promise God’s protecting hand upon their lives. When troubles arise they are quick to quote Scriptures such as Isa. 54:17, “No weapon formed against me shall prosper. . .” However, will God protect us if we are out of relationship [...]
The Person Managing Your Church Books, May Know Just Enough to Get You In Trouble The afternoon session of the Church Management Tax Conference in Florida was about to begin when a Pastor frantically tried to register. My associate took him into the hallway to discover the sense of urgency to register for a [...]