Q: How do we protect ministry finances against theft?

Embezzlement of church funds is a frequent crime against ministries. We recommend you develop a comprehensive written policy governing ministry finances.

Your policy should address:

• Guidelines for ministry offerings which include the handling of cash and making deposits or withdrawals
• Background checks on employees and volunteers who handle money
• Access to financial records—who has access and under what circumstances
• Procedures for report suspicious circumstances
• Protection of computerized financial records
• Securing of physical property

To secure physical property, you should:

• Store valuables including cash in a safe
• Monitor access to keys
• Restrict security codes access
• Maintain an inventory of church personal property 

Recommended Resources

If you found this information helpful, you might be interested in these other resources from Brotherhood Mutual:

• Read more about developing written procedures in our article Finances: Guard Against Internal Threats.
• Learn what practices to avoid in our article Church Finances: Spotting Red Flags.
• Develop detailed cash procedures to Protect Your Finances with Internal Cash Controls.
• Use our simple checklists General Controls & Data Security and Offerings & Disbursements to discover where you may be at risk.

*Important information: Brotherhood Mutual is pleased to provide Legal Assist as a complimentary resource. The services we offer through Legal Assist are intended to provide general legal information to our current and prospective policyholders.

The information we provide is intended to be helpful, but it does not constitute legal advice and is not a substitute for the advice from a licensed attorney in your area. Accordingly, no attorney/client relationship is created through this process, and no legal advice will be provided. We strongly encourage you to regularly consult with a local attorney as part of your risk management program.