Finance
and Administrative Information for Parishes
As we build this area of the website, we'd appreciate
your input. What kinds of topics would you like to see covered here?
Eventually we will compile an FAQ area; your questions will help
determine what kinds of information we put here.
Please address your questions to Assistant Treasurer/Controller
Bruce Reiner .
Tax Considerations
IRS Mileage Rates, 2008
Business travel: 58.5 cents per mile. Volunteer service to charitable organizations: 14 cents per mile (no change from 2007). Medical travel or Moving: 19 cents per mile (lower than 2007). More info at www.irs.gov.
New IRS publication on churches & tax exemption
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a revised version of its publication, Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations. The 28-page multi-colored publication provides guidance on obtaining and keeping tax exempt status, employment taxes, unrelated business income taxes, employee business expenses, record keeping and filing requirements.
The IRS says that this is meant to be a quick reference to the current state of tax law and procedures as they relate to churches and religious organizations. They say it will be revised from time to time. Download it from here.
Resources
Parish Transition Guidelines
This document from Bishop Paul summarizes the policies and practices of the Diocese of Bethlehem from the time a priest first meets with him to discuss retirement or a new call through the settling and first year of the new priest. Read more and download the document here.
Manual of Business Methods in Church Affairs. Please note, this is no longer available from Church Publishing as a hard copy and is only available in .pdf form online.
Congregational Development Resources
Find resources and tools for the ongoing work of growing healthy and vital congregations on the Congregational Development pages of the Episcopal Church. Growth and development. Research. Small church. Stewardship. You will not regret spending time browsing through this wealth of good material.
Customary for Confirmation
Here is the customary for confirmation revised May 2006.
FACTs on Episcopal Church Growth
This is a new look at the dynamics of growth and decline in Episcopal parishes and missions based on the Faith Communities Today 2005 (FACT 2005) national survey of 4,100 congregations. The report may be viewed and downloaded free here.
Guide to Church Management Software
If you're thinking about buying a church management software package to handle finances, membership and other congregational records, you'll find a convenient comparison of over fifty programs in the October issue of Christian Computing Magazine.
Church Law Today
You might want to visit Church Law Today.com which publishes updates on church law and taxes. The website also has a legal and tax library and is managed by Christianity Today
Postulant's Guide
Increasingly our clergy are being formed outside the environment of this Church’s seminaries.
The bishop is thus confronted with the problem of the tradition of the lore, the passing on of
the unwritten traditions and practices that every profession possesses. The specimen given
below is an abbreviated version of what I normally distribute, the full text of which includes
an element of play not readily understood outside the personal relationship between bishop
and postulants. It intentionally focuses on the topics that fascinate seminarians, at least as
observed in my time of seminary teaching, so rather a lot of ink is given to apparel and terms
of address, but the real theme is collegiality. Read it all here.
Report to the House of Bishops From the Task Force on Property Disputes
The following files are from the House of Bishops in .pdf format
Report to
the House of Bishops: Task Force on Property Disputes
Appendix A: From the Pittsburgh Times, Episcopal Meeting Tackles Controversy
Appendix B: Note to Global South Primates
Appendix C: Note from Bishop Robert Duncan
Appendix D: Note from Geoffrey Chapman
Appendix E: Draft Proposal for Overseas AEO
Appendix F: From the Living Church Foundation
Appendix G: Full Text of the Request to the Global South Primates
Appendix H: The Bishop's Address of the Diocese of San Joaquin, CA
Appendix I: Response to the Global South Steering Committee
Appendix J: Pastoral Letter from Bishop Robert Duncan
