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Ministry Management Seminars

presents

Tax, Legal, and
Financial Communication Issues
for Churches and Nonprofit Ministries
 in 2007

PLEASE NOTE:    This seminar is designed to provide an overview of these topics to provide you an awareness of the issues and to help you pinpoint possible problems the church may not even realize are there. 

Our goal is to educate and equip, NOT to sell additional services.

Financial Communication Issues
(Presented by Allen Quist)

Communication - Presenting Financial Information To Busy People

The focus of this presentation will be the communication between those who manage church funds and create reports and busy leaders who will be making leadership decisions based on those reports. Attention will be given to the question, “How do you provide financial information to leaders who have little organizational financial management background?”

Legal Issues
(Presented by Troy Anderson)

Troy will draw on his experience as a lawyer, full-time church staff member, and lay pastor to focus on legal issues that church leaders face on a regular basis, such as:

       What do I need to know before I sign a contract?

       Does the church have to pay employees for overtime?

       How do I spot and address copyright violations?

       Should we let registered sex offenders attend our services?

       Will our church website get us in trouble?

       What can we do to keep employees and members from suing the church?

       How should we handle disruptive individuals?

       What should I know about insurance to make sure the church is covered?

       When do we need to call DSHS to report suspected child abuse?

Tax Issues
(Presented by Rick Battershell)

Rick will explain how to apply many of the tax rules that he routinely assists church and ministry leaders with including questions such as:

How does the ministry and employee avoid penalties for use of ministry laptops, cell phones, or cars?

How can members contribute IRA funds, stocks, or vehicles and how are those receipted differently from other contributions?

How can members contribute for restricted purposes and take a deduction?

What policies and communications should a church have when accepting contributions to support missionaries or other workers?

What steps should a ministry take if the restricted funds can not be used for the intended purpose?

When can the ministry issue a 1099 rather than a W-2?

What taxes should the church withhold from a minister's pay?

What is the preferred retirement plan for a church - 403(b) or 401(k)?

What financial policies should a ministry have in place?

What can (and can't) the church do regarding political elections?

This seminar qualifies CPAs for 4 hours CPE credit  (additional $20 fee applies)

Troy Anderson is the general counsel at The City Church, a nondenominational church with multiple campuses, several ministries and outreaches, and a network of church plants and affiliated churches around the world.  Prior to joining the church staff he was a partner at Ellis, Li & McKinstry in Seattle and focused his law practice on churches and other 501(c)(3) organizations.  Troy and his wife Bonnie are lead campus care pastors and oversee Sunday services at the church’s campus in Seattle’s University District. Troy graduated from Portland Bible College, Warner Pacific College, and Regent University School of Law. 

Rick Battershell has specialized in the accounting and taxation of churches and ministers for over 20 years and has a Master’s Degree in Taxation. Serving churches and other Christian ministries accounts for over 75% of Rick’s CPA practice.  He is currently a member of and regular speaker for the Northwest chapter of the National Association of Church Business Administration.  He has also been involved in the Washington State Society of CPAs Not-for-Profit Committee for several years.

Allen H. Quist co-author of The Spirit Driven Church (www.thespiritdrivenchurch.net) offers over 35 years of banking experience including regional management, management of commercial lending operations, and training of commercial loan officers (1963-1998). He provides years of experience on church boards and working with church finances.  Allen earned his Master's of Arts in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in Church Management from Multnomah Biblical Seminary (2002).  Allen is currently an adjunct professor at Multnomah Biblical Seminary and is working on a Doctorate in the school of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship at Regent University.

Questions? Call Darcy at (253) 839-1620 or contact us by e-mail.

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