In a time when financial fraud and wasteful spending is making headlines, the call for transparency and accountability has never been more urgent. And while most churches don’t struggle with fraud or outright theft, many do suffer from poor financial accountability.

Too often, finance committees tediously review giving statements and overall expenses but fail to examine detailed expenses, allowing the potential for financial mismanagement and poor stewardship. In addition, how a church allocates its funds speaks volumes about its priorities.

What many would consider a “healthy” church budget may look like this:

• 50% allocated to staff salaries and benefits
• 25% spent on buildings, maintenance and administration
• 5% spent on ministry tools and technology
• 10% given to mission partners and denominational missions
• 10% spent on ministry programs and outreach

Within this so-called “healthy” church budget, only 10% is dedicated for true ministry and outreach. We often are left with few resources to “fish for people” because we spend so much running the aquarium.

Asking the right questions

Pastors and church leaders, when we set our budgets and begin to allocate resources, we must strive to do better. We are called not only to shepherd souls but to steward the resources God has entrusted to us. The early church demonstrated radical generosity coupled with financial integrity — an example we see throughout the first few chapters of Acts — and we must strive to do the same.

Good stewardship goes hand in hand with good accountability. Regardless of your church’s polity, those serving on finance teams should set up processes for regularly receiving and reviewing detailed reports of expenses — not just summaries or department totals. 

Again, polity varies from church to church, but every church should have a financial accountability process that provides the right amount of transparency to the right people. These practices are not about suspicion, but about stewardship and being accountable to the members of a church.

A church culture that embraces accountability and transparency is one with integrity, and that’s a good thing. A church culture that resists financial accountability may not be hiding something, but those are often more in danger of becoming focused on building their own kingdom, not God’s.

Integrity starts at home

Let’s take it even further — could a form of financial fraud be happening within our own family budgets? This can take on many forms. Are we robbing God of our first fruits (Proverbs 3:9-10)? Are we robbing Caesar by neglecting what we owe (Romans 13:7)? Or are we robbing our spouse through hidden expenses they don’t know about?

Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). How we spend our money is a direct reflection of what we truly value. If our finances are misaligned, it could point to deeper spiritual issues.

And before we demand transparency from our churches or institutions, we must first practice it in our own homes. Faithful stewardship begins with us personally.

• Are you honoring God with your finances?
• Are you stewarding resources wisely?
• Are you modeling financial integrity for the next generation?

We cannot expect the church or the world to embrace financial integrity if we refuse to do so in our personal lives. Transparency and accountability aren’t just financial matters — they are matters of faith. Let’s be a people known for stewardship, generosity and faithfulness.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Nathan Peterson is the founder of 4 Church.)