Navigating Faith and Finance for Churches: Insights from Malcolm Webb, Church Accountant

In the first bonus episode of this season on ‘Making Things Happen: Churches, Charities and Money’, Malcolm Webb shares his experiences of balancing faith and finance on a daily basis in his role as a church accountant.

Some key points of interest covered in this episode include the following:

• Malcolm introduces himself, explaining how he became a Christian and the steps that led him to become the accountant of a multi-site church serving Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. [01:48]
• In response to a question from Bex, Malcolm describes some of the dynamics of being the accountant of a church other than the one that he attends himself. [07:01]
• As part of a discussion about tracking donations and the purposes for which they have been given, Bex reminds Malcolm of a time when the response of church members to a special appeal had been so generous that it caused the bank to be in touch to check that nothing untoward was taking place! [11:53]
• Responding to a question from Simon, Malcolm talks about the challenge of balancing his professional responsibility to operate ‘by sight’ with his personal conviction that he has been called to live ‘by faith’. [13:42]
• When asked for a top tip to help with the running of the finance function of a church, Malcolm recommends taking advantage of available technology (especially Excel), streamlining processes and encouraging donors to set up standing orders. [18:48]
• When it comes to training others to manage money well on behalf of a church or charity, Malcolm highlights the importance of developing understanding and an inquiring mind. [21:09]
• Having previously quoted Psalm 50 verse 10 (“for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills”), Malcolm identifies the Parable of the Bags of Gold (Matthew 25.14-30) as another biblical passage that has been influential in shaping his thoughts on money and what our attitude towards it should be. [23:39]
• When asked if he has a story of seeing God’s generosity at work, Malcolm talks about the capacity of the church to initiate social transformation, as illustrated by the cafe that has recently been set up with a clear vision that it will develop its own ‘ministry’ for the benefit of others. [25:27]
• Having been invited to do so by Bex, Malcolm prays for those who are feeling called by God to initiate or take forward a church-related project or idea that requires financial expertise or resources. [27:22]
• Simon talks about the hidden, but vital, role of the church accountant; Malcolm responds by commenting that, in fact, the nature of financial communication these days (eg through Zettle transactions and detailed bank statements) means that he is very aware of what is going on in church life and often feels that he has been given a ‘front row seat’ to observe it. [29:10]
• A second Season 9 bonus episode will follow shortly, also featuring a guest with significant experience of dealing with faith and finance matters in the charity sector. [32:51]

Suggestions or feedback arising from this episode can be sent via email to whereyourtreasureis@freerangepodcasting.co.uk while messages via Instagram should be directed to @whereyourtreasureispodcast.

This show has been brought to you by Free Range Podcasting.

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