Hopefully you’re all nice and settled into our new post-apocalyptic reality.
Chances are, your congregation isn’t meeting on Sunday. For many of you, last week was a frenzied test of hastily-set-up livestreams and adapted liturgies.
As we settle into this new reality, there are a variety of considerations for pastors and their lay leadership. First, of course, there are the emergency nuts and bolts of doing pastoral care for the sick and dying, live-streaming worship, and linking seniors into virtual church community.
Once you’ve got that under your belt, though, there are probably some longer-term considerations to be thinking about. As I’ve surfed social media this week, one keeps resurfacing: church finances during coronavirus are becoming very difficult.
Chances are, the weekly offering comprises a decent portion of your income. Even if your congregation gives online, many people are probably reminded to do so during their weekly service. And if your church receives income from rentals during the week, that’s all gone, too.
And the coming months probably aren’t looking much better. Most churches will lose a massive source of revenue on Easter. And summertime is usually scant as well, since many parishioners are on vacation. All of this likely means that your church is experiencing a huge decrease in income.
Yet pastors and their staffs are, of course, working harder than ever from their homes. You are probably incurring many of the same expenses you normally do. Perhaps you are even spending a little bit more on setting up online infrastructure or engaging in new ministries to a pandemic-stricken community.
And then, there’s the added complexity of asking for money at a time like this. Unemployment is already soaring, stocks are a roller coaster, and it’s unclear what government bailouts will look like. You probably have at least a few families who are struggling to feed their kids.
I wouldn’t blame you if you feel reluctant to ask your congregants for money right now.
So, how do you talk about church finances during coronavirus? How do you ask congregants to provide for the church’s needs in a time when everyone is tightening their belts?
Here are three basic principles I learned about money during my research. These principles are, I believe, just as relevant during a pandemic as they are during ordinary life.
1. Get the infrastructure set up.
If you don’t have online giving, you absolutely must set that up. That’s the main way to support church finances during coronavirus.
Also, if you’re a pastor, consider setting up a mail forwarding service to your home from the church. If you end up in a full lockdown, you might not be able to pick up checks. In that same vein, think about setting up mobile check deposit for your church, so that you can deposit checks from your phone.
Don’t be afraid to take some time in a newsletter or livestreamed announcements to tell your congregation about these things. No one could have predicted this.
Okay, these are the basics of church finances during coronavirus. Now, on to the more complex bit.
2. Be transparent about church finances during coronavirus.
At House for All Sinners and Saints, at a moment of financial strain for the church, the pastor asked a drag queen who was a church member to give the stewardship talk.
The member showed up in full drag, with a shirt that read, “This sh*t is expensive.”
Giving increased dramatically.
This anecdote exemplifies the theme of financial transparency that showed up again and again in my interviews. The average congregant hasn’t realized that church finances during coronavirus are going to be tight. They have no idea about the hard choices you have to make in moments like these, when giving may collapse.
So, be straightforward. Here are a few points you could talk about in your newsletter or live-streamed worship announcements:
- Remind people that the expenses of the church have not changed simply because it is closed. List a couple of major expenses that still have to be paid (eg. mortgage, staff medical benefits).
- Talk about pandemic-related expenses the church has. Are you running an extra food bank for kids? Buying new equipment so that your worship livestream is high-quality? Did you lose a main source of income from cancelled rentals?
- Tell people about the state of the congregation. For instance, you might say something like, “As I talk to the congregation, it seems like about a third of you have lost your jobs. About a third are struggling to feed you children without the reduced lunch program. As a church, we feel really strongly about supporting these members. So, if you do have a job and are not struggling financially, would you consider giving a little more than you normally might?”
- Perhaps give people agency over where their money can go. If you have any special, pandemic-related ministries right now, think about creating a separate fund. Consider encouraging people to also give to the local food bank and other charities. And, of course, plug the “general fund” for basic expenses if that’s what’s needed!
- Create clarity about how to support church finances during coronavirus. Remind people of the church’s address if they want to send a check. Create simple, clear steps for giving online. Take a moment to explain any new methods of giving you’ve set up during this time.
3. Keep a light touch.
Two things here. First, let’s talk about the importance of brevity. Have you ever given money to a worthwhile organization, only to be bombarded by an overwhelming email campaign, begging for more money multiple times a week?
Chances are, you have. And if so, you know that sometimes, less is more.
So, when you talk about finances, either in a newsletter or live-streamed announcements, be as concise as possible. Make sure people are reminded about the church finances during coronavirus, but not pressured or bombarded. Consider sending out one email newsletter on the topic and then simply including a few sentences at the bottom of subsequent emails.
It’s also important to talk about money only after giving pastoral care and discussing pandemic-related resources and assistance.
Even more importantly, your campaign will be more successful if you exorcise guilt, shame, and fear from the conversation about money. Over and over, in my interviews, people told me that they gave more to their current church than to any they had previously attended.
Why? The pressure was off.
So here’s the most important thing: balance honesty and transparency with a complete lack of guilt and shame. There’s a big difference between making people feel like they should give, versus giving them the information they need to make an informed decision about giving.
Don’t make people feel like their gift is necessary to keep the church from closing (unless that’s truly, imminently the case). Don’t talk about your personal anxiety or fears about money. Consider asking people not to give if they’re struggling financially.
The key is to reduce any kind of fear, shame, and guilt. My interviewees were very clear that they gave more to churches that had guilt-free, simple discussions about money.
As a final, personal note, I wanted to express my sincere admiration for you, the leaders of churches around the country. In seminary, you took a class in Apocalyptic Literature, not Apocalyptic Ministry. You work in a church that has operated for two millennia through sacramental, in-person contact.
Yet you have moved your communities into the online sphere with days or hours of notice. Many of you have gone outside your comfort zones and broached new digital frontiers this week.
You have navigated and responded to a news cycle that changes daily, if not hourly. You have rushed to comfort and love your flock through unprecedented emotional, physical and economic stress. You have done so in the midst of your own distress, financial uncertainty, and in some cases, illness.
I see you. I am proud of you. I am praying for you, as are many others.
And if you aren’t a pastor, please consider offering extra support to your clergy, whether logistical, emotional, or spiritual.
As Presiding Bishop Michael Curry would say: God love you. God keep you. And you keep the faith.
