Creating Financially Sustainable Congregations

How can growing churches develop a financial framework that will enhance their mission?

The declining trends in religious belief and practice in twenty-first-century America are well documented, but they mask the vitality and growth experienced by many individual congregations. Unfortunately, leaders of these growing churches sometimes lack a firm grasp on what's required for their church to maintain financial equilibrium. This is true for newly formed congregations as well as established churches.

This book, which does not assume readers' familiarity with principles of accounting or finance, will help facilitate constructive conversations between clergy and lay leaders on money matters. By describing in everyday language some of the practical issues that promote (or erode) financial sustainability, this book will remove the mystery and frustration faith communities often experience when discussing their financial challenges.

What activities within the organization's control promote long-term financial sustainability? The answers create a framework that is a prerequisite for meeting any church's missional objectives over the long run.

James L. Elrod Jr.'s career in finance has spanned thirty-five-years, including significant time in the nonprofit sector. He has served on the boards of a variety of organizations, including Christ Church Greenwich and Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. He serves on the faculty at Yale Divinity School, teaching nonprofit finance. Prior books include Merging Health Care Institutions and Hospital Financing and Refinancing Under Prospective Payment (American Hospital Publishing). He lives in Riverside, Connecticut. Learn more at jameselrodjr.com.