We are in unprecedented times, and (for most of us) the health crisis is just weeks away. However, for all of us, the financial crisis is here.
There are roughly 350,000 churches in the United States. Most are small and have a single (often part time) staff member. Some employ hundreds. However, Warren Bird of the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability estimates that there are 1 million people on the payroll of US churches, the majority of whom are part-time, often working other jobs.
Thus, the Congress and the President included them in the most recent stimulus bill, The CARES Act (and the Paycheck Protection Program, which is part of that act), as part of a plan to avoid sudden and vast amounts of unemployment.
While this is a fluid situation, we are committed to learning more about the CARES Act in the hours and days to come.
As such, you should expect this page to be updated.
An Overview You Need to Know
We turned to trusted voices to get the best imformation we would. One particular trusted resource that we want to note is Richard Hammar, who also revised his original article at Church Law and Tax (also a part of Christianity Today) regarding the PPE. Here’s what he noted:
What is Covered?
In addition, our friends at Vanderbloemen have provided some helpful resources about how the loan funds can be used to cover payroll costs, group health insurance benefits, paid sick leave, medical and insurance premiums, mortgage or rent payments, and utilities.
Furthermore, payroll costs can include:
What You Need to Do Now
Therefore, in light of what we do know, here are four things you need to be doing now with regard to thinking and praying through your church’s finances in this crisis.
Source: Christianity Today
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