They move on
Part-time jobs turn over. Each time, you post, interview, and train again, and the books slip while you do.
For churches hiring a treasurer, bookkeeper, or financial secretary
Hiring a church treasurer or bookkeeper? Read this first.
Maybe your treasurer is stepping down. Maybe you already posted the job. Before you hire, here's what a part-time hire really costs, what tends to go wrong, and one other way to fill the seat.
I'm the treasurer at my own church, and I do this job for other churches for one flat monthly fee.
The real cost
What a part-time hire really costs
The hourly wage is only the start. Here is simple math for one person at 20 hours a week, which is 1,040 hours a year.
| At 20 hours a week | At $15 an hour | At $26 an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Wages | $15,600 | $27,040 |
| Church's share of Social Security and Medicare (7.65%) | about $1,190 | about $2,070 |
| Total, before anything else | about $16,800 a year | about $29,100 a year |
Why $15 to $26? That's roughly what real postings I've seen recently list for part-time church bookkeeping and treasurer jobs.
Then come the costs that don't show up on the paycheck:
- Your payroll company's fee for one more person.
- Time from your pastor or council to post the job, interview, and supervise.
- Training, often with nobody left who really knows the job.
- Doing all of it again when the person moves on.
What tends to go wrong
One part-time person, doing it all
Most church bookkeepers are good, honest people. The trouble is the setup, not the person.
One person knows everything
The passwords, the payroll steps, which gift went to which fund. If it lives in one head, it leaves with that person.
Vacations and sick days
Bills, payroll, and Sunday's deposit don't wait. When your one person is out, the work stops or lands on a volunteer.
Who checks the checker?
When one person writes the checks, records them, and reads the bank statement, nobody else can easily see a mistake.
Another way
What we do instead
Carlisle Accounting takes the whole treasurer's job for one flat monthly fee. No hiring, no training, and no starting over.
- Giving recordedPlate and online gifts, and year-end giving statements.
- Bills paid on timeSent to one email address, entered, and paid.
- Payroll handledThrough your payroll company, housing allowance included.
- Every fund kept straightGeneral, building, memorial, missions, each with its own balance.
- Every account reconciledBank, savings, CDs and credit card, every month.
- A council report every monthOn the same date, with every fund, and a real person to answer questions.
Your counters and check signers can stay right there at the church, or we can write and sign the checks for you if that's easier.
Side by side
A part-time hire vs. Carlisle Accounting
| Part-time hire | Carlisle Accounting | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | About $16,800 to $29,100 a year in wages and payroll taxes at 20 hours a week, plus the extras above. | One flat monthly fee, starting at about $1,000 a month for a small church. See pricing. |
| Training | You train them, often with nobody left who knows the job. | Already trained. I do this job for my own church every month. |
| Turnover | When they leave, you start over. | Your steps are written down, so the work never depends on one person's memory. |
| When someone is sick | The work waits, or lands on a volunteer. | More than one of us knows your books, so bills and payroll keep moving. |
| Checks and balances | Often one person enters, pays, and reconciles everything. | Your counters handle the cash, we record it, and your council sees every payment every month. |
| Monthly council report | Depends on the person. | A clear report on the same date every month, with every fund. |
Still want to hire?
Use our free church treasurer job description
A copy-and-paste template with the treasurer, bookkeeper, and financial secretary duties split out clearly, plus what to put for pay.
Next step
Before you post the job, let's talk for 20 minutes
A free church books checkup. We'll talk about how your church handles its books today and what you need. If a hire is the better fit for you, I'll tell you.