methodology of the book is to first teach each accounting topic on its terms and later open it up for theological and ministerial leadership reflections. All of the reflections and discourses are designed to enable students to get some theological perspective on money and monetary systems and their roles in the modern economy. Information and ideas in each chapter are presented in such a way that the reader does not only gain training in the technical matters of accounting and money (economics), but also in theological-ethical understanding of social issues relating to the disciplinary fields and practices of accounting and monetary economics. Every chapter will have a discussion of an idea or practice, showing that the intersection of accounting/money with lived social life is important for theological-ethical reflection. Unlike some of the leading books on accounting and money for pastors, which put the technical knowledge of finance and theology of money in separate silos, this book integrates them from the beginning. The theological reflections (“theology in motion”) offered in each chapter flow from the discussions of the chapter and are integral to the whole conception of ministerial leadership in the age of finance.
Indeed, this book combines accounting and theology of money in a way that no other book in the market does. This work is not necessarily one of critique but of presenting and understanding the “Spirit and letter” of accounting and money. So in all the sections, genuine empathic understanding of the subject matter precedes the critique. This approach draws from my uncommon experience and expertise.
I have brought my expertise as a seminary professor who has written a book and essays on theology of money, as a former business school professor who has taught accounting and finance courses and has published books in these areas (my first book on accounting came out in 1993), as an ex-investment banker on Wall Street, and as a pastor of a major church in Brooklyn, New York for nearly ten years to elucidate the subject matter. The goal is to make accounting and theological dimensions of money and the monetary system simple, approachable, and digestible for students and pastors who have no formal training in accounting and economics of money.
In addition, as a professor in a seminary I had the opportunity to classroom-test the manuscript in my course on “Money and Ministry.” I decided to write a book for students to use for the course because of the inadequacies of existing textbooks in the market. This book combines accounting, financial management, and theology of money in a way that no other book in the market does. Actually, there are only two or three good books in this area and they do a poor job of embedding the discussions and analyses of accounting and financial issues within a consistent, systematic theological framework. In addition, none of them provides a sound sociological understanding of money to underpin the accounting and theological dimensions of financial management of churches and ministries. But this book does with its notion of money as a social relation.
Overview of Chapters
This book begins with an “Introduction,” a discussion of accounting as an integral dimension of ministerial leadership. Today, an understanding of the basic concepts and tools of accounting is essential to function as a competent pastor, who is the chief executive officer of her church. The introduction provides the pastor with basic knowledge and perspective on business management, financial administration, and the accounting profession; the kind of knowledge required to increase her chances of making decisions that will strengthen the financial health of her church and improve her overall stewardship of the resources committed into her hands.
The chapter ends with a discussion on the intersection of accounting/money with lived social life. It argues that the boundaries of the monetary issues that confront a pastor do not end at the front of the church, but extends to the larger society. Thus, the minister who wants to properly grasp the financial well-being of her church and congregation should lift up her gaze to see how the monetary policies of her country influence the financial health of her congregants and affect the productive and reproductive work in her community. Theology of money and accounting is not only about the church, but also about the whole society. This tone of our study is set right from this opening section with a discussion of the “rituals” of the making of monetary policy in the United States.
Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the basic terms and ideas of accounting: the basic accounting equation of asset = liability and the key principles of accounting. It also provides clear and simple definitions of key accounting terms. In addition, it introduces the reader to the neoclassical economic definition of money, which is the unit of measurement and recordkeeping in accounting. The integrated theological part of the chapter (“theology in motion”) hints at a different definition of money and also points to the connection between the operation of monetary systems and the vexing issue of environmental pollution. In this way, the key definitions and principles of accounting and money are immediately situated within larger theological-ethical discourses that have always been in the ambience of ministerial leadership and social justice in the United States.
Who is a minister? What is a church? Chapter 2 answers these questions within the interpretative framework of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS is not particularly concerned with religious beliefs and practices of a church, but for the purposes of its work it has defined church and minister in its own way. It is crucial that the pastor understands the definitions as they will structure not only her church’s relations with the government, but also with accountants and financial institutions.
In the “theology in motion” section of this chapter, I provide philosophical-theological analysis of the IRS definitions of minister and church. The overall effect of these definitions on a minister’s leadership style will depend on her stance on how church and money (monetary system) should be related. To help the minister evaluate her position, I retrieved and pressed into service Richard Niebuhr’s five models of “Christ and Culture” to describe models of church and money. So we have (1) church against money, (2) Church with money, (3) church above money, (4) church and money in paradox, and (5) church the transformer of monetary culture.
Chapter 3 discusses the key financial reports and indicators of the financial health of a church. Here we learn about the importance of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in framing the accounting milieu of churches. GAAP is what defines what is right, good, and fitting in all financial statements and in the church’s accounting-data relationship with the society. In the accounting world, to a large extent, GAAP sets the moral agenda and ethical issues. While the pastor is learning to use accounting as a tool of her ministry, it is necessary that she does not limit her focus to the mastery of the techniques of accounting and money, but should widen it to grasp the whole of meaning of money in human existence. How will this be? What paradigmatic framework should guide her search for meaning?
In chapter 4, we begin to grapple with how to understand the meaning of money within the global meaning of personhood, being-in-communion (theological anthropology). Specifically, this chapter attempts to forge an understanding of the meaning and role of money in contemporary American society in terms of enabling persons to become both the agents and beneficiaries of their flourishment.
Chapter 5 treats issues relating to the preparation of a church budget. The chapter provides a simple discussion of the budgeting process and the various techniques used by accountants. The goal is to enable the pastor to understand the work done by the treasurer or the finance committee and to engage with the budget process theologically. The chapter sets the discussion of budget—the fulcrum of the management of the finance of a church—within the larger framework of the vision of the parish and the mission of Christ and also within a theological-ethical understanding of the workings of monetary systems of the United States. Thus the discussion quickly moves into how pastors should go beyond any theology of money that is restricted to stewardship, and begin to understand money as a flow, the production, circulation, and control of money, which actually determine who gets what quantity, when, and how. The notion of money as a flow is very useful in teaching us to comprehend how a country’s monetary system impacts the economic well-being of its citizens and also impinges on the meaning-making framework of its citizens.
For
