The NT carries these ideas also in regard to men appointed to serve the church on behalf of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28 Phil 1:1 1 Tm 3:1, 2 Ti 1:7).” Included in this authoritative oversight was the idea of watching, directing, and protecting the master’s interests. According to Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, “an overseer speaks of one or many to represent the highest person of authority and to exercise authority over whatever was designated. This necessitates that the overseer(s) of the church funds be both spiritually sound and financially savvy. While good business principals must be exercised, the foundation of operation for the assembly must be that of faith, based on the truth of God’s Word. The subject of financial stewardship is addressed in Scripture through numerous proverbs, principals and stories, giving insight to the attitude, acquiring, accumulating, and the administrating of funds, yet ironically money matters are often the most problematic of churches. Who is responsible for the oversight and management of the church’s finances? Should the pastor, being the spiritual leader, have input into the financial matters of the church? Should not those to which we assign responsibility for spiritual and eternal matters also help in the management of the “unrighteous mammon?” While it is not recommended that the pastor or the spouse be the one(s) who count the offering, make the deposits, write the checks and balance the books, such is the case in many small congregations where no one in the church is willing or qualified to adequately carry out the assignment, nor does the church have the necessary funds to pay an accountant or a financial manager outside the congregation.
In rare cases there are those who have in place a “finance committee” that is independent of the pastor and/or the board. Opinions and practices vary as to whether the spiritual leader of the congregation should be allowed unrestricted oversight, be completely uninvolved, or work with a board/advisory committee in the monetary business of the church. The subject of church finances and the pastor’s involvement has long been a topic of discussion and controversy.
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