Houses of Worship Finance Call
Last week, 150 congregational leaders from across the country gathered to learn from one another and discuss a response to the recent economic crisis.They shared the challenges they were facing, administratively, financially, and ministerially. Across regions and denominations, we found common concerns around decreased giving, caring for church employees, the pros and cons of virtual worship, and the way COVID-19 was affecting their ability to serve the most vulnerable among us.
“One of our challenges is: how do we communicate?” Voiced a pastor from Virginia, recognizing that congregants may have the desire to engage, but may be hampered by technology when signing on for a streaming service or attempting to tithe online. This may be a problem for congregants who lack consistent access to an Internet connection or a device, or simply lack experience. In response, another pastor described a congregant who was driving around and acting as a mobile “usher,” receiving paper checks at people’s homes. “Pick up the phone and just talk,” offered a pastor from Long Island. “See how people are and see where they’re at.” The more these leaders described their context and creative solutions, it became clear that local pastors are perfectly situated to assess the needs of their people. And while no single solution will suit all congregations, there is power in sharing diverse and imaginative ways to bridge social distance.
This, of course, is why CPA wanted to host this call. We believe that one of the ways we can be helpful in this time is bringing missional organizations and houses of worship together so their leaders can see what other people are doing. The rural pastor has something to learn about online giving from the church down the road and the church four states away. The administrator for a large, New York synagogue can trade tech strategies with a Baptist congregation in Atlanta. We have already created this network. Now we want to help more people use it.
CPA is about trying to build new connections and new relationships, but also new visions for alternative economic solutions. Through this crisis, will continue to work with houses of worship to find ways to cut costs while adding value and hiring local vendors. With the passage of the CARES Act, we also see an opportunity to help guide congregations, who are eligible for these loans, through the application process. The Federal government has opened up $367 billion for loans to small businesses for supporting employee salaries. Organizations that maintain their staffing through this time of economic turmoil will have their loans forgiven. Congregations apply for these loans through their local bank. Visit our resource for demystifying these loans here.
This will not be the last conversation we have with national faith leaders and organizers. If you’d like to be invited to the next virtual gathering on Tuesday, April 7th email Alex Smith at alex@cpa.coop for registration details.