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Introduction to Internal Security
CHURCH COLLECTION SECURITY Modern Christianity's Fiscal Achilles' Heel
Did you ever wonder how that five, ten or twenty dollar bill many parishioners place in the collection basket each Sunday is handled?
Are you under the impression your church has in place procedures which ensure that every dollar placed in the collection basket is, in fact, deposited in the church account?
Have you always assumed these monetary gifts are adequately protected against theft by church employees, volunteers and other persons?
Regardless of how you answer the first question, if your answer to either of the last two questions is "Yes", you're definitely in the majority. The problem is, the majority is 180º off course! In all likelihood, the Sunday collection in your church isn't even close to being adequately protected, and it's a good bet no one (locally) has the slightest idea of how to go about accomplishing that objective.
If you inquire, those who are involved in the handling of the Sunday collection will assure you there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. In most instances, however, they’re simply telling you what they believe to be the case. More often than not, that’s not what a knowledgeable and objective reviewer would find. As a matter of fact, even the most unschooled of churchgoers can easily reach one of two conclusions: that the collection system is definitely not secure or that it might possibly be secure. All one need do is observe how the ushers dispose of the contents of their collection baskets. If they empty them into a single container (a closable mail-type sack, for example) which is immediately closed and positively locked or sealed (with a numbered plastic seal, for example), one can say the system might be secure. If, however, the collection is not secured in a manner very close to that described, it is safe to say the system is definitely not secure. If you truly care about the long-term fiscal wellbeing of your church, read on!
To see what our nation's preeminent accounting society has to say about security requirements, click on The Experts menu bar button. To better understand why a truly secure Sunday collection system is an ethical as well as a fiscal imperative, click on The Reasons. For graphic examples of the monetary cost of fiscal insecurity, click on Case Histories. Members of the hierarchy - bishops, chancellors and others in multi-church/parish decision-making positions - are urged to visit the Decision Makers page. Also included are a message from the guidelines’ developer, and a testimonial letter from a pastor who had both the wisdom and courage to implement the guidelines; while his remarks are phrased with subtlety, it doesn’t take a college degree to recognize he’s glad he made that decision.
And, finally, those who have reviewed the above recommended pages and wish to know more about how to secure a Sunday collection are invited to click on the Basic Elements and Download Guidelines hyperlinks.
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