This really tears me up inside.
And it’s too big of a problem to ignore.
Churches lose between $40 to $70 billion per year to fraud and embezzlement. That’s more than is spent on international missions each year!
That’s just not right!
And up to 95% of fraud in churches goes undetected and unreported.
That’s because it’s always someone that is known and trusted.
The people who are stealing the church’s money are those who have access to the church’s money.
That’s the ugly truth.
Most fraud and embezzlement comes in small amounts and starts out innocently (well, at least not dastardly).
It’s usually just a staff member or volunteer who needs a little bit of cash to pay a bill. They plan to pay it right back after their paycheck is deposited on Friday.
But their car breaks down or their kid gets sick. They’ll just pay it back the next week. Before they realize it, they are taking a little more to help with another bill.
Tens become hundreds. Hundreds become thousands.
So, over the next few posts, we are going to talk about how to protect your church from fraud and embezzlement.
I know it’s not exciting. But it is essential. And it’s the right thing to do for your church.
