Chancery assistance with accounting, payroll helps relieve parish bookkeepers’ ‘pain points’
Pinpoint accuracy.
New levels of efficiency, security and transparency.
Excellent training and support for parish bookkeepers and their pastors.
And ultimately, the freeing-up of substantial time and resources for ministry on the front lines.
These are a few of the benefits of an emerging new partnership between the diocesan Finance and Payroll offices and parishes throughout the Jefferson City diocese.
Namely, the Finance Office is upgrading the accounting software, coding design and security protocols and providing training and live support for parish bookkeepers through a project called the Accounting Services Initiative (ASI).
This will simplify and expedite some of the bookkeepers’ most difficult and time-consuming tasks.
“They’ll be able to do more, better and faster, and certain pain points are either reduced or removed entirely,” said Phil W. Macias CPA, chief financial officer for the diocese.
Thirty-three of the diocese’s 92 parishes volunteered to be in the first group to make the change on July 1.
“This is going to increase the accuracy of their books and is going to decrease the amount of time they spend on what goes in what account,” said Michelle Truesdale, diocesan accounting services manager.
“And it’s absolutely doable for every parish,” she said.
At the same time, the staff of the diocesan Payroll Office took on data-management and other payroll services — including calculating withholdings for taxes and benefits — for all 2,200 employees of the parishes and Catholic schools in the diocese.
“We’re helping to ensure accuracy, consistency and economies of scale,” said Cheryl Hertfelder, diocesan executive director of human resources.
“We’re also freeing up pastors and parish bookkeepers to do things that can only be done at the parish level,” she said.
Citing the advice of the diocesan legal counsel, the Chancery bills the parishes for these services, in keeping with the established corporate structure of the diocese, but the cost is fully deductible from each parish’s monthly tithe to the diocese under the Stewardship Model.
“This is a substantial benefit to parishes, and it’s coming out of the contributions they’re already sending to the Chancery,” said Mr. Macias.
A better way
For years, parishes have been using a patchwork of different computer programs or versions of the same software for bookkeeping. This frequently required pastors to relearn the process each time they are assigned to a new parish.
Bookkeepers and their pastors couldn’t turn to the Chancery for technical support because of different accounting procedures and software in each parish.
The previous Chart of Accounts — the numerical system for tracking revenue and expenses by type — was also outdated and imprecise.
As a result, “how much money you have, where it goes, how you use it, why you use it — this information wasn’t always as available as it should have been to the pastor and other decision-makers, including the parish finance council, to assess and track the viability of the parishes,” said Mr. Macias.
“This led to lost time, ineffective use of labor allocation and ultimately, ineffective use of dollars,” he said.
Deacon Joseph Braddock CPA, the diocese’s now-retired, former chief financial officer, realized that there had to be a better way for parishes to keep track of their finances.
He spent many hours creating a new Chart of Accounts for all parishes.
This laid the groundwork for standardizing the computer software to be used in parishes throughout the diocese.
Mr. Macias and his staff conducted extensive research and consultation before selecting the industry-leading, feature-rich, desktop version of QuickBooks Platinum for bookkeeping, and Skyline Cloud as the technical partner.
“Working with Skyline provides an enhanced security working environment and automatic data backups,” Mr. Macias stated. “And, because Skyline lifts the ‘desktop’ QuickBooks program into the cloud, it allows 24/7 access from anywhere.”
Mr. Macias also noted that this combination is intuitive and very user-friendly.
Another important benefit is the significant cost savings achieved by the diocesan-wide economy of scale. By bundling together the needs of the individual parishes, the Chancery was able negotiate a top-of-the-line product and service structure at minimal cost.
Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who led the diocese from 2018 until earlier this year, sought counsel from pastors and his advisors before approving the Accounting Services Initiative last year.
Mrs. Truesdale, who had served for 10 years as parish bookkeeper for St. Peter Parish in Jefferson City before becoming the diocese’s finance manager, switched over to the new role of diocesan accounting services manager.
“She is in a position, and the diocese is in position, to provide uniform instruction regarding a uniform Chart of Accounts and a computer platform that all participants are using,” said Mr. Macias.
“We can provide training, can answer questions, can provide help that parishes rightfully look to the Chancery to provide,” he stated.
Mrs. Truesdale’s responsibilities include helping parishes convert to the new software and Chart of Accounts, through training and ongoing support.
“When I walk into a room full of bookkeepers, these are my people. I’m going to take care of them,” she stated.
Parish bookkeepers come to training sessions with varying levels of experience and computer expertise.
“We’re able to walk through the process with whatever amount of detail is necessary, so they all feel more confident,” said Mrs. Truesdale.
Some of the most important information from the training sessions comes from the questions the bookkeepers and pastors ask.
“Several changes to the whole platform came about because of those questions and suggestions and in some cases, with discontent with what was going to happen,” Mrs. Truesdale noted.
Centralized payroll
For several years, the diocesan Payroll Office has provided data-maintenance and payroll services to certain parishes for a small fee, based on the number of checks written each month.
It became clear that the Chancery staff could handle all of these functions, at a substantial benefit to the parishes.
“It’s not economical to have 70 separate bookkeepers doing payroll throughout the diocese,” Mrs. Hertfelder pointed out.
She noted that it’s very difficult to train so many bookkeepers on the constantly shifting “ins and outs” of the payroll process.
“You really have to keep up with all the changes, and there tend to be a lot of them,” she said.
In addition, the diocese’s Human Resources Office has centralized the management of all employee leaves of absence, including Family and Medical Leave absences.
“We file all short-term and long-term disability claims,” said Mrs. Hertfelder.
Effective July 1, short-term disability insurance is now available to all employees as an employer-paid benefit.
“This important benefit ensures wage-income replacement for individuals who are absent more than two weeks due to an injury or non-work-related disability, in addition to any other paid time off benefits they may have available,” Mrs. Hertfelder stated.
She said most pastors and bookkeepers have been receptive to the centralization of the payroll process and helpful in bringing it about.
As is expected with changes of this magnitude, a few bumps in the road have needed to be smoothed out.
“I’m confident that in two to three payrolls from now, it will be all good,” said Mrs. Hertfelder.
Pain relief
Mrs. Truesdale said the new system will take away many of the “pain points” that pastors and parish bookkeepers often speak of with dread.
Among these are the annual end-of-fiscal-year report, quarterly financial reports to the Chancery, and calculating the monthly tithe to the diocese under the Stewardship Model for funding the services of the diocese.
“Most of the work that went into all of that goes away and is replaced with the click of a few buttons,” said Mrs. Truesdale.
By mid-July, parish bookkeepers in the first 33 parishes were finishing up the previous fiscal year with their old system while getting up to speed with the new one.
“I know that when I get into the new system, I’m really going to like it,” said Evelyn Dudenhoeffer, who has been secretary and bookkeeper for Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Chamois and Assumption Parish in Morrison for over 24 years.
She loves the idea of submitting a report with the touch of a button.
“That will save a lot of worry, time and headaches for me,” she said. “I won’t have to spend time putting that all together myself.”
Cathy Fohey, secretary and bookkeeper at St. Joseph Parish in Palmyra, noted that many of the people who handle the books at parishes also have numerous other responsibilities.
“They’re doing multiple tasks each day,” she said. “You might have parishioners coming into the office who need a place to go or to be pointed in the right direction. They might need to meet with the priest or need a food voucher or assistance.”
Mrs. Fohey, who’s been involved in parish ministry for 33 years, said the reason for good accounting practices is to ensure that proper resources are available for ministry.
“And ministry is the big part of what takes place here,” she said.
Priests want to be on the front lines of ministry, and the accounting and payroll services provided by the Chancery free them up to do more of what they were ordained to do.
Bank on that
Audrey Harris, parish bookkeeper for St. Pius X Parish in Moberly, comes from a banking background.
She came to work at the parish about a year and a half ago.
“I was really excited to see the new Chart of Accounts,” she said. “I’m a very detailed person, and the old chart of accounts was not as detailed as the new way.”
She anticipates the new system making things easier and more precise for her and her pastor.
“We’re still in transition, but I definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel,” she stated. “So, yes, in the long term, it’s going to be less stressful.”
Help from the Chancery has been abundant.
“Michelle (Truesdale) has been very, very thorough and detailed in getting us what we needed, and how we got our training, as well,” said Mrs. Harris. “Hats off to her. I can’t imagine how many hours she put in to get this up and going.”
Mrs. Fohey said the parishes are getting the help they’ve been asking for.
“Yes, it can be hard to learn new things,” she said. “But I feel like it’s going to move us forward and help us keep track of our finances better, and be able to prepare for the future — to move forward and build the future.”
Means to an end
Mr. Macias acknowledged that changes, even when they’re this beneficial, can be stressful.
“The bookkeepers and pastors have been very cooperative,” he said. “I can’t give them enough credit.”
Mrs. Truesdale enjoys the relationships she’s been able to cultivate with people in parish offices.
“The people I’ve worked with have been very cooperative and helpful and forgiving for everything they’ve gone through this month,” she said. “I’m very hopeful that the end product is making their lives easier.”
Mr. Macias emphasized that the main work of diocesan personnel in the Chancery is to help the bishop serve the parishes, so the parishes can serve all of the people.
“At the end of the day, the goal of all we do for our bookkeepers and our pastors is to benefit the faithful,” he said.
He pointed out that while finances are not the point of ministry, they are a means for the Church to do the important work of helping people and leading them into an ever-closer relationship with Christ.
“We have a responsibility, a duty, to be good stewards of those dollars that come out of the parishioners’ pockets,” he said.
“I’m convinced that this is all part of that,” he stated. “This is allowing us to stretch those dollars, to make our parish team members more effective, more efficient, to help ensure the most time, money and talent can be devoted to things that are not administrative in nature.”
Treasure in heaven
Mrs. Dudenhoeffer was quick to assure people in the next groups of parishes to make the accounting system transition that they can do it and that it will be well worth the effort.
“There is some transition time and it does take some time to learn it, but I think it’s gonna’ be great!” she said.
“Michelle is an awesome resource,” Mrs. Dudenhoeffer added. “If you ever have questions about the new system, she’s never hesitant to help. She’s so helpful and cheerful. She explains everything. She answers all of your questions.”
Being of service often involves knowing what people need.
“Michelle worked in a parish as a bookkeeper, and she understands what happens in a church office, and that there are distractions, and how you need a bookkeeping system that works,” said Mrs. Fohey.
“It’s great to work with other bookkeepers, coming together unified, and to have people we know will be there to back us up,” Mrs. Fohey stated.
Mrs. Harris recognizes God at work in these changes.
“I know he was here in the beginning, telling Phil and Michelle that this is what we need,” she stated. “And they were able to get it done and make it work.”
Likewise, she’s convinced that helping keep track of the Church’s assets is holy work.
“I think God put me here for a reason — to do this,” she said. “It’s definitely more so when it’s your home parish and your heart is here. Everything you do, you want to do it for God and his people.”
Mrs. Dudenhoeffer said prayers are always appreciated for the people who are in charge of parish finances.
“Pray for us, and we trust that God is going to help us,” she said.
