Finance Secretary

Pierce Chapel Methodist Church; Columbus (GA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Pierce Chapel Methodist Church in Columbus, GA is seeking an experienced bookkeeper to manage accounts payable, payroll, HR records, and general ledger activities for a small church.

The role requires familiarity with QuickBooks, Microsoft Office, and maintaining confidential personnel information; an associate degree in accounting or five years of nonprofit bookkeeping experience is preferred. A drug screen and background check are required.

Qualifications

• Must be proficient with operating a desktop computer on a network.
• Experience in bookkeeping or accounting for a nonprofit organization preferred.
• Strong attention to confidentiality and accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Pay all church invoices and maintain check stock.
• Process monthly payroll for staff including tax filings.
• Maintain church’s general ledger and reconcile accounts.
• Post employment updates and maintain HR files.
• Handle donations and ensure accurate recording in church software.
• Prepare financial statements and budgets for committees.

Skills

Computer proficiency

Education

Associate’s degree in accounting or related field or 5+ years experience

Tools

QuickBooks

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint

ACS/Vanco

Job description

WORK SCHEDULE – ENVIRONMENT

• Works approximately 25 hours per week, typically 7 hours on Monday and 4 hours each additional weekday.
• Some flexibility in scheduled hours is required due to seasonal demands.
• Supportive and casual office environment with emphasis on healthy staff relationships.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

• Responsible for paying all church’s invoices.
• Prints all checks, maintains check stock.
• Ensures all payments are coded with proper general ledger account assignments.
• Maintains church credit cards by ensuring statements are reviewed, paid, and cleared to general ledger.

PAYROLL

• Prepares church’s monthly payroll for staff consisting of full and part-time salaried and part-time hourly employees.
• Processes payroll withholding taxes to include all state and federal reports and filings.
• Prepares annual IRS Form W-2 for church’s staff as well as any IRS form 1099 for any independent contractors.

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Responsible for maintaining and updating any changes to Human Resource packets via Federal, State, and local employment updates.
• Maintain current employee files, including updating information as requested by employees.
• Post necessary labor law standards and posters in required locations as mandated by Labor Laws.
• Work with insurance company to file annual audits and maintain/update any worker’s compensation issues as needed.
• File all employment updates (hire/update/fire) through Federal and State reporting systems.

BANK DEPOSITS

• Each Monday counts, balances, and records the Sunday church offerings and makes the bank deposit of all funds received.
• Deposits all preschool tuition receipts.
• Prepares all other non-regular bank deposits as needed, to include endowment funds, invested funds, dedicated funds, weekly youth suppers, etc.

CHURCH MEMBER DONATIONS AND GIVINGS

• Records all member giving data in church software.
• Ensures member giving is applied to correct accounts as designated by donor. For example, funds may be designated for general fund or dedicated funds such as building fund, missions funds, preschool funds, etc.
• Work with other staff to ensure that our online giving opportunities remain accurately displayed on our website and app.
• Prepares and distributes quarterly giving statements to all church members and contributors. Statements must accurately report funds given to date and compare actual contributions to pledged contributions.
• Assist Stewardship Team by preparing financial statements and reports.

GENERAL LEDGER

• Maintains the church’s general ledger by processing all transactional data to include deposits, payments, and journal entries.
• Reconciles monthly general ledger to trial balance.
• Prepares monthly account reconciliations for those accounts identified by Finance Committee.

BUDGET

• Assists church staff with preparing annual department operating budgets by researching actual expenses incurred and entering budget data on-line.
• Prepares annual budget reports and requested analysis for approval by Finance Committee.
• Prepares monthly consolidated and departmental budget to actual comparison of expense data, to include quarter and year to date comparisons.

FINANCIAL REPORTING

• Prepares monthly financial statements to include consolidated balance sheet, statement of revenues and expenses and statement of dedicated funds.
• Prepares monthly departmental statement of operating expenses with comparisons to budget and prior year actual expenses.
• Prepares ad hoc reports as requested by Pastor, Treasurer, or church committees.
• Prepares financial statements for the South Georgia Conference.

ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE

• Responsible for maintaining church’s accounting software to include chart of accounts maintenance, organizational hierarchies, annual closing cycles.
• Maintains backup records for disaster recovery purposes.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

• Coordinates audits with third party auditors.
• Assists church Treasurer with investment of church funds and assets.
• Assists with backup for the church Secretary as needed.
• Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Expected to model the Christian life in a way that reflects the role of a church employee.
• Associate’s degree (accounting or other business curriculum) or five years’ experience or some combination thereof.
• Work experience should include bookkeeping or accounting, preferably with another church or charitable non-profit organization.
• Must be proficient with operating a desktop computer on a network.
• Must be proficient with QuickBooks and with Microsoft Office software such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint. Knowledge of ACS/Vanco is a plus.
• Must submit to a criminal and credit background check upon hire and annually thereafter.
• As an absolute condition of employment, individual is required upon hire to pass a drug screening test. Employees are also subject to random drug tests upon request.
• The statements contained in this job description reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required, and the scope of responsibility. It should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individual may perform other duties as assigned.

EVALUATION

• The pastor and/or the Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) will conduct an evaluation of the employee after 90 days of probationary employment.
• The pastor and/or the Staff Parish Relations Committee will conduct annual evaluations of all staff at the first of each calendar year.

TERMINATION POLICY

• Either party may terminate the employment with two weeks’ written notice.