When it comes to church finances, most pastors feel the tension. You’re called to shepherd people, preach the gospel, and lead a church forward on mission—but finances are always there, in the background, quietly shaping what’s possible.
That’s why Parable set out to listen.
We surveyed over 300 churches from 41 states, ranging from new church plants to churches stewarding multiple campuses across different states. We wanted to understand where churches are confident, where they’re struggling, and what’s holding leaders back from putting every dollar on mission.
Here’s what we discovered.
OVERALL FINDINGS
In this survey, we set out to gain a holistic view of the state of church finances by assessing seven key areas that you’ll see listed below.
The big picture? Most churches know what “healthy finances” should look like.
That’s super important. Knowing what ideal church finances look like gives us a clear goal. But what we found shows a gap between how church finances “should” work in theory and how they actually work in real life.
Based on the seven key areas we identified in our preliminary research, nearly 75% of churches scored as needing improvement in at least three of those areas, while only 10% showed no areas needing improvement at all.
Here at Parable, we don’t think having areas of improvement are a reason for shame, but an invitation. As church leaders, we know you want to lead with clarity and confidence, and the good news is that with the right systems and support, this is entirely possible.
Now let’s dig into some findings of the 7 categories we aimed our research at.
FINANCIAL TRUST & TRANSPARENCY
In the category of Trust & Transparency, 90% of pastors believe their congregation trusts their financial leadership. That’s good news—but trust without transparency is fragile. Many churches also admitted they aren’t giving regular, clear updates about where the money goes.
The truth is, people don’t just want to assume you’re stewarding well—they want to see it. And when they see it, trust grows deeper.
When churches use clear, simple tools like our Spending on Mission Tool, they can frame finances in a way that members understand and celebrate. Transparency builds confidence, and confidence fuels generosity.
ACCOUNTABILITY & FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT
Accountability is more than just avoiding mistakes—it’s creating confidence. Something your church can get behind.
Many leaders reported having multiple sets of eyes on the books or using technology to strengthen oversight. Those practices matter, but they don’t guarantee clarity unless the system is consistent.
An Internal Controls Checklist helps ensure the basics are covered: who approves, who records, and who reviews.
These safeguards protect not only the church but also the leaders serving faithfully behind the scenes.
When oversight is steady and simple, pastors can spend less time worrying about finances and more on advancing the mission.
MISSION-DRIVEN FINANCIAL PLANNING
73% of churches said their budgets reflect ministry priorities. All too often, when we ask a pastor or leader what their church is all about, they’ll passionately share their mission and vision. They’re excited, we’re excited. Then when we take a look under the hood and sort through their financials, we often find one problem.
The money isn’t telling the same story.
The church’s heart is all in—but the church finances? They are scattered, foggy, and maybe even stuck in a spreadsheet from 2014.
That’s why we strongly advise creating an intentional Financial Operating System. It’s the invisible but essential system that keeps your church finances aligned with your mission—so every dollar is a disciple-making, kingdom-advancing tool. We created the Church Financial Toolkit to give you as a springboard for creating your own mission-driven system.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT & COMMUNICATING VISION
Less than half of churches reported regularly communicating financial updates across multiple channels.
oo many churches stop short in telling the financial story. As a result, members often don’t see how their giving advances the mission. This is such an incredible opportunity to take a page out of the book of non-profits, and learn how to cultivate donors in a meaningful way, through impact reports and testimonies of lives changed.
Millennials and Gen Z especially want to see impact, not just receive a receipt or tax statement. A practical step any church can take is creating a clear, compelling annual report. Our guide, How to Write a Church Annual Report, walks you through telling the story of what God has done through their generosity—making it easy for people to catch the vision.
GENEROSITY & DONOR ENGAGEMENT
This was the second weakest category overall.
Most churches thank donors quickly, but few have a plan to disciple people into generosity.
Less than half reported being able to convert attenders into regular givers consistently. Many said they don’t teach stewardship consistently, and only a fraction include it in their discipleship pathway.
Without intentional equipping, younger generations are left to figure out giving on their own—and many never will. That’s why we created the Giving Potential Analysis Tool. Pairing it with our workshop on Cultivating Generosity gives you a roadmap to both understand your giving base and explore ways to engage them in conversations around giving.
DIGITAL GIVING 7 TECHNOLOGY
Two-thirds of churches now see the majority of giving come through digital platforms. But for one-third, checks and envelopes are still the norm.
Adopting modern technology and digital giving tools can save your church time, reduce errors, and ensure that financial records are always accurate and up-to-date.
The key is not just to adopt the latest software but to understand how to integrate it into a comprehensive accounting system that serves your church’s unique needs. By using technology to support your church’s financial management, you can ensure that your finances are always aligned with your mission and vision.
FINANCIAL EQUIPPING
Over 40% of churches admitted they don’t feel well equipped in forecasting, budgeting, and cash flow. Some pastors even confessed they avoid preaching on money because they don’t feel confident in their own stewardship.
The solution isn’t for every pastor to become a financial expert. It’s to track a few key numbers consistently and lean on the right team for support. Our Core Four Report and the Distilled episode 4 Numbers Every Pastor Should Know give you simple, practical ways to build confidence.
With just four metrics, leaders can move from insecurity to clarity in leading church finances.
A WORD ON WHO DOES YOUR CHURCH FINANCES
One clear marker stood out that spans the categories: the way churches manage their books.
A significant portion of the bottom 25% of churches, those who self-assessed as needing a great deal of help and improvement were relying on volunteers to do their books, while a significant portion of the top 25% who self-assessed with great confidence use church-specific bookkeepers.
Volunteers are a gift—but church finances often demand training and time that most volunteers either haven’t received or simply don’t have margin for, which is why church-specific expertise and consistency matter.
TO SUM IT ALL UP
The survey made one thing clear: trust is high, but transparency is low.
Leaders know they should be discipling people in generosity and stewardship, but often lack the confidence to do it well. Technology has advanced church finances, but it hasn’t solved the deeper issue of equipping pastors and engaging donors.
The good news? These gaps aren’t permanent.