As corruption clouds politics, as public figures deny and then confess, as people become increasingly suspicious of basic institutions like their banks, schools and, yes, their churches, the need for transparency becomes critical.
People don’t expect perfection from their churches. They know that clergy are overworked and underpaid. They know that lay leaders are overworked and not paid at all. They know that people renege on commitments and don’t give what they should. They know that weather, basketball tournaments, and human orneriness can undo the best-laid plans.
What church members cannot tolerate is obfuscation, the deliberate withholding of information, especially when they suspect that it is being withheld to protect clergy and/or laity from scrutiny.
Church members need to know how their money is being spent, even in traditions that don’t require, or allow, members to approve the budget. Church members need to know what plans are afoot, what changes are being considered, what dreams are taking shape among key leaders, and what concessions to painful reality are being made.
Yes, there are exceptions. Pastoral matters aren’t to be made public, and certain personnel matters require discretion. But on the whole, church members need far more real-time information than they are getting.
Fortunately, the Internet is an ideal venue for making such information available. Here’s how it works from a “best practices” standpoint: The congregation’s Web site should have certain sections that require username and password, some open to all members, some limited to parish leaders. While the budget, for example, remains a working document, it remains in the section that only leaders can access. When it is done, a summary version (not specific salaries) is posted in the section open to all members, along with an e-mail link for making a comment.
Which information should be made available? Members need whatever information is necessary for them to be responsible, effective, engaged, and trusting.
Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the author of “Just Wondering, Jesus,” and the founder of the Church Wellness Project.
