Managing the added expenses involved with reopening your church
By Rev . Clifton Morgan
As we begin the new year , the country will already have witnessed health care workers and others receiving the first vaccines developed to protect us against COVID-19 . It is a testament to science — and , I believe , a miracle — that a vaccine has been developed so swiftly .
Nevertheless , it will be later this year before most of the country is vaccinated , possibly into the late summer and early fall .
In the meantime , we still need to practice protocols that will help keep us safe and healthy .
Some churches reopened after the first “ wave ” of COVID last spring , but many churches have continued to meet online by streaming their services or using other platforms , such as Zoom , Facebook Live or YouTube . As we look forward to churches reopening for in-person worship services , pastoral leadership is faced with increased expenses associated with protecting their congregation . The pandemic has greatly affected the bottom line of most churches with decreased tithes and giving , making it more difficult to fund daily operations let alone the added costs of sanitizing the church ; providing Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE ) for pastors , lay staff and congregants ; important signage and other related communications . There are several areas of the budget that will be affected , especially payroll and purchasing . Payroll might be increased if churches are required to hire additional staff , pay overtime to current staff , or hire contractors to sanitize the church building and monitor worshippers as they enter for services . Some churches will solicit volunteers from the congregation to reduce costs , but they will need to be properly trained on the CDC guidelines . Hiring outside cleaning contractors can be costly . Prices vary based on the location and size of your building . Costs are calculated on the square footage . Keep in mind that this will be a recurring expense ( weekly at least ) until the pandemic subsides . One option might be to have staff or volunteers clean on Sunday between services and the cleaning contractors sanitize weekly .
16 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | JAN / FEB 2021