London
Many churches in Britain have shrinking congregations, but an organization that helps church volunteers hold their own with a welter of financial and accountancy requirements is proving so popular members have doubled in little more than a year.
The Association of Church Accountants and Treasurers (ACAT), at its annual meeting in July, announced that membership has increased to 535 from 257 one year ago.
“Legislation and demands are increasing almost daily, but most local finance officers are not accountants — they are often ordinary people who have been grabbed because they can’t say no,” ACAT secretary Ronald Norey said.
The association, founded in 1998, offers advice on bookkeeping, internal financial controls, risk assessment, employment issues, value-added tax, data protection and tax-efficient giving. Most Christian denominations are represented, with Anglicans making up almost half the membership, followed by Baptists.