The church most likely to experience fraud is the one that thinks it can’t happen to us according to a new nationwide survey of more than 700 church leaders conducted by Church Law & Tax.

The survey shows nearly one-third of respondents serve in congregations that have experienced some form of financial misconduct. The survey also shows that fraud happens in churches of all sizes, in all geographic areas, and churches with budgets both large and small. 

The failure to prevent or quickly detect financial misconduct exacts heavy tolls on congregations. The Center for the Study of Global Christianity’s 2019 study estimates church fraud globally will grow 6 percent annually and total $80 billion by 2025.*

Learn more about this problem—and how church leaders can take action to prevent it.

Show Notes: 

·        Article | How Well Does Your Church Prevent Financial Misconduct?

·        On-Demand Webinar | Fraud in the Church: What We Learned from 700 Church Leaders 

·        Sign up for the Church Law & Tax e-newsletter to receive updates about the forthcoming fraud prevention online training featuring Vonna Laue.

·         Learn more about Erika’s 6-week LIVE course where she helps burnout pastors take the next step toward a life of more joy and contentment.

Questions? We welcome them! Please email Erika Cole at [email protected] See all episodes of Church Law. The Church Law podcast is part of Christianity Today’s ChurchLawAndTax.com, a not-for-profit publishing ministry. Erika E. Cole, Esq., known as The Church Attorney®, is one of only a handful of attorneys in the nation who practices exclusively in the area of church law. She currently serves as a senior editorial advisor for Christianity Today’s ChurchLawAndTax.com. Headshot of Erika by Eagle Lens Media | Podcast Editing by Brian A. Brown*Since the recording of this episode, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary’s Center for the Study of Global Christianity released its  2022 study. The center now estimates church fraud globally will total $70 billion a year by 2025.

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