PARISH TREASURER
JOB DESCRIPTION
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
General
Under the overall direction of the Parish Priest:
· Ensure the maintenance of financial accounts for the running of the Parish as required by the Archdiocese of Southwark and in accordance with the requirements of the Charity Commission and HM Revenue and Customs.
· Act as, or liaise with, the Chairman of the Finance and Fabric Committee.
· Oversee and support Parish Administrator's financial responsibilities (see below).
Detail
1. Oversee the recording of receipts by the Parish Administrator on a weekly basis and ensure that accurate accounting sheets are prepared covering all receipts and payments for the previous week.
2. Ensure that monies received for special collections & events are recorded and disbursed.
3. Oversee the collection, recording, banking, allocation and payment of Mass Intentions, Stole Fees and Holy Souls, reconciling these periodically with the Mass Stipend account in the Church’s books.
4. Pay all invoices and amounts due to the Clergy and Archdiocese in a timely manner.
5. Reconcile the Church books with the bank account at least monthly.
6. Prepare quarterly accounts for review and approval of the Parish Finance and Fabric Committee.
7. Prepare an annual Diocesan return for review by a financial specialist and submit to the Archdiocese.
8. Maintain records for Gift Aided contributions and advise the Archdiocese accordingly; prepare and submit a claim to the Archdiocese for the reclamation of tax paid by those eligible.
9. Ensure acknowledgements and annual statements are provided to individual givers and that any standing order forms are prepared and submitted to the giver’s bank.
10. Oversee the preparation of Gift Aid boxes for annual distribution.
11. Prepare Taxable Income records for the Priests’ Tax Returns.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Required Experience/Knowledge/Skills
1. Previous bookkeeping/financial experience. Good numeracy skills and financial awareness.
2. A good level of general education, including GCSEs A*-C in Mathematics and English or equivalent and a good grasp of English grammar.
3. Good working knowledge of current office software such as Outlook, Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel and website maintenance.
4. Good working knowledge of current office equipment such as printers, copiers and faxes.
5. Good interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build good relationships with all associates and an excellent telephone manner.
6. A large amount of common sense, coupled with the ability to employ good judgment in making decisions when working independently. A high level of self-motivation with a good sense of responsibility and the ability to work independently with minimum supervision.
7. The ability to be discrete and keep information confidential. A high level of integrity.
8. A general understanding of the workings of a Roman Catholic Parish, and the ability to quickly develop an in depth knowledge of the systems, structures and practices employed in a Roman Catholic Parish, Deanery, Episcopal Area and Diocese.
9. An empathy with the religious nature of the organisation and its objectives.
10. Willingness to work flexible hours.
11. A willingness to undertake a DBS Check.
12. Has current permission to work in the UK.
Parish Administrator’s Financial Responsibilities (see above)
1. To support the Parish Treasurer and Finance & Fabric Committee as necessary but reporting to Parish Priest.
2. To operate a basic bookkeeping system for routine income and expenditure – this is generally done via spreadsheets. To maintain accurate and up to date accounts.
3. To oversee the counting of the weekly collections, special collections and other events.
4. To prepare cheques for signature.
5. To undertake banking as required.
6. To review invoices and query/rectify mistakes.
7. To pay invoices and other expenditure in a timely manner and file all related documents.
8. To negotiate maintenance and utility contracts and provide meter readings as required.
9. To manage the petty cash and maintain a cash book as required.
10. To regularly prepare reports for Parish Pastoral Council and Finance & Fabric Committee meetings.
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