Church Business
Finance
• Church Giving Form
Payroll for Pastors
Often the Conference office receives calls about whether a minister is an independent contractor or a W-2 employee. Heather Kimmel, legal counsel of the United Church of Christ has added a section on the United Church of Christ website which is a helpful overview in addressing this question. We encourage you to read and share with the bookkeeper and/or the person(s) who handles finances in your church.
501(c)(3) Status
Yes, Your UCC Church Qualifies as a 501(c)(3)
Being a 501(c)(3) means that a nonprofit organization has been approved by the IRS as a federal tax exempt, charitable organization. Churches often need proof of this particular status when they are requesting money from a business for a ministry they support; they want to accept donations through Facebook or PayPal; or someone makes a large donation and the donor desires proof of the charitable status.
The Illinois South Conference and each of our churches have 501(c)(3) status. The National UCC holds the 501(c)(3) status for all the conferences and therefore all of our UCC churches. They act as an umbrella organization for all the UCC churches. That's beneficial for all of us because it means that the National UCC does the paperwork for all of us!
It's important to provide current dates and documents when the request is made, so we suggest asking for this documentation when proof is actually needed. When you need proof of 501(c)(3) status, contact Christy Pursell at email.