WatersEdge lightens the load, saving church both time and money
While serving as executive pastor of administration for more than 20 years at First Baptist New Orleans (FBNO), Bob Moore’s job description has morphed a bit in recent years.
Bob Moore
When he first started, Moore’s responsibilities were typical for a person in that role – overseeing things like church finances and building maintenance. But over time, Moore’s role has expanded to include more HR-related tasks, such as handling payroll and benefits packages. The additional duties were added in response to the recent retirement of the church’s finance assistant.
Now, it’s Moore’s turn to retire, concurrent with the church’s business manager, who’s been at FBNO for 10 years. She, too, assumed more duties following the finance assistant’s retirement. Moore is set to retire April 1, while the business manager’s planned exit is a few months later.
“The original plan was that we would both retire at the end of May or first of June this year. She turns 70 in May and wanted to work till she’s 70, and so she’s committed to work until June 1. I turned 65 in June, but I’m going to retire the first of April,” Moore explained.
The scenario above is played out in many churches today, where a church staff member or volunteer in charge of the church’s finances is scheduled to retire or has already retired, and the church must quickly find a replacement.
Sometimes, finding a perfect match can be a long and drawn-out process for a congregation, especially when that individual must possess proper skills and training to perform the job effectively, but more importantly, be a committed Christian.
First Baptist New Orleans is situated on Canal Blvd., a short distance south of Lake Pontchartrain and north of New Orleans’ famous French Quarter.
There are even instances where a seasoned finance professional’s skills and knowledge have naturally declined over time due to age or reluctance to embrace new software. Church leaders might be hesitant to let go of an individual because they either don’t want to jeopardize a relationship or they may feel ill-equipped to confidently assume that role themselves.
When scenarios like those mentioned above occur, many churches have contacted WatersEdge for help. First Baptist New Orleans was one of them. Senior pastor, Chad Gilbert, met with Sarah Barham, vice president of WatersEdge Ministry Accounting, during the 2024 SBC Annual Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. They briefly discussed how WatersEdge could manage his church’s finances so they could focus more of their time, energy, and resources on advancing the Gospel.
Sarah Barham, center, provides a demo of WatersEdge accounting services and software at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Ind.
Upon returning to New Orleans, Gilbert suggested that Moore call Barham to learn more about what services WatersEdge offers churches and other ministries. After a phone conversation with Barham and a subsequent Zoom meeting, FBNO decided to go all in. WatersEdge now handles accounting, payroll, contribution tracking, and online giving for the church.
“We’re convinced this is the best [decision] for First Baptist New Orleans, to use WatersEdge. And it just so happened that our retirement is just part of this process because I did call three or four references, and retirement was really not part of their story, but this is just part of ours,” Moore said.
One benefit of partnering with WatersEdge that excites Moore the most is WatersEdge teaching them how to use the latest accounting technologies.
“WatersEdge helps so many churches and, I think, has a broader knowledge and experience than anybody on our staff,” he said. “They can make recommendations because they know what works and what does not work. So, I am excited and feel very comfortable with WatersEdge.”
WatersEdge currently serves more than 270 churches and ministries nationwide. And more are being added monthly, an indication that the growth isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Barham said she has been hiring one or two people per month just to get them trained before more churches come on board.
A wall inside FBNO reminds the congregation of their mission to reach their neighborhoods, city, and the nations with the Gospel.
One big draw for most churches is the software WatersEdge uses to process their real-time reports, giving churches instant access to their financial information.
“A lot of times, whoever is in the finance role, or if the church is outsourcing to a third party, they don’t have access to full reports when they want them. They have to go through that person to get them. That’s not the way we set it up. They can actually go in and pull whatever they want,” Barham said.
Another benefit WatersEdge offers churches is what Barham refers to as ”segregation of responsibility.” Rather than assigning one person from her staff to manage a church’s finances, those responsibilities are shared among other employees. This arrangement ensures multiple reviews are happening throughout the month for each church so that problems are less likely to arise.
“[Our setup] is not like a call center where they have no idea who they are going to talk to when they call in. They actually have someone that’s assigned to that church. Even if their assigned person is out sick or on vacation, there is always a backup for that person,” Barham explained.
It’s that type of knowledge, professionalism and personalized attention that has Moore and the rest of FBNO looking forward to a long relationship with WatersEdge.
“I could see us going to WatersEdge even if I didn’t retire. [They] have answered our prayers in a number of ways,” he said.
WatersEdge and First Baptist New Orleans are the perfect pair – prompted by a need, an opportunity, and expertise to come alongside ministry. To discover all the ways WatersEdge Ministry Accounting can serve your church, schedule a demo or read more about our services at WatersEdge.com/accounting.
By Harve Allen
