Community Gospel is a Texas non-profit corporation in good standing with the State of Texas. According to the by-laws, all unspecified power and responsibility rests upon the pastors.
So what does that mean? We are not a congregational run church. We do not have a board of trustees who manage the affairs of the church. Decisions are made by the pastors.
Many peoples' first reaction is that as a congregational member, they have no "power" in the running of the church. The fact is that congregants have more of a voice without a board. They are free to go directly to the pastors with ideas and / or concerns without first overcoming the obstacles placed by boards.
Basically, here's how the finances are handled. There are two persons who count each offering and prepare the bank deposit. The deposit is made and the receipt brought back to the church. Bills are approved and paid by the pastors. The checkbook is balanced on a monthly basis and then is reviewed by the person making the monthly financial statements. Financial statements as well as the checkbook registers are available upon request. As you can tell, there are several checks and balances to ensure there is no misappropriation of funds.
The pastors are paid a monthly salary and housing allowance. In addition to the tithes and offerings, we also receive funds from the bookstore on a regular basis. These proceeds have paid for major expenses such as the air conditioner, the sidewalk and paving in the back of the church, and other "high ticket" items.
As mentioned before, decisions are made by the pastors. On occasion, they have asked some of the members of the church for their opinion on various matters. There have also been times when the congregation was asked to vote about different issues. These "votes" are kept at a minimum as to not have internal strife in the church. If you have ever attended congregational meetings of other churches, you know how things can progress into a serious division in the church.
There is always the question of accountability. If the decisions are made by the pastors, who do they answer to ? The answer is simple - to God. Because the Lord expects us to do our best and strive to excellence, the leadership of the church takes the responsibility of running the church very seriously.
Through the years, there may have been mistakes made. However, I believe you will find us to be one of the best run organizations around. It is because of the direction of the Lord we have made it so far, and it is because of His direction we will succeed in the future.