By Ronald Kelly
Although we seem to regularly struggle with budgets, we have received good news from our auditing firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
For the past several years, we have employed this multinational firm to review our books and issue a professional opinion on the financial state of our church. This helps ensure all our members and the many firms with whom we do business that appropriate financial procedures are in place and are followed.
For 1998, once again we have received an unqualified opinion. That means, in the auditor's opinion, the financial statements of the church "present fairly, in all material aspects, the financial position of the Worldwide Church of God ... in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles."
Church members should feel confident that finances of the church are handled with integrity in a professional manager. Our accounting firm has complimented church officials on their ability to make difficult decisions over the past few years as income has diminished. Even though these decisions have been painful, they have been necessary to keep church expenses in line with donation income.
Because these annual audits are quite lengthy and technical in nature, we do not publish the audit in The Worldwide News. However, a copy can be sent to any church member who requests one by sending your request to Ronald Kelly, Controller, Worldwide Church of God, 300 W. Green St., Pasadena, California, 91123.
Rather than publish a once-a-year financial statement, we keep you up to date with our monthly column and accompanying charts and graphs. For most members, this provides an appropriate overview of the financial affairs of the church.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1999