Church Leadership Lab Ep. 158 | Jonathan Howell: Practical Tips for Healthy Church Accounting
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Feb 11, 2026 Jonathan Howell, a church and nonprofit accounting specialist with 10+ years helping ministries manage finances. He talks about what makes church accounting unique. He explains why finances feel intimidating and the risks of relying on Excel. He outlines creating clear, timely reports for decision-making and steps for building trust through transparent stewardship.
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Heavy Metal, Not Country
- Jonathan listens to heavy metal and 80s hair metal despite assumptions from his accent.
- He prefers Metallica and Mötley Crüe over country music stereotypes.
Learn Basics To Remove Fear
- Learn the basics: credits, debits, and normal balances to demystify accounting.
- Focus on church finance questions like how money is raised, spent, and stewarded rather than bookkeeping jargon.
Generate Reports From Your Books, Not Excel
- Stop using Excel to generate financial statements and reports presented to leadership.
- Pull reports directly from your accounting system to preserve audit trails and accountability.
