The role of church trustees is to manage church property and finances, in addition to overseeing legal matters relating to the church. The job description for a church trustee corresponds to this role.
Church trustees work as members of a Trustee Board. Trustees are responsible for overseeing the care, maintenance and repair of church property. Trustees monitor the finances of the church, approving expenses and payments. This necessitates having the trustees’ names on the church's bank account. Trustees must keep written reports of church financial activities and make these reports available to the congregation. The church treasurer may assist trustees in formulating financial reports.
Trustees must be knowledgeable about all insurance needs of the church and ensure that insurance policies provide adequate coverage. The Trustee Board also addresses the church’s long-term needs and goals, and plans accordingly, managing church resources and property to meet specified needs and to accomplish stated goals.
The Trustee Board cannot make real estate transactions on its own. The approval of other designated church authorities, which may or may not include the congregation as a whole, must be obtained in regard to any buying, selling, leasing, transferring or refinancing of real estate. Trustees may occasionally be involved in personnel matters.
The job of church trustee is typically a volunteer position.
