Audits by March 31, Receipts for Every Gift: A New Council Wants to Get Jamaica’s Churches Compliant

• The Caribbean Council for Ethical and Financial Accountability launched in Jamaica
• Rules introduced in 2022 require audits, donor records and a compliance officer
• “Most churches and ministries don’t have the resources,” its spokesman said
• Accredited churches, he argued, become “attractive to donors”

A Christian peer accountability group has come to Jamaica offering to help churches meet tougher financial and governance rules. The Caribbean Council for Ethical and Financial Accountability (CCEFA) held its launch at The University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters, the Jamaica Observer reported.

Spokesman John Rhoomes, regional facilitator for Global Trust Partners (GTP) in 28 Caribbean countries, called it a “soft launch” to raise awareness, sign up churches and recruit board members and volunteers. GTP president and CEO Gary Hoag and Jamaica country coordinator Horace Bennett were also listed as speakers. Rhoomes said many churches are struggling with the Charities Regulations, 2022. “Most churches are having difficulty becoming compliant because of all that is required; most churches and ministries don’t have the resources,” he said.

Those requirements are long. Charities must register with the Companies Office of Jamaica, name a compliance officer, keep donation records for at least seven years, issue a receipt for every donation, confirm who their donors are, and file annual returns and audits by March 31. Their financial statements must meet international reporting standards and be signed off by an independent registered accountant or auditor. The Department of Co-operatives and Friendly Societies may audit their finances. The Charities Act requires churches that receive donations to be registered.

CCEFA says it will assess churches, accredit them and monitor them each year for a small fee, and may even help raise money to get them ready. “Once they become compliant and they have the stamp of approval from CCEFA, they become attractive to donors,” Rhoomes said. The group has already launched in Belize and the Cayman Islands, and plans to move on to Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Rhoomes said the Jamaica Evangelical Association and the umbrella group of churches had given it “the thumbs up”.

For church property, this is where it matters. Audited accounts, receipts and proper board oversight are what lenders, grant funders and overseas donors look for before backing a new sanctuary, a school block or a housing project. A church that cannot show clean books will struggle to borrow, to win grants or to prove who controls its land and buildings. For diaspora members sending money home for a building fund, accreditation of this kind is a practical check that the gift will be recorded and spent as intended.

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