Training Church Leaders in Financial Stewardship and Budget Management in Lagos State

Financial mismanagement in Nigerian churches is frequently traced to inadequate training of church leaders in basic financial stewardship and budget management principles. This study develops and evaluates a training programme for church leaders in financial stewardship and budget management, contextualised for the Lagos State church environment. A professional training development methodology was adopted, beginning with a financial management competency assessment administered to 80 church leaders from six denominations in Lagos State. Common knowledge gaps and management skill deficits were identified through the assessment, supplemented by interviews with fifteen financial management professionals who are church leaders. The developed training programme addresses seven competency areas: biblical foundations of financial stewardship, church budget preparation and monitoring, cash flow management, restricted and designated fund administration, payroll and benefits administration, internal controls and fraud prevention, and annual financial reporting. Each competency area includes practical exercises using Nigerian church financial scenarios. Pilot delivery to 30 church leaders confirmed significant competency gains (mean pre-test score: 41 percent; mean post-test score: 76 percent). The study recommends that the Christian Association of Nigeria Lagos State Chapter adopt this programme as a mandatory leadership development requirement for all churches and partner with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria to provide certification recognition for completers.

Keywords: financial stewardship, budget management, church leader training, Lagos State, church governance