Index of the March 2025 Issue
Issue 98 of Administration Matters
2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
The 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will take place July 28–Aug. 2 in Phoenix, Ariz. Under the theme “For the Life of the World,” the assembly will meet around word and water, wine and bread, to carry on its work on behalf of the entire church. Key actions during the assembly will be electing a new presiding bishop and secretary, considering a new social statement on civic life and faith, edits to the social statement Sexuality (2009) and recommendations from the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church. Live video of worship and plenary sessions will be accessible at the Churchwide Assembly page at elca.org.
New 2024 Tax Guides Available for ELCA Ministers and Congregations
Two tax guides are now available for church personnel through Portico Benefit Services, offering support to ministers and congregations in the ELCA benefit program.
• Available on myPortico, Richard R. Hammar’s “Clergy Tax Return Preparation Guide” focuses on tax-related topics most relevant to ministers.
• “Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches” helps congregations understand their federal tax-reporting requirements. It can be found on the Tax Filing Information tab on EmployerLink. Employers and plan members must sign in to their Portico account to access these guides.
Commercial Insurance Trends for 2025
This article summarizes key findings from the white paper “2025 Commercial Insurance Trends and How to Navigate Them.” For comprehensive insights and actionable tips, click here to download the full white paper. The insurance industry has seen a number of changes over the past year, with increased rates, increased deductibles and even decreased insurability. This isn’t because insurance companies are taking more than their fair share — it’s because risk levels have gotten substantially higher. As we begin 2025, it’s important to have a perspective on trends that have caused insurance rates to change so much. Here’s a closer look: 2025 Commercial Insurance Trends.
Frequently Asked Questions About Managing Employee Time
Managing employee time accurately and efficiently is vital to the success of an organization. Though the rules for managing employee time can be nuanced, labor laws must be closely followed to ensure that your organization is complying with them and that employees are appropriately protected. >More
Clergy Tax Issues: Status and Exemptions
This resource, available at elca.org, will help you navigate the intricacies of the clergy tax return as you prepare to file for 2024. There is much confusion around clergy taxes due to the dual tax status that is unique to clergy. Though most clergy are considered employees for the purposes of federal income tax reporting, all clergy are considered to be self-employed for the purposes of Social Security and Medicare tax with respect to services they perform in the exercise of their ministry.
Four Ways to Improve Your Church’s Online Presence
To find information about businesses or service providers, more people now go to the internet than to any other source. This is why it’s important to have a social media strategy and a system in place to provide search engines with information about your church. >More
