Ministry Finance, Done Right
The CPA for Churches and Christian Nonprofits Who Want to Get It Right
Ministry finance is complex: housing allowance, dual status, restricted funds, 990s, UBIT. Most CPAs get it wrong. I help churches and nonprofits get it right so their mission can move forward without fear.
Weekly, plain-English ministry finance guidance. Free.
Cleveland, OH · Ministry Finance CPA
Why This Is Hard
Ministry finance breaks the rules everyone else learned
Pastor payroll is not normal payroll
Housing allowance elections, dual tax status, and the temptation to treat a pastor as a 1099 contractor all carry real IRS exposure. One missed step and the ministry, not the pastor, absorbs the risk.
Restricted funds are a legal promise
When a donor restricts a gift, that restriction is not a suggestion. Spending it elsewhere, even temporarily, can create legal liability and break trust that took years to build.
Your bookkeeper is not a ministry CPA
A capable bookkeeper can keep the books balanced. Fund accounting, 990 readiness, UBIT exposure, and ECFA standards require someone who knows ministry finance specifically, not finance in general.
The go-to CPA for churches and Christian nonprofits navigating the complexity of ministry finance.
— Matt LaFleur, CPA
About Matt
A Cleveland CPA who chose ministry finance on purpose
Matt LaFleur is a Cleveland-based CPA, the founder of Forest City CPA, and the creator of The Ministry CPA and its weekly newsletter, Called to Account. The Ministry CPA is where that expertise turns toward a single focus: helping churches and Christian nonprofits manage money with clarity and confidence.
Matt works directly with executive pastors, church administrators, treasurers, and nonprofit finance leaders to solve the problems general accounting firms tend to miss: housing allowance elections, restricted fund tracking, 990 readiness, and the internal controls that keep a ministry's finances defensible.
How I Can Help
Three ways to bring ministry-specific finance expertise to your team
Advisory & Fractional CFO
For Churches & Christian Nonprofits, Retainer-Based
Ongoing financial leadership without a full-time hire. Budgeting, cash flow, board reporting, and strategic guidance from a CPA who already knows ministry finance.
Compliance Reviews & Board Training
Housing Allowance, Restricted Funds, Internal Controls, 990 Readiness
A focused review of where your church or nonprofit is exposed, followed by plain-English board training so leadership understands the risk and the fix.
Speaking & Workshops
ECFA, The Church Network, Church & Nonprofit Staffs
Practical sessions on the ministry finance topics that trip up even experienced church and nonprofit staff and boards.
See speaking topics ↓See the full list of services, including bookkeeping, payroll and minister tax returns →
Speaking & Workshops
Practical ministry finance training for staffs, boards, and conferences
Matt speaks to church and nonprofit staffs, boards, and denominational and association gatherings on the topics that create the most risk and the most confusion in ministry finance. Six signature talks, published rates, and free sessions for local churches.
See Talks, Formats & FeesGet In Touch
Let's talk about your ministry's finances
Whether you need a fractional CFO, a compliance review, or a speaker for your next event, start with a short conversation.