Church Administration
The care of resources and exercise of good stewardship is an important component of ministry. The following resources are provided to assist you with best practices in your congregation. If you have questions or need assistance, you are welcome to contact Amy Van Dyke or the Synod Office.
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Each year as congregations set their ministry spending plan, the synod is also planning financial commitments on behalf of all congregations of the synod. To help with this planning, congregations are asked to submit a mission support form at the beginning of the year. Congregations are encouraged to use a remittance form when mailing mission support / benevolence to Southeastern Iowa Synod Center for Ministry.
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Learn how your mission support dollars change lives here in Iowa and across the world. This printable PDF is for congregational use, highlighting the broad-based ministries that we do together as the Southeastern Iowa Synod and ELCA.
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When submitting your congregation’s mission support to the Southeastern Iowa Synod please also include a remittance form with the contribution check. The information you submit helps ensure your gift goes to the appropriately designated synod or churchwide ministry.
For best results, download and save the form as a PDF. Then fill out the form. To open and fill the file please use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Do not use your browser to complete the form. It will not save your entries. You can then print and mail your completed form with your check.
Download the Fillable Remittance Form
Get a listing of churchwide ministries for designating funds.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Associate for Finance, Amy Van Dyke, at 319-338-1273, ext. 807cription
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The Southeastern Iowa Synod recommends rostered ministers and congregational leaders to engage in an annual review. The review provides space for a formal conversation about where the congregation has been in the past year(s) and sense where God is calling the congregation in the coming year(s) in shared ministry. The commitment to an annual review/conversation keeps the congregation and rostered minister accountable to one another and to the ministry to which has been entrusted to the congregation.
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Administration Matters is a bimonthly e-newsletter for ELCA congregational and synodical leaders. It addresses common, practical issues including finance, governance, risk management, tax, legal concerns and topics of interest about day to day operations and management in church settings. To view the current issue and sign-up to receive the e-newsletter, visit the ELCA Administration Matters web page.
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Congregations are required to file Annual Congregation Report Form A each year. Reports may be submitted online through the ELCA's Annual Congregation Report Online System. To access the site, you will need your congregation ID number and the password found in the letter mailed to you in January.
Learn more at https://www.seiasynod.org/annual-reports.
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How long does a congregation keep financial records, employee files, or members’ information? Advice and guides can be found on the ELCA Office of the Secretary Resource page.
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Resources for treasurers and bookkeepers of congregations concerning accountable reimbursement policies, audits, internal control best practices, and much more are available on the ELCA Financial Resources page.
Guidance for IRS Mileage Rate for 2026
Year End Financial Checklist 2025- information for treasurers and bookkeepers of congregations to prepare year end financial and administrative tasks.
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General legal information from the general counsel of the ELCA concerning the church for members, pastors, and congregations to help answer questions of financial, property, and other matters is available to congregations on the ELCA Legal Issues Resource page.
Biennial Report Instructions - A Biennial Report in Iowa is a legally regular filing that your congregation must complete every two years with the Secretary of State.
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Congregation, pastor, deacon, and lay leader email addresses are often spoofed—meaning that they look like a real address but are fake. Scammers try to make the matter seem urgent and are often convincing. Do not reply to these emails or click links. The best course of action is to ignore and delete them.
Click here to view or download a flyer and learn how to protect yourself and others from these kinds of email attacks. Please feel free to use this document in your congregation to inform others about these kinds of scams.