The Challenge
Alan is one of the pastors of a growing church in Farmington, Utah. As the church expanded, managing its finances became increasingly complex. He needed a bookkeeper to ensure everything stayed on track.
The first company Alan partnered with seemed convenient—services were cheap and easy. But with time, Alan noticed:
- The service was not proactive.
- Questions were met with pushback.
- Responses were slow and unhelpful.
"It was just unfortunate. It didn't fit our needs,” Alan explained.
The Solution: BELAY
After a disappointing first experience, Alan turned to BELAY. With a detailed list of needs, he was matched with BELAY Accounting Professional Michal Trout.
"I will tell you we couldn't be happier. She has been ideal."
As a former CFO, Alan understands the importance of financial expertise. Michal’s deep knowledge and strategic insights impressed him from the start.
“In the past, I’ve had 240 finance people reporting to me on any given day, and having just Michal, I'm way ahead right now.”
"She's incredible. Her attitude, her professionalism, her accuracy. She understands the complexities of bookkeeping at a high level and ensures every detail is handled correctly."
Her background and proactive approach gave Alan confidence that his church’s finances were in the best hands.
Immediate Benefits
"From day one, we realized we made the right decision,” Alan said, “And then immediately we started seeing the benefits from it."
Michal introduced new systems that transformed the church’s financial operations:
- Divi cards and Bill.com: Eliminated the need for pastors and ministry leaders to use personal cards.
- Customized financial reporting: Allowed different levels of detail based on individual needs.
- Improved efficiency: Monthly financial discussions shrank from an hour to just 15 minutes.
"She stays on me too. She says, ‘Alan, you were going to get this done.’ So I'm always very appreciative of that."
Beyond bookkeeping, Michal plays a crucial role in helping Alan plan for his team’s long-term financial security.
"I make sure that we're putting money in Guidestone, which is for retirement. Because I know as a pastor's kid how little pastors are given, so I make sure that we're putting money in to invest there."
Michal helped Alan not only set up and manage these contributions but also develop a presentation to educate pastors on personal finance. She assisted in breaking down complex financial concepts, explaining the importance of compounding interest, and encouraging participation in the program.
"Michal helped me a lot with that presentation. She's building a training course, too, because I onboarded two others to make it four of us in the finance team."
The Impact
Beyond efficiency, Michal gave Alan something truly priceless:
"It’s just peace of mind that it's being done right. I'm not worried about our taxes. I'm not worried about onboarding new staff. I'm not worried about the books not being balanced. And I know about all of that, but I love that I don’t have to think about it."
Unlike his previous experience, Michal isn’t just a service provider; she is a partner.
"She genuinely cares. She is genuinely focused on our needs. And she’s also proactive to tell us when we should be doing something different."
“When we talk about the finance team, her name's always on the team. She's not an outsider anymore. She kind of never was honestly. It was an immediate bond. She's one of the team leaders in my mind because between me and her, we're giving all the financial direction.”
That kind of teamwork is why Alan doesn’t just appreciate BELAY’s services — he actively recommends them to other pastors and friends looking for reliable outsourcing options.
"[With BELAY] You're gonna have the visibility, the clarity, the timeliness, and the documentation you need to both look forward, look backward, and then prepare your people."
"Having someone along the journey with us, helping us grow, helping us stay focused, helping us have our books and dollars in the right order. It makes life a lot easier."
BELAY Accounting Services
Your Finances. Done Right.
Ready to experience the same peace of mind Alan found with BELAY? Schedule a call today to see how our accounting services can support your church or organization.