Discuss questions around local unit policies for budgeting, reconciling, etc. This forum should not contain specific financial or membership information.
I have just been informed that no cheques can be used to reimburse anyone as from today. They must first submit a form to the bishop to be signed-give their bank details to the clerk,who will then do a electronic transfer. I have not yet had the software update to do this yet on MLS. Hopefully before Sunday. Are there any problem I should watch out for. I do have a request form which I used for cheques-is there another one that I should use? If so can anyone send me a copy that I can edit.
Also at the end of the year tithing and donations will be electronic transferred. It already takes me and a member of the Bishopric 2 hours to do tithing,donations and expenses so I suspect this will take even longer.
Will members be able to do there own Transfer at home for tithing and donations? Many members send cheques to Frankfurt as part of the gift aid package rather that do a Standing Order from their bank
I recieved a email last week from the Chairman of the audit committed here is a copy
Please note the following important message:
Dear Brethren,
We have been informed this week that our stake and ward finances are to be managed in a significantly different way from Monday. Cheque books will become redundant and all payments will be made electronically on M L S . I am reassured that the system will be fairly simple to use.
Members will be required to provide their bank details which we will use to send them payments. They will need to fill out a request form and also provide proof of expenses (usually receipts) as they do now. Payments will be made and reported on MLS and will require two authorised leaders to input in the same way we report tithing and other donations.
In the meantime we suggest the following urgent action tomorrow.
Please write and action all urgent payments by cheque and report them immediately on MLS . Then complete at least two send receive actions on the computer. You should then lock up your cheque book somewhere safe as you will not use it again except for your audit.
During the week your MLS will be updated to Electronic fund transfers (EFTs) which will download at your next send receive. Please complete a couple of send receives during the week or next Sunday before completing any further financial work.
A training presentation will be emailed to you during the week to further explain the system and you can contact myself or our new stake clerk if you have any difficulties or questions.
Our stake President and audit chairman are both on holiday and so we haven't seen any of this. I have sent a message to Frankfurt asking for a bit more info.
Will keep you posted.
Thankfully they are only talking about disbursements and so we shouldn't need to worry about people paying by cheque just yet.
I must say this is the first I've heard of this. Maybe it's being rolled out on a Stake by Stake basis and/or maybe Michaeljefferyjones Stake is the guinea pig for this?
Last edited by Biggles on Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have just received the following from Frankfurt:
"Implementation of electronic funds transfer (EFT) started 14 July in one stake in the UK. Another stake is scheduled for this week, and two others the following week. All stakes will eventually be scheduled for August or September.
This only affects disbursements and does not affect donations. Members can continue to donate in cheque, cash, or direct deposit via gift aid unchanged."
I was sent a powerpoint to explain this, including a new payment request form. I think this is the info your audit chairman will send to you this week.
I asked about the donations going electronic and was told that this facility will be available next year, as you indicated in your original post. Note that it is an option, the facility will be available for children, and others without a bank account, to pay through the ward as they do now.
He did mention that cheques were made obsolete 20 years ago in Germany, I believe this is a hint that they will no longer be accepted as payment into the ward when this is implemented - This is my opinion, I haven't heard anything official regarding this.
It should make doing the tithing on Sunday easier as there will be less to do and once the bank info is entered, for the members, then expenses they should get easier too.
