Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about church finances:

Do I have to pay anything to attend services and programs at the Church?

No. You do not. Church is a radically anti-capitalist project. Which is to say it is a community of love and hope. We never charge admission. We don’t give the best seats to the highest givers. On the days when the minister’s inbox is overwhelmed with messages, she doesn’t check giving records before responding. She sees who is in crisis, what is urgent, and begins with the highest need. All of this, everything we do, is the rooted in the logic of community and care, not the logic of the free market.

But if you find yourself attending regularly, and feeling like this is a place you would like to build community and sink down roots, we hope you will make and pay an annual pledge to support the operating budget of the Church. We need congregants to pledge in order to make our budget possible.

How much does it cost to run the Church?

A typical church-year budget is based on about $270,000 in income and expenses. Congregants who have officially joined as Church members vote on the budget every year in May. This year, with inflation at 8.7%, we expect costs to rise.

Where does the money for the Church come from? 

About 60% of our income comes from congregants: from pledges and the Sunday offering. Building rentals, fundraisers, and a significant contribution from the First Church Trust (an endowment) make up the difference.

Where does the money go?

Most of the Church’s income goes to pay our hardworking staff and to maintain and operate our historic building. We also give to fulfill our covenant as a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). This annual contribution to our UUA’s Annual Program Fund is expected of each congregation, and strengthens Unitarian Universalism within our congregations and beyond. Our Church was an “Honor Congregation” for many years, contributing the requested amount every year. During the 2020-2021 year, we chose not to make our full contribution, due to lost revenue during the pandemic.

How does pledging work?

Each spring, the Church conducts an annual budget drive to ask congregants to pledge their financial support to the church in the coming church year. Read more about pledging here.

What is the Trust?

The Church building and certain Church endowment funds are held in a Trust designed to ensure the long-term survival of this Church community in Jamaica Plain. The Trustees of the Trust are all long-term members of the Church but are not directly appointed by the Church. The Trust makes a yearly contribution to the Church’s operating budget which is consistent with recommended practices for charitable endowments.

​One of the Trust’s principal responsibilities is the stewardship of the Church’s endowment fund. The Trust formulates an investment policy for that fund that accounts for both financial and social responsibilities. In 2014 the Trust voted to divest the endowment of fossil fuel based assets, and immediately sold off all individual stock holdings in fossil fuel companies.

The current Trustees are Andrea Clardy, Gerry Culver, Kurt Hemr, Meg Howard, and Tim Williamson and can be reached through the church office at office@firstchurchjp.org.

How do I include First Church in my estate planning?

Individual bequests were critical in creating and building the Trust from its inception and they are just as important today for the future of this Church. We invite all interested congregants to include the Church when drafting their will or preparing their estate plan. Please contact a member of the Trust for more information.

Want to know more? 

Contact the Church Treasurer, John Eckleman or any member of the Governing Board.