Detroit — As parishes throughout the archdiocese face an April 1 deadline to establish finance councils, the business manager of a pioneering parish praised their value.

Having a finance council that meets the requirements of canon law and the norms set by the U.S. bishops not only assists the pastor in his duties and responsibilities, but also leads to fuller involvement of the laity, said Sharon Myers, business manager of Transfiguration Parish, Southfield.

The finance council at Transfiguration goes back 11 years to when it was first established at St. Michael Parish, one of its four predecessor parishes, under then-pastor Fr. Robert Weakley, OFM.

Fr. Weakley took the lead in wanting the parish to have a finance council that met the official standards long before it was enforced as a requirement, Myers explained.

After St. Michael merged with St. Bede, St. Beatrice and St. Ives parishes to form Transfiguration in 2007, members from the other former parishes were added to the finance council, she said.

“I’ve seen that the parishioners take an active role in supporting the pastor and in making business decisions that affect the whole parish,” Myers said.

The discussion that begins with the finance council generates understanding and support among parishioners, she continued.

The archdiocese is requiring the establishment of finance councils as part of an effort to promote greater accountability and transparency in financial matters.

The requirements allow pastors leeway on smaller transactions, but require consultation with the finance council on those above a certain amount, and approval on yet larger ones.

Some expenditures, as well as property transactions, also written approval by the archbishop or his delegate.

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To help implement the new policy, training support is being made available through the archdiocesan Office of Parish Support Services. For more information, contact Kimberly Shepard at (313) 596-7163.