National Secretary Treasurer 1996 - 2009Posted by Administrator on 27/05/2010 23:19:38  After 13 years at the helm in the post of National Secretary/Treasurer of our church, Bishop Louis McLeod will leave at the end of July 2009 to assume the pastorate of the Lee Church and the Superintendence of the Lee District.
Coming to office at a time of financial privation and administrative uncertainties, Louis set about restructuring the financial systems and putting in place procedures to ensure not only the collection of funds due to the headquarters, but their efficient management and ultimately how they are accounted for and reported in our annual audit and submitted to the Charity Commissioners and Companies House each year.
Rev McLeod has been operating as National Secretary/Treasurer, Chief Accountant, Payroll Manager, Personnel Manager, Internal Auditor, Book-keeper, Estate Manager, Buildings Maintenance Manager and trouble-shooter in various areas. This means that he did 12-15 hours some days to stay on top of the work. He deferred recruiting additional help in order to build up the finances of the office and this assistance did not come until 8 years later in 2004 when an accountant was recruited to deal with the ever increasing demands from government regulations and additional auditors requirements.
Rev McLeod has been instrumental in achieving the following developments during his tenure:
- £2 million indebtness drastically reduced
- Improved relationships with banks to enable growth in our loan portfolio
- Building up a portfolio of 6 properties (4 residential and two office buildings)
- Installing the latest software accounting packages and achieving clean and unqualified audited accounts since 1997
- Centralised Gift Aid Claims taking our average from £150.000 to over £1 million
- Implementation of Governance Manuals to deal with finance, administrative treasurers account and legal responsibliity
- Employment contracts for ministerial & non ministerial staff. Contracts for volunteer workers.
 In 1998 Rev. McLeod implemented the Secretaries/Treasurers' Training programme which has resulted in a marked improvement in the local churches' administration and financial systems. The Treasurers training which is run over two days now includes Pastors and Church & Pastors Councils and informs the local church administration of changes in reporting requirements, Governments regulations, external audit findings and general update regarding responsibilities of local trustees.
Despite the above Rev McLeod still found time to visit a number of NTCG branches ministering the Word and also providing training, conducting internal audits and providing assistance with the aquisition of buildings.
We can truly say that his time in office has been one of innovations, reforms, restructuring, investments and working with the Administrative Bishops and the National Executive Council to position our church to achieve the success we have experienced in recent years. The Church today is in the best position it has been certainly for the past three decades and this is due in part to his devotion to duty and his unquestionable love for his church.
As he, his wife Carmen and their children leave us, we send them back to their home church - this time as Senior Pastor - with our prayers and best wishes and look forward to continued good working relationships.
The New Testament Church of God in England and Wales recognises the outstanding tranformative servant leadership of Rev Louis R. McLeod, National Secretary/Treasurer 1996 - 2009. May God continue to bless him and his family as they move on to this new area of ministry.
Dr. Eric A. Brown FRSA
Administrative Bishop & the National Executive Council
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