Signing Powers

This one is about signing powers. Typically, in a Congregational Church, every member is an executive member, with equal authority. In my old city Church, therefore, the executive members (the Church Meeting) decided whom to grant signing powers. In a certain way, there was some esteem attached to this. I visited the bank to show them some cheques. They then showed me this: 

• The diaconate began to appoint signatories, not the Church

• Then the signatories appointed signatories, not the diaconate

• The signatories prohibited all but the signatories from viewing bank activity

• This included executive members, auditor, and trustees (one of whom the minister) 

• They further authorised paperless transactions, seen only by signatories

OBSERVATION: I said to the bank (the Standard Bank), you realise that signatories are merely following the orders of a controlling body? They have no powers of their own. They are foot soldiers for the Church. I said here, look at your own documentation (they turned their monitor for me to see). It is executive members who have, or are entitled to, full knowledge and full authority.

POSTSCRIPT: The Standard Bank made recommendations to the Church Meeting.