Churches and debt centres

There are over 100 church based debt advice centres with more established every year to serve the needs of their local communities. Some church centres are independent while most are linked to one of two Christian debt agencies. Establishing a debt centre is an important and rewarding ministry which requires careful, long term planning.

• Stewardship can offer an initial consultancy service which will help you get a feel of the issues involved around debt advice and the commitment that is required. We can talk through the options and put you in contact with churches addressing debt and money management and with Christian agencies that can help set up a debt advice centre. Contact Fiona Mearns.
• Read our paper Debt Advice as a Professional Activity to get the feel of what is involved in setting up a debt advice centre.
• The two leading Christian debt agencies are Christians Against Poverty and Community Money Advice. Each has a distinctive approach and can help churches set up specialist debt advice, provide the required training, the consumer credit licence and the professional indemnity that is needed.
• A debt centre is not the only way to address the problem. See How Can my Church Help? for some ideas and how Stewardship Money can help the church put care into action.
• Stewardship has a number of Christian Specialist Debt Advisers within the volunteer network. We can also provide generalist training for those wishing to take the first steps towards training as a debt counsellor.