"Since we hired BELAY, I have lost that fear of what happens if we lose our Bookkeeper. I know there's a resource pool that we can pull from, so that's one less thing that I have to worry about."
— Brett Coates, Executive Pastor
The Challenge
Real Life Christian Church in Chesapeake, Virginia was on a growth trajectory, operating on an annual budget of approximately $1.3 million. As the congregation expanded, Executive Pastor Brett Coates recognized that the church's finances required professional oversight — not because anything was wrong, but because transparency and accuracy were non-negotiable values for leadership and for the donors who trusted them.
"We [were] not getting in trouble, but being above board [is] what we want to be about. We want financial transparency [and] accuracy of reports and timing of reports."
Brett began evaluating outside bookkeeping solutions. The turning point came when a fellow executive pastor told him that switching to BELAY was one of the most important decisions he had ever made. What ultimately won Brett over wasn't just BELAY's business credentials — it was the unmistakable sense of genuine care he experienced from the very first interactions.
"There was just a sense of care about people at BELAY. They didn't just want our business. They were a great business-minded company, but at the same time, they wanted to make sure that we were going to be the best fit for them — and [they] really cared."
The Solution
BELAY paired Real Life Christian Church with Bookkeeper Tim Gassmann, and almost immediately Brett experienced the most important deliverable of all: peace of mind. Knowing that financial reports would be accurate, double-checked, and delivered on time removed a persistent source of stress from his leadership responsibilities.
"Peace of mind that these reports were going to be accurate and double-checked. I knew if I needed them by a certain time, I wasn't going to get an apology a couple of days later, 'Hey, I'm still working on these things.' They were going to be delivered when I needed them, too."
In day-to-day operations, Tim collaborates with a church team member who manages the weekly offering, categorizing all transactions in Bill.com so that accurate and timely reports can be generated on demand. Brett also benefited from consistent support from his BELAY Customer Success Coach, who proactively checked in by email and positioned themselves as an intermediary to resolve any concerns before they required awkward conversations.
"They'll check in by email and, if there's an issue, they want us to let them know so that we don't have to have that awkward conversation," Brett says. "They want to be that person for us that we just report to them and then they can go have that conversation."
"He wants our ministry to succeed. He stands for us in such an encouraging way that he's not just checking a box and running numbers and spitting reports. He cares about our church and us as a client."
— Brett Coates, Executive PastorThe Impact
The partnership with BELAY fundamentally changed how Brett leads. The chronic fear of losing a trusted bookkeeper — and not knowing where to find a qualified, reliable replacement — simply disappeared. Brett now operates with the confidence that BELAY's resource pool and vetting standards ensure continuity no matter what.
"Since we hired BELAY, I have lost that fear of what happens if we lose our Bookkeeper. I know there's a resource pool that we can pull from, so that's one less thing that I have to worry about."
Tim's impact goes well beyond accurate reports. He meets weekly with the church's financial administrator, responds quickly to questions, and has demonstrated a genuine investment in the ministry's success. For Brett, the relationship transcends a transactional vendor arrangement.
"He wants our ministry to succeed. He stands for us in such an encouraging way that he's not just checking a box and running numbers and spitting reports. He cares about our church and us as a client. And so we are grateful not just to have a Bookkeeper, but to have Tim and we would've never found him without BELAY."
For a church whose congregation trusts leadership with their giving, the financial accountability and transparency BELAY provides carries deep meaning. Brett's verdict is unequivocal: "Hiring BELAY was one of the best decisions we've made here. What [BELAY] brings to the table has been nothing but absolute quality."