The relationship between the local funeral home and the pastoral staff is often very special. When the pastor needs help with a financially challenged family who has experienced a tragedy, often the local funeral provider may do the funeral at a reduced cost or even at no cost. But these favors come at a high price for other members of the congregation. And when a pastor makes a recommendation, it carries a lot of weight, especially during the emotionally stressful time associated with the death of a loved one.

Educational Assistance Visit to Your Staff        Local Funeral Provider Manipulation    Charity Concerns

Conflict of Interest Examples

The following questions should help the pastor and staff to do an honest assessment to determine if the appearance of conflict of interest is a potential problem:

1. Does the local funeral home have to fight for the opportunity to serve families in our church or do the pastors and staff routinely encourage families to go to the local provider?

2. Has someone on the church staff done a comparison of the difference in negotiated prices if the entire funeral is done at the church thereby opening up the competition to several funeral providers in the county?

3. While price is not everything, has someone on the church staff done a comparison study of the different options families have and how those options differ by different funeral providers?

4. Would my staff have difficulty asking the local funeral provider to match prices of other providers?

5. Do members of the church staff, elders, deacons, others in the church work for the local funeral establishment?

6. Does the local funeral provider subsidize the pastor’s honorariums?

7. Does the church encourage competition with other providers by allowing wakes, viewing, and ceremonies at the church? Or does the church discourage evening visitations or combined service situations that make it imperative that the local funeral provider’s facilities be required if certain ceremonies are requested?

8. If the church accepts contributions from the local funeral provider such as providing funding for expensive equipment, does the staff feel obligated to encourage church members to patronize the local establishment?

9. If the church staff encouraged its members to negotiate with the local provider, to get the provider to match the competition’s prices, would these contributions stop? Would the staff feel uncomfortable encouraging the local provider to fight for the opportunity to serve church family members?

10. If funerals can be done at the church for half the price, thousands less than using the local provider, and the quality remains high, is the staff reluctant to volunteer this information to church families?

Even if the local provider cuts his price in half, the provider often makes a huge profit on the funeral. Local funeral providers who do several funerals per week, often charge much more than smaller, high-quality firms who do half as many funerals. Often, the only real explanation for the discrepancy is the local funeral provider’s perceived standing in the community and its relationship to the pastor and staff.

It has been Ken Lambert’s experience that often local funeral providers think they own the town. True, they have invested heavily in the community, but the price they are asking often seems way out of proportion to market forces. And many of these local providers are incredibly more manipulative than some of the funeral corporations.

Families experience many fears when planning a funeral in a crisis. Skilled funeral sales people will capitalize on the family’s fears, often with the reluctant participation of the clergy.

If you and your staff would like an educational assistance visit to analyze your local situation, call Ken Lambert. He will show you how to do the comparisons and help you determine if a potential conflict exists. Ken’s education of your staff is a real eye opener.

By recommending Ken Lambert’s Service, one Southwest Houston pastor saved families in his church over $30,000. One social worker at a county hospital saved families over $50,000. Hospice social workers and nurses routinely save their clients thousands of dollars per funeral by telling families about Ken Lambert’s Negotiating Service.