Abstract
Internal control systems are fundamental to organizational governance because they support accountability, safeguard assets, enhance the reliability of financial information, promote compliance, and improve operational efficiency. Their importance is particularly pronounced in faith-based organizations, where institutional leaders are expected to balance mission-related objectives with prudent financial stewardship and long-term sustainability. This study assessed the effect of internal control systems on the financial performance of Seventh-day Adventist Church ventures in Kenya. The study was guided by agency theory and stewardship theory and adopted a quantitative cross-sectional research design. Data were collected from 97 respondents drawn from ten SDA-affiliated ventures operating in the health, education, publishing, and hospitality sectors. The study assessed internal control systems through documented control mechanisms, adherence to control procedures, financial risk identification and mitigation, communication of control policies, adequacy of internal audits, management responsiveness to control weaknesses, and compliance with regulatory and organizational requirements. The study used descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression to analyze the data. The findings revealed a moderate positive and statistically significant relationship between internal control systems and financial performance (r = .466, p < .001). Regression analysis showed that internal control systems explained 21.7% of the variance in financial performance (R² = .217, adjusted R² = .209), and the regression model was statistically significant, F(1, 94) = 26.098, p < .001. Internal control systems had a positive and statistically significant effect on financial performance (B = .506, β = .466, t = 5.109, p < .001). The study therefore rejected the null hypothesis that internal control systems have no significant effect on the financial performance of SDA Church ventures in Kenya. The study concludes that effective internal control systems contribute significantly to the financial performance of SDA Church ventures by strengthening financial discipline, accountability, compliance, risk mitigation, and the efficient use of organizational resources. The study recommends continuous strengthening of documented control procedures, internal audit functions, staff awareness, and management responsiveness to identified control weaknesses.