Records Management

How long do I have to keep financial records? Do I need to print out this membership database? What are the most important documents my church needs to keep? Are we allowed to throw away the Christian Ed curriculum from 1962?

If these questions sound familiar and you are the one who has to figure these things out for your congregation, you are not alone. The Congregational Library has created a set of guidelines that will help you make these decisions and help facilitate a better organized set of records.

The following link is a PDF (Portable Document Format) that can be opened by using Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free software dedicated to accessing this kind of file. The link listed here is for all Adobe products. Scan down the list for the most recent Reader. Be prepared to update this software every so often.

Records Management for Local Churches - click here for the PDF

Additionally, we have some templates which can be used to create your own records management policy and retention schedule. Please alter these to suit your Congregation's needs. These are also free to share. 

Records Management Retention Schedule Template - click here to download as a Word document

Records Management Policy Template - click here to download as a Word document