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Each council shall elect a clerk who shall:

  • record the transactions of the council,
  • keep its rolls of membership and attendance
  • maintain any required registers,
  • preserve its records, and
  • furnish extracts from them when required by another council of the church

Minutes and Records

The annual review of session and congregational minutes, membership rolls, and registers of baptisms, ruling elders, deacons, and pastors is an important way we express our unity and accountability within the PC(USA).

The Stated Clerk or a COM Liaison will contact clerks of session to arrange for the review of your minutes and records.

The link below serves as a useful reminder to sessions of vital yearly work, helps clerks keep accurate minutes, and is what we use to conduct the annual review.

Session Records Review Checklist (word doc)

Session Records Review Checklist (pdf)

Rolls and Registers

G-3.0204 Minutes and Records

Minutes of the session shall be subject to the provisions of G-3.0107. They shall contain the minutes of all meetings of the congregation and all joint meetings with deacons and trustees.

Each session shall maintain the following roll and registers:

  • Membership Roll – There shall be rolls of baptized, active, and affiliate members in accordance with G-1.0401, G-1.0402, and G-1.0403. The session shall delete names from the roll of  . . . .Read More
  • Registers – There shall be registers of baptisms authorized by the session, of ruling elders and deacons, of installed pastors with dates of service, and such other registers as the session may deem necessary.

Rolls and Register Requirements

Register Template (Excel)

Preserving Records

G-3.0107 Records

Each council shall keep a full and accurate record of its proceedings.

Minutes and all other official records of councils are the property in perpetuity of said councils or their legal successors.

When a council ceases to exist, its records shall become the property of the next higher council within whose bounds the lower council was prior to its cessation.

The clerk of each council shall make recommendation to that body for the permanent safekeeping of the body’s records with the Presbyterian Historical Society or in a temperature and humidity controlled environment of a seminary of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Best Practices

Annual Reports

Submit Online, if you need your username/password please contact the Presbytery Stated Clerk, Rev. Dr. Erwin Goedicke.

Due to the Presbytery upon approval:

Congregation Staff Compensation Form

Terms of Call for Pastors and Associate Pastors:

  • Please submit for the following: installed pastors, co-pastors, associate pastors, designated pastors, Certified Christian Educators, and Certified Associate Christian Educators.

Session Roster Form

Submit Online

Policy Samples and Suggestions

Sessions using sample policies are responsible for adopting policies that comply with the Constitution of the PC(USA) and laws of the state or commonwealth in which the congregation is located.


Child Protection Policies

The Book of Order requires every session to adopt and implement a child protection policy (G-3.0106). The following are from sessions in the presbytery and may be used by others while developing their own.

 

CPP Samples

Legal Resources

Tax exempt letter for congregation, contact General Assembly Legal Service, 1-800-728-7228 ext 5020

  • record the transactions of the council,
  • keep its rolls of membership and attendance
  • maintain any required registers,
  • preserve its records, and
  • furnish extracts from them when required by another council of the church

The annual review of session and congregational minutes, membership rolls, and registers of baptisms, ruling elders, deacons, and pastors is an important way we express our unity and accountability within the PC(USA).

The Stated Clerk or a COM Liaison will contact clerks of session to arrange for the review of your minutes and records.

The link below serves as a useful reminder to sessions of vital yearly work, helps clerks keep accurate minutes, and is what we use to conduct the annual review.

Session Records Review Checklist (word doc)

G-3.0204 Minutes and Records

Minutes of the session shall be subject to the provisions of G-3.0107. They shall contain the minutes of all meetings of the congregation and all joint meetings with deacons and trustees.

Each session shall maintain the following roll and registers:

  • Membership Roll – There shall be rolls of baptized, active, and affiliate members in accordance with G-1.0401, G-1.0402, and G-1.0403. The session shall delete names from the roll of  . . . .Read More
  • Registers – There shall be registers of baptisms authorized by the session, of ruling elders and deacons, of installed pastors with dates of service, and such other registers as the session may deem necessary.

Rolls and Register Requirements

Register Template (Excel)