09.1 - Record Retention
by Scott Selman
I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:35 (NRSV)
Record retention is an important consideration in church administration. A good way to minimize the burden of keeping unnecessary records is to adopt a written record retention policy. A record retention policy should be followed consistently and will help the church be better stewards of its physical space, eliminate possible fire hazards, and reduce the need for offsite storage.
How long records should be kept is a function of both legal and practical considerations. Legal considerations may include liability issues, possible litigation, contractual obligations, and tax matters. Practical considerations may focus on the availability of storage space and include other issues such as security, access, and temperature and moisture conditions. In addition, local churches may find it helpful to have a safe deposit box at a local bank.
The recommendations in the table below are grouped according to property records, financial records, personnel records, and administrative records. These recommendations are provided to assist local churches in developing an appropriate record retention policy, but are not intended to establish a uniform standard for record retention. Record retention policies should be dated, periodically reviewed, and retained on a permanent basis.
| Retention Period | ||
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| Property Records: | ||
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| Deeds | Permanent | |
| Surveys | Permanent | |
| Appraisals | Permanent, update as needed | |
| Architectural drawings and specifications | Permanent | |
| Inspection Records | Permanent, update as needed | |
| Equipment and furniture inventory | Permanent, update as needed | |
| Equipment warranties, instructions, and mantenance records | Time of ownership | |
| Insurance policies, claims records and correspondence | Permanent | |
| Board of Trustees minutes | Permanent | |
| Financial Records: | ||
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| Annual Financial statements, audit reports and management letters | Permanent | |
| Bank statements and reconcilliations | 7 years | |
| Deposit recoreds and cancelled checks | 7 years | |
| Monthly general ledgers and subsidiary ledgers | 7 years | |
| Final year-end general ledger and subsidiary ledgers | Permanent | |
| Vendor invoice and correspondence files | 7 years | |
| Pledge cards and contribution records | 7 years | |
| Investment records | 7 years | |
| Conveyance documents for restricted gifts, grants, endowments, and trusts | Permanent | |
| Loan files (mortgages, short-term loans and lines of credit) | 7 years after payoff | |
| Lease agreements and contracts | 7 years after termination | |
| Tax records and government reports | Permanent | |
| Finance committee minutes | Permanent | |
| Personnel Records: | ||
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| Individual employee files (resumes, applications, evaluations, etc.) | 7 years after termination | |
| Time cards and time-off records | 7 years | |
| Housing allowance records | 7 years | |
| Pension contribution records | 7 years | |
| W-2s and 1099s | 7 years | |
| 941s, W-3s and 1096s | 7 years | |
| Position descriptions | Permanent, update as needed | |
| Employee benefits records | Permanent | |
| Staff-parish relations committee minutes | 7 years | |
| Administrative Records: | ||
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| Articles of incorporation, bylaws, and amendments | Permanent | |
| Organizational charts | Permanent, update as needed | |
| Church membership list | Permanent, update as needed | |
| Rosters or membership lists for local church groups | 7 years | |
| General business correspondence | 3 years | |
| Church publications, including Sunday bulletins | Permanent | |
| Church council minutes | Permanent | |
Local churches should clearly mark all non-permanent records with a destruction date, and a shredder is the best way to destroy any records that will not be retained.