Archives and Recordkeeping

The United Church of Canada has long recognized the importance of an archives program for preserving the record of the church’s achievements and meeting its legal, financial, and administrative needs. By adhering to the regulations detailed in the United Church Manual and adopting a common-sense approach to records administration and preservation, fulfilling records responsibilities can be relatively easy and rewarding.

The following resources will assist congregations, presbyteries, and Conferences in deciding on the best ways to create and maintain records and in determining what records to send to the Conference Archives.

• What Do the Archives Want? A Basic Guide for Congregations [PDF: 2 pp/139 KB]
  A basic guide to why congregations should routinely send their records to their Conference Archives, and what should and what should not be transferred.
• Sample Records Schedule [PDF: 3 pp/123 KB]
  An example of a retention schedule your congregation can use to manage your records and prepare records for transfer to your Conference Archives.
• Archives Transfer Form [PDF: 1 p/82 KB]
  This form should be completed when preparing records for transfer to the Conference Archives.
• Minutes Inspection Checklist [PDF: 1 p/88 KB]
  A checklist to help congregations, presbyteries, and Conferences prepare, maintain, and review minutes.
• Guidelines for the Content of Presbytery Meeting Minutes [PDF: 2 pp/106 KB]
  Guidelines to complement the requirements for minute-taking, focusing on content and style.
• Privacy Issues [PDF: 2 pp/118 KB]
  A guide to identifying what records contain personal information and how this information should be used and managed to protect people’s privacy.
• Oral History in the Archives [PDF: 1 p/93 KB]
  Basic steps for conducting oral histories, equipment recommendations, and whom to contact for help.

Additional Resources

• A Conference File Classification Plan [PDF: 47 pp/448 KB]
  Developed for Conference offices.
• Guidelines for Minutes and Notes of Meetings. [PDF: 2 pp/40 KB]
  Developed for United Church Records Coordinators.