Sample Records Schedule – Congregations

A records retention schedule identifies the types of records created by a congregation and its officers and governs their retention and disposition. This schedule is intended to provide an example that your congregation can use to manage your records and prepare records for transfer to your Regional Council Archives. If your congregation creates types of records not listed in this schedule and you are uncertain how long to keep them, contact your Regional Council Archives for more information.

All record types with permanent retention are archival and should be transferred to the Archives when the records are no longer actively used in church work. It is best to send such records every three to five years. Only one copy should be deposited to the Archives. Record types that are not permanent should be disposed after the designated retention period.

For more information, contact your Regional Council Archives.

Sample Records Schedule – Congregations (PDF, 204 KB)

Administrative

Agendas

  • Retention Period: 7 years

Annual Reports

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Ballots

  • Retention Period: Retain until results are confirmed

Bylaws/Constitutions

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Retain all historical versions

Correspondence and memoranda: general

  • Retention Period: 3 years

Correspondence and memoranda: substantive

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Examples: Dealing with legal or other important matters; potential value for historical research on policy or issues

Legal documents

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Examples: deeds, titles, mortgages, bills of sale, memorandums of agreement for disposition of cemeteries when churches close.

Minutes of congregation

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Includes all boards, committees, organization of the congregation

Minutes of other church courts

  • Retention Period: While current
  • Examples: Regional Council, General Council

Organizational charts

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Unless included in reports or other documents

Planning documents

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Examples: goals and objectives, priorities

Policy statements and procedure manuals

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Maintain all historical versions; includes all written policy statements, procedures, standards, and guidelines

Reports

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Generated by board, organization, committees of congregation

Finance and Property

Audited annual financial returns

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Bank Statements, pass books, reconciliation and cancelled cheques

  • Retention Period: 7 years
  • A requirement of the Income Tax Act.

Budget Planning documents

  • Retention Period: Retain until budget approved

Capital construction records

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Includes survey and title searches, contracts (including change orders), funding approvals, testing reports and certificates and “as built” drawings

Cash receipts

  • Retention Period: 7 years

Contracts

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Includes supplies, service and maintenance

Deposit book/slips

  • Retention Period: 7 years

Donor Files (e.g. objective files)

  • Retention Period: While active

Donor receipts

  • Retention Period: While active

General ledgers

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Inspection reports

  • Retention Period: Retain until next inspection

Insurance policies: liability

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Insurance policies: other

  • Retention Period: 7 years
  • Includes: property, boiler and machinery, travel, accident, course of construction

Invoices: construction

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Invoices: other capital

  • Retention Period: 5 years

Invoices: operating

  • Retention Period: 5 years

Journals and subsidiary ledgers

  • Retention Period: 7 years
  • Includes accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash receipts, miscellaneous and other, and payroll.

Plan, drawings, and specifications

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Examples: architectural and engineering plans and drawings

Property records

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Examples: Deeds, titles, leases

Subscription files

  • Retention Period: 7 years
  • Example: The Observer

Tax returns

  • Retention Period: 7 years
  • Examples: Charitable, GST/HST

Tax bills

  • Retention Period: 7 years
  • Examples: property, municipal

Utility contracts

  • Retention Period: 7 years

Weekly offering envelopes

  • Retention Period: 2 years

Membership

Communions rolls

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Directories

  • Retention Period: While active
  • Example: members and staff

Historic rolls

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Mailing lists

  • Retention Period: While current

Registers

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Baptismal, marriage, burial

Personnel

Payroll records: time cards/sheets

  • Retention Period: 2 years

Payroll records: T4s

  • Retention Period: 7 years

Payroll records: T4As

  • Retention Period: 7 years

Payroll records: deductions CPP, EI

  • Retention Period: 7 years

Personnel polices

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Lay personnel hired by congregation

Personnel records: ministry personnel

  • Retention Period: While active
  • Contact Regional Council Archivist

Personnel records: lay personnel

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Contact Regional Council Archivist

Other

Bibles/hymnals

  • Retention Period: Copied information permanent
  • Photocopy significant historical information written in margins, etc. if not available elsewhere

Biographical material of key members and clergy who have served congregation

  • Retention Period: Permanent

News clippings of congregational activities

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Only if newspaper is named; dated; copied on acid-free paper

Newsletters

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Bulletins/order of service

  • Retention Period: Permanent or selective retention
  • Contact Regional Council Archivist

Histories of congregation

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Published or unpublished

Film/videotape

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Produced by congregation and of historical important; identified

Oral history

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Tapes and transcripts

Press releases

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Issued by congregation

Publications: by congregation

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Publications: non-congregation

  • Retention Period: While in use

Photographs

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Contact Regional Council Archivist
  • Identified and dated

Scrapbooks

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Contact Regional Council Archivist
  • Historical contents identified and dated

Slide/tape shows

  • Retention Period: Permanent

Sound recordings

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Of congregational event/activity; key speakers identified; date of event

Speeches

  • Retention Period: Permanent
  • Congregation: clergy , officers, guides; dated