MINNESOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE of the UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Finance and Administration MINISTRY AREA
122 W. FRANKLIN AVE., MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55404
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(612) 870-0058; info@minnesotaumc.org
Issues of Records Retention
The Conference records retention chart has been created to help the local church decide what records it
needs to keep for the everyday business of the church, what records it no longer needs and what records
need to be kept in the permanent historic records of the church.
The recommendation is that records used in the everyday business of the church be kept for three to five
years. This would include Minutes, correspondence, reports, memos, financial records and many others.
After three to five years these records are referenced less and need to be appraised for their continued
value. Knowledgeable members of the church can use the Retention Schedule to sort the records. The
Retention Schedule chart will help determine if the records are needed permanently. It should be
remembered that the record may not be of use as its initial creator intended it but will now be of use in a
different way.
An example of this is the Minutes of the church. This is a permanent records group. Minutes should be kept
for every meeting that takes place, Board meetings, Council meetings, Women's meeting, youth meetings,
Sunday school meetings, etc. Office personnel, boards and members may use the minutes to record what
has been done and said at meetings and refer back to them to see what needs to be done. They are the tool
used for accountability. After a short time, about three to five years, they may be referenced to remember
what was decided on issues of the day. After a long time is passed they may not be referenced this way but
they then become a window we can use to understand the history of the church. They contain valuable
information and can help with dates and times that significant things took place in the church.
The Records Retention schedule also gives us permission to dispose of records.
The chart indicates that much of the detail of financial records can be disposed. The chart indicates that
summary documents, statements, reports, audits should be retained permanently. The detail of these
records, the check stubs, cancelled checks, envelops need only be kept for a short time, usually determined
by tax rules, and then disposed of.
These are recommendations only and each local church must use its discretion to decide which records to
retain or to dispose of.
For a more in depth look at records retention please consult the "Guidelines for Managing Records of the
Annual Conference and the Local Church" created by the General Commission on Archives and History.
This is located online at
http://s3.amazonaws.com/gcah.org/Resources/Guidelines_Publications/ConfRetSched.2013.pdf
About Electronic Records
Many church records are now "born digital". Board minutes are created on laptops; financial records are
recorded in Excel spreadsheets or databases.
While these technologies help us be more productive, issues surrounding the keeping of electronic records
are complex. The General Commission on Archives and History document “Guidelines for Managing
Electronic Records, 2013” explores many of these complex issues. It can be found at;
http://s3.amazonaws.com/gcah.org/Resources/Guidelines_Publications/Digital_Records_GCAH.pdf
Electronic records should be retained on the same schedule as paper records.
If Minutes are a permanent record of the church then Minutes created electronically are also a permanent
record of the church and a plan should be created to retain these electronic records permanently.
Further questions about Records Retention can be directed to the Conference Archivist who will help guide
you through the records retention process.
MINNESOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE of the UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Finance and Administration MINISTRY AREA
122 W. FRANKLIN AVE., MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55404
(612) 870-0058; info@minnesotaumc.org
Kathy Spence Johnson
122 W. Franklin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-230-6149
kathy.johnson@minnesotaumc.org
MINNESOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE
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TYPE OF RECORD
HOW LONG TO
KEEP
(recommended)
HOW LONG
TO KEEP
(our choice)
TO ARCHIVE
abstracts of property
accident reports
accounts payable
accounts receivable
administrative reports
agendas (all meetings)
annual fiscal reports
annual reports of
congregation
annual summary statements
from general ledger
architectural
plans/blueprints
articles of incorporation,
by-laws
attendance pad sheets
attendance record (worship)
Permanent
Settled + 6 years
7 years
7 years
Permanent
Permanent
Permanent
Permanent
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Permanent
Yes
Permanent
Yes
Permanent
Yes
6 months
7 years
attendance record (church
school)
audit reports
bank deposit books
bank deposit slips
bank statements
baptismal records
benefits policies and
procedures records
bequests and estate papers
blueprints
board records
brochures/flyers (publicity)
7 years
Permanent
7 years
3 years
7 years
Permanent
Permanent
No
Historian’s
discretion
Historian's
discretion
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Permanent
Permanent
Permanent
Permanent
Yes
Yes
Yes
Historian’s
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MINNESOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE of the UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Finance and Administration MINISTRY AREA
122 W. FRANKLIN AVE., MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55404
(612) 870-0058; info@minnesotaumc.org
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budget records
bulletins (worship)
cancelled checks
certificates of deposit
certificate of incorporation
and corporate records to the
state
charge conference reports
charters, constitutions and
by-laws
check stubs
committee records
contracts, service
contracts, repairs, lease,
loan
contracts, new construction
confirmands, lists of
contribution envelopes
contributors (general fund)
contributions (capital
improvement or
equipment purchase)
correspondence
correspondence,
"housekeeping," (meeting
notices, thank you notes,
etc.)
council records
Daily Visitor Logs
deduction authorizations
(payroll)
deeds
directories (membership)
employment eligibility
forms
employment policies and
procedures records
envelopes, contribution
equipment information
(manuals, etc.)
financial campaign (letters,
schedules, visitation
plans, etc.)
Permanent
Permanent
7 years
3 years
Permanent
discretion
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Permanent
Permanent
Yes
Yes
7 years
Permanent
4 years
6 years
No
Yes
No
No
Permanent
Permanent
1 year
7 years
7 years from
project
completion
Permanent
2 years
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Permanent
1 year
4 years after end
of employment
Permanent
Permanent
3 years
Yes
No
No
Permanent
Yes
1 year
Until equipment
replaced
2 years, except
permanent sample
of forms and plan
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
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MINNESOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE of the UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Finance and Administration MINISTRY AREA
122 W. FRANKLIN AVE., MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55404
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(612) 870-0058; info@minnesotaumc.org
used
financial reports
Permanent
grievance records
Current + 3 years
histories (congregation)
Permanent
housing allowance forms
7 years
incorporation papers
Permanent
insurance claims
2 years after
disposition
insurance correspondence
2 years after
termination of
policy
insurance election records,
6 years after
employees
employees
terminates
insurance policies
Permanent
inventories
Until superseded
invoices
7 years
IRS forms
7 years
job applications (hired)
Length of
employment
job applications (not hired) 6 months
ledgers, financial
Permanent
loan documents, other than 7 years after
proof of payment
payoff
loan documents, proof of
Permanent
payment
local church reports to
2 years
annual conference
(tables I and II)
marriage records
Permanent
membership books, records Permanent
membership card files
As long as
persons are alive
or likely to be
alive; permanent
if membership
book not accurate
or available until
superseded or
membership
dropped
membership records
Permanent
membership transfers
Permanent
memorial records
Permanent
minutes (all meetings)
Permanent
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Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes, if needed as
supplement
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
MINNESOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE of the UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Finance and Administration MINISTRY AREA
122 W. FRANKLIN AVE., MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55404
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(612) 870-0058; info@minnesotaumc.org
mortgage documents
Permanent
news clippings
Historian's
discretion
newsletters, church, UMW, Permanent
UMM, UMYF other groups
officer lists
Permanent
pay authorization records
5 years
payroll checks
7 years
personnel records (general
Active + 7 years
information, lay)
Personnel records,
Permanent
ministerial
photographs
Most permanent,
historian's
discretion
pledge/estimate of giving
2 years
forms
Policy statements, dated
Until superseded
(building use, food
service, funeral, personnel,
etc.)
policy statements, undated
Until superseded
profiles, congregational
Permanent
property appraisals
10 years or until
superseded
property files
Permanent
publicity (brochures/flyers) Permanent
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purchase orders
real estate survey
receipts
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records retention schedules
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rejected applications
remittance forms, annual
conference
rosters (work areas,
committees, teachers, etc.)
scrapbooks
Job application search
records accepted
Job application search
records, other
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Yes
Historian's
discretion
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes, genealogical
Historian's
discretion
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Historian’s
discretion
7 years
Permanent
Duration of
ownership
Until superseded
No
Yes
No
2 years
7 years
No
No
Permanent
Yes
Permanent
7 years
Yes
No
5 years
No
No
MINNESOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE of the UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Finance and Administration MINISTRY AREA
122 W. FRANKLIN AVE., MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55404
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(612) 870-0058; info@minnesotaumc.org
shipping and freight records 3 years
staff meeting records
Permanent
tax exemption certificates
Permanent
tax reports
Permanent
tax returns
7 years
tax withholding
Active +7 years
authorization records
time cards
3 years
travel reports
5 years
W-2, 1099, etc., forms
7 years
(IRS)
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Updated, May 2013
Sources:
The General Commission on Archives and History “Guidelines for Managing
Records of the Annual Conference and Local Church, 2013”
http://www.gcah.org/atf/cf/%7B9FFCD624-0CB2-4EB6-9D6868E9775A36DA%7D/ConfRetSched.2013.pdf
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