The role of church clerk is a vital and often under-appreciated service to our church family. Many members only realize there is such a job when they want to transfer their membership to another church. Even then, some think that is the clerk’s only responsibility.
Until the early 2000’s, membership records were kept on paper files and transfers took a long time to process via mail. The creation of eAdventist has changed that, and is a time saver for clerks, pastors, and conference personnel. eAdventist is a digital online database of all membership records that is password protected and encrypted for security measures. Pastors and clerks are assigned an account by the local conference and are only able to see information directly related to their church.
Mailing lists for conference communication, OUTLOOK magazine and the Adventist Journey are pulled from this source. eAdventist allows for conference personnel to provide statistics and print mailing labels quickly and accurately. “Using eAdventist has made the job of a church clerk so much easier, and so much more precise. No more having to send in monthly membership records that were four-part forms and then filing those away,” says one Dakota clerk.
Being a clerk is an ideal church job for individuals who appreciate order and record keeping. It also provides an opportunity to interact with all members. “What I like best about serving as a church clerk is being involved in people’s lives, welcoming new people and listening to all their stories of Jesus, as well as learning about their families,” states one clerk. “Taking a head-count at Sabbath school and church is truly a delight! I especially like going into the children’s divisions and interacting with them for just a few moments while I count them. They sometimes help with the counting, which can get rather hilarious!” says another. One clerk likes the fact that many of the responsibilities can be done at home when she has spare time. She holds numerous church offices, but clerk is the only one that is not primarily a “Sabbath at church only” job.
Informed and organized
The job does present some challenges. Of the being clerks polled, many expressed frustrations when it comes to collecting information and keeping it current. “It is so nice when people actually volunteer information and let me know address and phone changes,” says one clerk. Many clerks conveyed the desire for members to contact them with updated information regarding email address, phone number, birthdate, mailing address and additional family members.
When asked the hardest part about being a clerk, one person answered, “The thing that weighs heaviest on my heart is looking at the members still on the books but no longer attending church. It has long been a matter of prayer for me.”
Having an organized and informed church clerk is a benefit to members. When families move, contact information can be promptly updated which permits mailings to be delivered without a gap in service. Baptism dates can be found effortlessly if they were entered into eAdventist. Proof of membership can be provided for marriages, passport documentation and other legal matters. Church board minutes can be accessed without difficulty. “I love keeping accurate records of church meetings and board members notified of pertinent information,” declares one clerk.
“I’m not a musician or able to find time to be the church cleaner—but I am able to help with the record keeping and I’m happy to work in that capacity. I like to be orderly, so being able to keep the membership straight or the records filed is something that I enjoy doing,” observes another.
“Being a church clerk is a blessing and a great privilege. As clerks we count you, we see you. You are more than just a number,” was a common theme expressed.
Though it may seem like a menial task, the position is important and deserving of recognition. Take the time this Sabbath to encourage your church clerk and thank them for their service.
Thank you to the following clerks who provided information and comments:
- Lauren Block, Bismarck Church, ND
- Connie Bousa, Watertown Church, SD
- Julie Brude, Dakota Conference Clerk
- Barb Chancellor, Rapid City Church, SD
- Jennifer Erickson, Grand Forks Church, ND
- Brenda Klein, New Home Church, ND
- JoAnn Miller, Hermosa Church, SD
- Sue Schlafmann, McClusky Church, ND
- Leslie Soules, Mandan Church, ND
- Maxine White, Bowdle Church, SD
Responsibilities of the local church clerk (quick summary)
- Serves as secretary for church board and business meetings
- Keeps church membership updated
- Processes membership transfers
- Reports and records baptisms, deaths and births
- Maintains church records
- Records church and Sabbath school attendance
- Compiles lists of committees
- Manages the church directory
Quick Facts from Eadventistnews.com
Our church clerks in North America handled over 31,000 membership transfers in 2018, as members joined new church families.
eAdventist contains 1.2 million NAD member records (2020).
Each eAdventist conference has a designated User Administrator who creates and maintains the accounts.
The type of information that each user is allowed to see is determined by the “role(s)” assigned by the User Administrator.
A church clerk or secretary can only access membership records for their church. A pastor can access membership records for each of his or her churches.
Conference personnel can access records for all churches in the conference.
Union personnel may have access to membership records if approved by the conference. This helps the union provide services more effectively and efficiently to the conferences and members.
eAdventist membership data is owned by the conference. It is only provided to other parties when authorized by the conference’s administration.
