The church secretary is an essential component in the smooth operation of the church. In many churches, she is the sole member of the church office staff. She handles the administrative responsibilities and provides a wide range of support to the pastor and any other church staff. She is often the first person visitors and newcomers encounter, either by phone or in person, and is therefore an important part of the church’s public image and outreach. Discretion, a positive attitude, organization skills, strong problem-solving abilities and excellent interpersonal skills are critical qualifications for anyone occupying this position.
Sometimes this is a paid position; and in some cases the secretary is a volunteer. In either event, it is more than a mere “job.” This is a calling. Only a specially-called individual can bring the grace and charm, the discretion, and the necessary secretarial skills to the church office.
It is essential that the secretary be able to communicate well. Her attitude and communications skills help form the “public image” of the church and its pastor. She should be “nice” at all times. Her friendliness, manner of dress, cleanliness and personal appearance are all part of the church’s
“public persona.”
While the secretary may help with bookkeeping and accounting duties in some churches, in this section, we will focus only on the secretarial and clerical duties of this office, and not the financial aspects of church operation.
A. Secretarial Duties
A church secretary needs strong skills in word processing and related computer knowledge, excellent communications skills and familiarity with office equipment such as copiers, dictation equipment, etc. She must be able to handle a variety of office-related duties such as ordering supplies, handling church correspondence, scheduling maintenance and deliveries, handling phone calls, and more.
The person elected for this position should be a Christian with general and office skills who truly feels “called to Christian service” and who is willing to go “above and beyond” the personal investment in a job that is considered “normal” in the secular world of work.
The specific duties or job description will vary depending on the size of the church, and the needs of the pastor/ administrator. It would be impossible to list specific job duties, but the following list is typical:
1. Screen and route all incoming phone calls
2. Type correspondence for pastor and other church staff
3. Receive and distribute incoming mail and faxes
4. Maintain and organize the office area
5. Order office supplies as needed
6. Routine filing of documents
7. Prepare, proof, and print weekly bulletins or other printed materials for distribution
8. Record Minutes of Board of Trustees meetings
9. Coordinate staff meetings and other appointments
10. Clean and maintain office equipment
11. Maintain list of all current holders of church keys
12. Maintain an inventory of all church equipment and fixtures
13. Preparation of financial records and reports as necessary
14. Maintain personnel files
15. Prepare baptismal and other official records
16. Keep church address lists up-to- date
Of course, other duties and responsibilities will exist – and may vary from church to church.
B. Confidential Information
There is a lot of confidential information of which the church secretary will be aware such as financial records, counseling situations, ministerial correspondence, and other private matters. It is absolutely essential that all items of a personal nature of which she becomes aware must remain a highly guarded secret which she must keep to herself, and herself only. She cannot share this information with her spouse, her family, her friends, or anyone. Maintaining confidentiality is not just an ethical obligation, it is a legal duty. The breach of that duty can impose substantial liability on the church.
This is a position of trust. It is part of the secretary’s responsibility to protect the reputation and integrity of the church, the pastor, and the members through strict confidentiality.
C. Qualifications
The qualifications for a church secretary are far more extensive than for a comparable position in the business world. The secretary should first of all be a member of the church she serves. Familiarity with the faith and practices of the church is an essential factor in her fitness for the position. She should know the correct terminology to use in reference to the doctrines, organizations, and procedures of her church. Her position is a ministry, and not just a job. If the secretary fulfills the highest purpose of her employment, she should have an abiding conviction that she is engaged in the most vitally important business in the world, and should so apply her time and abilities. The Lord’s work deserves the best that anyone has to give to it, for it is the only business in the world that has to do exclusively with eternal values.
The qualifications of the ideal church secretary entail a great many more qualities than the technical training for word processing and the operation of other electronic office equipment, transcribing notes, (or the ability to take accurate notes,) filing, or the performing of other mechanics of office routine. Such ability includes dependability, adaptability, originality, versatility, accuracy, initiative, poise, judgment, orderliness, alertness, forcefulness, foresight, spiritual discernment, and sense of fitness, values, and timeliness.
But even beyond these, there are three essential qualities that she should possess:
1. The Secretary Should be Methodical and Organized
A methodical work schedule, faithfully performed, indicates the presence of an orderly mind. Both the church secretary and the church office should be organized.
A secretary is not to do just what she is told to do without assuming any of the responsibility for the planning and directing of the work. She functions as an administrative assistant, frequently responsible to assist in the planning and directing work of others. She should have a well-planned order of work, but should know how to make adjustments as needs arise. Her job entails a multiplicity of duties, and unexpected matters often develop which claim her attention. If she does not have her work systematized, she will not be able to handle it. There is no place for procrastination, or the appearance of chaos, in the church office.
She should also keep her office and desk free from clutter. A cluttered, messy, disorganized workspace sends the wrong message to others about the operation of this aspect of the work of the Lord.
2. The Secretary Should be Resourceful
Resourcefulness includes such qualities as good judgment, foresight, imagination, intuition, native thrift, initiative, and mental alertness. A resourceful secretary will anticipate the needs of the pastor and other church staff and be able to provide them with what they need as quickly as possible. It contributes greatly to the smoothness of operations if the secretary is resourceful enough to anticipate the needs of those who come to the church office.
It is impossible for the secretary to have all the information for which she is asked right at her fingertips, but she should at least have an idea where such information can be found and express a willingness to get it. The resourceful secretary’s watchword is “Ready.”
The number of crises which arise in church operations is astounding. A secretary must be resourceful in order to respond to each crisis that arises. This may include responses as variable as finding another source for lessexpensive office supplies, to holding the hand of grieving church members until the pastor or an elder can arrive to handle a particular spiritual crisis.
The church secretary’s ability must extend far beyond the skillful operation of mechanical devices for expediting office work, or the mastery of methods of office management. Her mind, her hands, and her heart must be schooled by Him who said, “Learn of Me.”
3. The Secretary must Possess Sterling Christian Character
Secretaries in secular employment don’t have to be good Christians; church secretaries do. The person who successfully holds a secretarial position in the business world must have a certain amount of technical ability, a reasonably pleasing personality, and certain qualities of character. To hold a similar position in Christian work, one must have the same qualifications with a special accent on Christian (biblical) character. For the church secretary is “consecrated” to the Lord.
In Part Two, we will look more closely at the attributes of “Sterling Christian Character” for a church secretary.