Church secretaries assist churches by managing the day-to-day operations between church contributors, members, and religious leaders. They manage records and files on their computer and must be familiar with the computer programs necessary to do this well. Also, they organize congregants’ details.
As a church secretary, your responsibilities include answering phone calls, managing schedules, filing, and generating programs for services. You also record personal data regarding new members of the congregation, visitors, and a variety of other issues affecting the church.
The duties of a church secretary vary depending on the organization, size and resources of the congregation.
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Duties Of A Church Secretary
A church secretary is a very important member of the church staff. The duties of a church secretary vary from church to church, but they involve many different functions. A church secretary needs computer skills, administrative support and Secretarial duties.
The duties of a church secretary are diverse, and the tasks required are both clerical and administrative. The primary responsibility of a church secretary is to provide support and assistance to the pastors and staff of the parish, including scheduling, filing, answering the phone and greeting parishioners.
The duties of a church secretary can range from helping with office administration to taking the lead on marketing and public relations, but they typically include:
- Organizing and filing records
- Answering phones and greeting visitors
- Creating and maintaining spreadsheets and databases
- Ordering supplies
Duties of A Church Youth Secretary
The duties of a church secretary are diverse and may vary depending on the size and needs of a particular church.
The duties of a church secretary are diverse and may vary depending on the size and needs of a particular church. A typical day for a church secretary involves answering phones, welcoming people at the door, greeting guests as they arrive for services, taking care of administrative tasks for staff members or volunteers in the church office and helping with special events.
One common misconception about secretaries is that they do not get paid very much money. While this may be true in some cases, many professionals who work as secretaries can earn up to $40 per hour or even more if they have specialized expertise such as knowledge of accounting software programs like QuickBooks Pro or experience with encryption technology such as Pretty Good Privacy (PGP).
In addition to these basic duties there are other responsibilities that come along with being an executive assistant such as acting as a liaison between management teams within an organization; providing office supplies when needed; managing email communication channels; arranging meetings between groups/departments within an organization; writing memos that provide updates on projects/initiatives so managers can stay informed about progress made by various departments within their organizations; preparing reports related to projects/initiatives so managers can make informed decisions based off data collected by employees working on those initiatives
Keep accurate records.
As church secretary, you are responsible for maintaining the records of your congregation’s activities. You will be expected to do this in a timely and efficient manner, so that members and visitors can look back on past events with ease. This includes keeping track of:
- The names and contact information of all church members
- Financial records such as income from donations or tithes, payments made on behalf of the church (such as utility bills), and any other expenses related to running the church
- Records about individual events or meetings held at your church (like attendance numbers)
- Records about committees, boards, or other groups working within your organization
Make certain that the church’s bylaws are followed.
In addition to handling the day-to-day operations of the church, the secretary is tasked with making certain that the bylaws are followed. Bylaws are rules that govern how a group operates. For example, if a group is organized as a 501(c)(3) organization (a non-profit), then it must follow IRS regulations for such organizations. One way in which this is accomplished is through submission of an annual informational return on Form 990-N to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This form has been replaced by Form 990-EZ for 2017 and later years and Form 1023-EZ for 2018 and later years.
You should also make sure that your church’s bylaws are updated as needed so they reflect current policies or changes in your congregation’s mission or structure (such as adding or removing board members, clarifying duties or responsibilities). As with any important document—like an employee handbook—you’ll want to keep copies of all versions so you can refer back to them when questions arise down the road!
Maintain church finances.
You will be responsible for collecting and depositing tithes and offerings, as well as keeping track of church finances. Additionally, you’ll prepare and submit financial reports to the pastor and board members, including monthly statements and year-end audited reports. You’ll also keep track of donations, balance the church budget and work closely with the church treasurer.
Manage schedules for staff, clergy and volunteers.
As the church’s secretary, you will be responsible for managing the schedules of staff, clergy and volunteers. This includes scheduling meetings, speakers, volunteers and even social events. The church secretary also maintains records of scheduled activities such as church events or activities.
Plan meetings, including agendas, minutes and special events.
You’ll be in charge of planning meetings, including agendas, minutes and special events. Make sure things are organized so that people are informed and on time. Make sure they know what they’re supposed to do and how to do it. It’s your job to make sure the meeting runs smoothly by making sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to do.
Prepare reports for trustees and officers.
You might think that reports are only important to the people who have to read them, but they’re actually vital for everyone. These reports are used by trustees and officers to measure the effectiveness of programs and staff. They’re also used by pastors and other church leaders so that they can make strategic decisions about how much money should be spent on a program or project, or where additional resources should be directed.
So if reports aren’t created, you’ll find yourself running around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to figure out why something didn’t go right with your last event planning endeavor (or whatever).
Provide information about the church to members of the congregation and public.
A church secretary should be able to provide information about the church to members of the congregation and public. The following are some examples:
- Provide information about upcoming events, such as Sunday school programs or worship services.
- Provide information on staff members, including their contact information and other duties they perform at the church.
- Share financials with those who need them, such as pastors or other employees who are responsible for managing finances within the organization.
- Answer questions from people interested in learning more about churches or religion in general, including specific questions related to locations (where does one attend religious services?), history (how old is this congregation?) and programs (what kinds of activities does this organization offer?).
A large part of what a church secretary does is keep things organized, so good record keeping is crucial.
As a church secretary, you’ll have to take care of all kinds of record keeping. It’s critical that you maintain accurate records, so be sure to understand how they are used and what types of records should be kept in the first place. There are several ways that you can keep your records organized and up-to-date.
Qualities Of A Good Church Secretary
A good church secretary has a combination of administrative experience, organizational skills, and friendliness. You should be familiar with your many daily tasks, as well as the ongoings of the church. Work hard to keep all files, databases, and work areas neat and organized. A church secretary may be the first face people see when coming to the church, so it’s important to greet congregation members and guests warmly. Treat them in a friendly and professional manner at all times. Strive for accuracy in your bookkeeping and database work. Lastly, be discreet—you have access to personal information about the congregation, and it should be kept private, shared only with those on staff who need to know.
Here are some attributes I believe the Pastor deserves in his secretary:
1. SHE IS CONFIDENTIAL
This is imperative. She will see, hear and find out all kinds of things about people and situations. She should not share that information with anyone.
2. SHE IS RESILIENT
- She must not get her feelings hurt easily.
- She should learn from her mistakes. Don’t break and quit and get offended.
- She is a buffer, the complaint department, the problem-solver.
- She can lift the burden, or she can be the burden!
3. SHE IS FLEXIBLE
“Blessed are the flexible for they shall not get bent out of shape.”
She should always have a positive response of encouragement like:
- “Sure, no problem.”
- “Sure, will do.”
- “Piece of cake.”
If you have ever had a day all mentally planned out and your plans went into the shredder, you know that plans are useful but planning is essential!
4. SHE IS HUMBLE
She needs God’s hand upon her life and James says, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”
- It’s not my way or the highway.
- Stay little in your own eyes.
- Keep a servant’s heart.
5. SHE IS FRIENDLY
I don’t want my fellow workers to feel they have to tip toe up to me and ever so gently petition their requests. Answer the phone and greet visitors with a smile on your face and in your voice. The pastor’s secretary should be approachable and easily entreated.
- She gives service with a smile.
- She goes the second mile.
Henry Ford said, “There’s a lot of room on the second mile.”
To keep a smile, sometimes you need to whisper to yourself, slow down! Stop being so rushed. Slow down! Praise the Lord!
6. SHE IS SPIRIT-FILLED
If you are in the Pastor’s office, you will have spiritual warfare. Do not come into the office without spending time with the Lord first.
Stay positive. Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
7. SHE IS HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY
Have you ever caught someone in a lie? It casts doubt in the future.
8. SHE IS RESPECTFUL AND PROFESSIONAL
- Dress appropriately
- Dress professionally
- Have a professional attitude
- Have professional body language (stay on the other side of the desk)
- Be disciplined in your personal life, spiritual life, and office and ministry life
There is always fruit from the root. What’s the root?
If the root is that you’re undisciplined the fruit is:
- Disorganization
- Carelessness
- Tardiness
- Laziness
- Messiness
9. SHE IS DEPENDABLE
She should always be on time and in her place in both the office and ministry.
It’s a good goal to get into the office before your boss does.
10. SHE IS A GATEKEEPER
Insulate, not isolate (he doesn’t need to know everything).
No pastor wants to be blind-sided. His secretary should help with that. She can help train the staff how to communicate to the pastor.
Determine when to give him information. He should not get an endless stream of little bits of information all day long because he will never get anything done.
Protect his day off.
Don’t be guilty of being more concerned about getting information “off of your desk” and onto his than protecting his time.
Remember the pressures the pastor is under and do not bother him with every little problem.
Listen well and present solutions rather than dwelling on problems.
Present a professional appearance and attitude at all times. Don’t bring your personal problems to work.
Difference Between Church Secretary And Administrator
A secretary is clerical and their role involves tasks such as transcription, typing up documents, copying and call handling, mainly supporting the admin assistant. Whereas an admin assistant is more of a decision-maker and will typically work independently, covering the responsibilities of a secretary while having the responsibility of projects.
Therefore, an admin assistant’s role extends further than clerical tasks and will have the ability to make judgments and decisions.
The most prominent difference is that an administrative assistant will supervise other team members. They will also have responsibility for arranging conferences, reviewing reports, memos, and submissions. Some admin assistants may even be tasked to prepare statistical reports.
What are the responsibilities of an admin assistant?
Here are 10 of the most common tasks as part of an admin assistant’s role:
- Processing new business
- Correspondance with clients and providers
- Research
- Document production
- The first point of contact for the business
- Data entry
- Schedule and create agendas for meetings
- Bookkeeping
- Create the spreadsheets that secretaries use
- Management of long-term projects
What are the responsibilities of a secretary?
Here are 10 of the most common tasks as part of a secretary’s role:
- Answering calls and redirecting them where necessary
- Diary and appointment management
- Preparing memos and forms
- Filing and updating employee information
- Travel management for the business
- Taking control of regular receptionist tasks
- Ensuring the office has essential supplies
- Document expense forms
- Typing, preparing and collating reports
- Implementing new business procedures
How are their roles changing?
The modern workplace has evolved dramatically and is only looking to evolve further. Admin assistants and secretaries are at the heart of this. Their tasks have moved online and the day of paperwork and filing cabinets are a thing of the past.
To be skilled in these roles, you need to be moving with the times. Whether it’s being fully trained on Microsoft Excel or being able to effectively maintain relationships remotely, the admin assistants and secretaries of today have faced a big learning curve.
They are now a remote, virtual powerhouse, embracing the freedom working from home offers whilst maintaining a productive, professional relationship with the executive or executives they are able to support thanks to modern technology.
Are admin assistants and secretaries transitioning to remote working?
Businesses both small and large are increasingly adopting the remote working strategy into their model. The benefits are experienced by both employers and employees alike.
A recent survey noted that 56% of companies allow remote working globally, of which 16% are fully remote & 40% are hybrid; the hybrid system being the most popular. This is becoming increasingly popular with admin assistants as we have seen with the spike in virtual assistants.
A virtual assistant is the same as an admin assistant, providing administrative services, however, will conduct their work out with the office environment. A virtual assistant often works from home or anywhere suitable, making them a useful, flexible resource for many companies.
Conclusion
In the end, it comes down to a secretary’s ability to handle many different tasks at once. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also very rewarding. The church secretary must be able to deal with people from all walks of life and in all situations. It is an environment where you truly get to help others and make a positive difference in their lives every day. If you can juggle multiple tasks while staying organized, this could be the career for you!