Retention for Church Records
PEVA recommend retention list:
Keep everything 7 years except the following which must be kept permanently.
- Deeds, mortgages, bills of sales for major purchases? (if property is unsold)
- Audit /Financial Statements
- Property appraisals / Assessments
- Insurance Claims of injury/ damage
- Chart of accounts
- Cash books
- Legal Papers
- Session & Congregational Minutes
- Tax returns/ Payroll Tax Returns
- Student Records
- Church Rolls & Registries
- Church History
The Presbyterian Historical Society recommends:
- Minutes-permanent, Annual reports-permanent
- Reports-permanent
- Bylaws/charters-permanent
- Incorporation records-permanent
- Annual budgets-permanent
- Annual audits-permanent
- Financial ledgers of final entry-permanent
- Subject correspondence-permanent
- Manuals/handbooks-permanent
- Newspapers/newsletters-permanent
- Brochures/promotional material (1 copy)-permanent
- Photographs-permanent
- Property records-20 years after sale
- Wills, bequests-permanent
- Legal/judicial cases-permanent
- Loan agreements-satisfaction + 20 years
- Contracts-active + 3 years
- Personnel records/employee records-employment
- FICA / W2 records-7 years
- Accounts payable invoices-3 years
- Accounts payable-7 years
- Accounts receivable records-3 years
- Bank deposit slips-3 years
- Bank statements-7 years
- Canceled checks-7 years
- Cash receipt records-3 years
- Data for updating mailing lists-1 year
- Mailing lists-active
- Periodic financial statements-2 years
- Expense reports-7 years
- General/routine correspondence (acknowledgments, equests, travel arrangements, etc.)-3 years
- Invitations-1 year, Petty cash records-7 years
- Receipts of purchases-7 years
- Meeting notices-1 year
- Travel plans/arrangements-1 year
- Resource files active
If you are uncertain how long to keep records, consult your auditor, accountant, legal advisor, or contact the staff of the Society. Some retention requirements vary from state to state. The Presbyterian Historical Society is the national archives of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its primary historical research center. Their mission is to collect, preserve, and share the story of the American Presbyterian experience with Presbyterians, the scholarly community, and the general public.
