Records Management

The Presbyterian Historical Society is the national archive of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). In this capacity, we support the records management activities of all entities of the church. We also hold and preserve records of permanent value.

Many records need to be retained for only a short period of time, but in keeping with our Presbyterian ways, records should be maintained “decently and in order.” That means structure and process have their place in the creation, use, and disposition of records, regardless of how long they must be kept.

One of the key tools to guide your recordkeeping practices is the records retention schedule. Use the retention schedule to dispose of temporary records that have met their retention requirements. These requirements can be informed by a range of considerations—from church policy to laws and regulations to the value of the information itself.

Develop a habit of routinely shredding or deleting eligible records so that appropriate time and attention can be spent on maintaining your most important records. These important records are designated with a permanent retention on the records schedule and may be referred to as “permanent,” “archival,” or records with “historic value.” When these permanent records are no longer used in day-to-day ministry, you can deposit them with us.