Cookie Settings

What are vital records – and why should you care? Let me ask you this. How often are you asked for your driver’s license, your passport, your birth certificate or other document that establishes who you are? Have you ever tried to prove your identity without the proper documentation? Not easy is it? These types of records are known as vital records and it is just as important for your congregation to maintain and protect its vital church records as it is for you to care for your personal records. This will be the first of several blogs on this topic.& I hope you find it useful.

Vital records are essential to the functioning of your congregation. They are the records that are necessary for establishing or defending your legal and financial positions and generally cannot be easily reconstructed or obtained elsewhere

The diocesan archives often receives inquiries from congregations looking for these types of records – records that the congregation should have but can’t locate in their files. For example, I may be asked if I have the terms of an endowment, a copy of a deed, or a set of a church’s blueprints. These records are important. A lot depends on keeping them safe and available. One of the most frequent requests I get is for the terms of an endowment or other type of gift. People at the church remember that an endowment was set up or that a gift was made but they can’t remember the terms – especially whether or not there were any restrictions. Having or not having this information can make a huge impact on a congregation.

For example, many years ago a small church received a generous gift and an endowment was set up in its name. It was understood the congregation was to have access to the interest but the principle was to remain untouched. However, no one could find the actual endowment document. The original parties to the gift were gone and no one could remember the exact terms. When the church needed a new roof another search for the document was made and the diocesan archives was contacted. Fortunately, the archives had a copy – and it turned out the fund was restricted – but only for a period of fifty years. As it was long past the fifty-year mark, the congregation now had access to the principle and could fix the roof – along with much else.

So what’s the moral of this story? It’s simply that memory fails, people leave, files are misplaced or lost – and that in order to assure access to the vital records you need when you need them – you need reliable back-up! Please consider your diocesan archives your back-up. Make duplicate copies of vital records such as endowment documents and deposit them with the diocesan archives for safekeeping. In addition, store the original records in fireproof files or a safety deposit box. This applies to electronic as well as paper files. Caring for vital records is an act of stewardship. Let me help.

Diane Wells
Archivist & Records Manager
dwells@ecww.org

Vital Records, You and the Archives!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *