Description of Business Function
The functions of managing the business of Anglican, Catholic and Nonconformist churches, clergy and staff.
Basis of Retention and Disposition
Specialist guidance has been produced by records and archive management specialists at the Church of England Record Centre, The Methodist Church, The Quaker Friends, The United Reformed Church and The Catholic Archives Society.
Please also see the General Business category of the wiki.
Retention Rules Per Record Type
General Guidance:
Specialist guidance has been produced by records and archive management specialists at the Church of England Record Centre, drawing on expert advice from The National Archives, Local Record Offices and the wider archive profession. Links to various Church of England Guides are provided under the headings below.
In addition to the references above, please also see Personal Files relating to Clergy, Guidance for bishops and their staff, Approved by the House of Bishops on 13th March 2013 http://www.churchofengland.org/media/660031/clergy%20file%20guidance%20notes%20(april%202013%20edition).pdf
The Methodist Church has also provided a guide for chruches, circuits and districts, with information from the National Archives, the Methodist Church’s Connexional Archives Liaison Officer and various best practice sources on the internet. http://www.methodist.org.uk/static/rm/document_retention.pdf
The Retention schedule for Methodist records spreadsheet is available here http://www.methodist.org.uk/media/605255/retention-schedules-for-retaining-records-0712.xls
The Catholic Archives Society provides a number of Archive Advice Leaflets http://lgn1304515267.site-fusion.co.uk/adviceleaflets/index
Quaker, the Friends have produced a section for records custodians, including retention and disposal guidance, at http://www.quaker.org.uk/records-custodians
The United Reformed Church offer guidance on how their churches and synods should care for their paper and electronic records, including information on how long records should be kept for, at http://www.urc.org.uk/urc-archive.html
Bishops:
Please see Church of England Record Centre Records Management Guide No. 3, The Care of Episcopal Records http://www.churchofengland.org/media/51612/careofepiscopalrecords.pdf
Cathedrals:
Please see Church of England Record Centre Records Management Guide No. 4, The Care of Cathedral Records http://www.churchofengland.org/media/1790742/chapter%20and%20verse%20june%202013.pdf
Dioceses:
Please see Church of EnglandRecords Management Guide No. 2 Revised December 2008. The Care of Diocesan Records http://www.churchofengland.org/media/51610/careofdiocesanrecords.pdf
Parishes:
Please see Church of England Records Management Guide No. 1 Revised 2009, The Care of Your Parish Records http://www.churchofengland.org/media/51609/careofparishrecords.pdf
The Catholic Westminster Diocesan Archives are also working on some retention schedules for parish paperwork and these will be posted here in due course http://rcdowarchives.blogspot.co.uk/p/parish-archives.html
Citations and References
The Religious Archives Group http://religiousarchivesgroup.org.uk/welcome/about/
Records Management Guides from the Church of England http://www.churchofengland.org/about-us/structure/churchcommissioners/church-administration/librariesandarchives/recordsmanagementguides.aspx
The Methodist Church in Britain Archivist we page http://www.methodist.org.uk/ministers-and-office-holders/archivists
The Catholic Archives Society http://www.catholicarchivesociety.org/
Please also see Accounting records retention and disposal schedule published by The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/sched_accounting.pdf
Please also see Buildings records retention and disposal schedule published by The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/sched_buildings.pdf
Please also see Contractual records retention and disposal schedule published by The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/sched_contractual.pdf
Please also see Employee records retention and disposal schedule published by The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/sched_personnel.pdf
Please also see Internal audit records retention and disposal schedule published by The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/sched_internal_audit.pdf
Please also see Press and public relations records retention and disposal schedule published by The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/sched_press.pdf
Please also see Information management records retention and disposal schedule published by The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/sched_info_management.pdf
Please also see Complaints records retention and disposal schedule published by The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/sched_complaints.pdf
Please also see Projects records retention and disposal schedule published by The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/sched_projects.pdf