830

830. The local church conference, at its annual session, shall elect by ballot, from among its members who meet the leadership qualifications (260-268; 558), a church secretary (cf. 820-823), to serve for one year or until a successor is elected. The church secretary shall be an ex officio member of the local board of administration (775). General regulations covering this office are given in 815. The duties and powers of the local church secretary shall be:

(1) Record correctly and to preserve faithfully the minutes of all sessions of the local church conference and the local board of administration.

(2) Maintain the local church’s record of membership, record of baptisms, marriages, and pastoral terms, and other information essential to a permanent written record of the life and ministry of the church (610).

(3) Issue, in conjunction with the pastor, all letters of transfer, recommendation, and withdrawal (575; 590-592; 6000-6040); and to sign, in conjunction with the pastor (725:26), licenses for lay ministers granted by the local church conference (655:7; 782:18).

(4) Send to the district secretary a certified list of lay delegates to the district conference duly elected by the local church conference, immediately upon their election, and subsequently to certify an alternate delegate (965; 1100-1109).

(5) Have custody of all records, and take whatever steps are necessary to preserve them and other historical records and materials, as directed by the pastor and the local board of administration.