The Office of Church Secretary.

SECRETARY is a mere servant: his position is that he is

A to do what he is told, and no person can assume that he
has any authority to make representations binding on the Com-
pany; nor can anyone assume that statements made by him are
necessarily to be accepted as trustworthy without further
enquiry" . . . Such was the dictum of a learned judge of the
High Court some years ago when giving judgment in a case* in
which the secretary of a public company was concerned. It;s
safe to say that no Baptist Church Secretary who rightly inter-
prets his office, considers either that he is a mere servant or that
his position necessarily casts on him the obligation to do what he
is told. True, he is a servant, if the words are given the New
Testament meaning, which is much fuller and deeper than is
implied in the legal extract, and certainly on occasions he does
do what he is told.
The office of Church Secretary is peculiar to churches of the
Congregational system of Church Government. It is one of
considerable importance, which, while making exacting demands
on time and thought, offers to the holder wide reaching facilities
for service. The happiness of the minister in his pastorate, the
smooth running of the ordinary machinery of a congregation, the
seizing by a church of opportunities which require business
vision and probably financial responsibility are largely influenced
by the tact and statesmanship with which the secretary applies
himself to his duties.
In the Baptist Handbook for 1925 are the names of 1,963
church secretaries in England alone. Of these, 1,776 are laymen~
102 women, 61 ministers, and 24 are not specified. The laymen
comprise men whose business callings are as varied as their ages,
which range from the early twenties to the mature years of those
who have given service for thirty, forty, and in a few cases even
more years. Such is the genius of the denomination that there
are no recognised rules governing election to the office, and no-
standard list of duties. There are duties common to all church
secretaries, but in the main each secretary is left to make of his
• Barnet v. South London Tramways Co. (1886), 18 O.B.D. 815.
253
254 The Baptist Quarterly
office what he wills. The result is a widely varying standard =
secretaries with a circumscribed view do little more than the
clerical work entailed in preparing agendas, recording minutes,
and conducting correspondence; others hold that the office is a
much more comprehensive one, and therefore they not only attend
to such clerical duties but are organisers and statesmen in their
churches.
Lay offices somewhat analogous are found in all the important
churChes of this country, excluding the Roman Catholic. A brief
review of such offices and the systems of church government
out of which they arise will show, however, that in no case does
the office confer powers and opportunities comparable with those
possessed by a Baptist or Congregational Church Secretary.
Prior to the recent legislation, * popularly known as the
U Enabling Act," the Anglican Church officer most resembling the

church secretary was the CHURCHWARDEN, but by such legislation

his duties have been considerably curtailed.
The office of churchwarden is a venerable one, and traces of it
exist prior to the XlIIth century, when it emerged into legal
recognition. The laws and regulations governing the office are
numerous and complicated, the sixteenth edition of Prideaux'
Churchwardens' Guide numbering 635 pages. Formerly the
churchwarden or two churchwardens, as was usually the case,
were elected by the incumbent and parishioners at the Vestry
held in Easter week, and the duties consisted of, inter alia,
guarding the movable goods and ornaments, and providing the
necessaries for the conduct of divine service; keeping the build-
ings in repair; maintaining order in the church and churchyard;
allocating seats; dealing in a limited way with funds; and,
usually, when a vacancy occurred in the benefice, receiving from
the bishop the appointment of sequestrator. Now, the church-
wardens are elected by the Vestry and the Parochial Church
Meeting sitting together for the purpose. By the legislation
mentioned, all powers, duties, and liabilities relating to (a) the
financial affairs of the church . . . (b) the care, maintenance,
preservation, and insurance of the fabric of the church, and the
goods and ornaments thereof (c) the care and maintenance of
the churchyard. . . have been transferred from them and vested
in the Parochial Church Council. Among other powers conferred
on this body is that of acquiring, managing, and administering
ecclesiastical property, but this power is so curtailed by certain
provisoes that no sale, exchange, purchase, or letting for more
* The Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919; Addresses of
the Conv<?cat~ons of Canterbury and York with the Appendix containing
the Constitution of the National Assembly of the Church of England and
~e Schedu.le containing the Rules for the Representation of the Laity;
'Ule Parochlal Church Councils (Powers) Measure, 1921.
 The 'Office .of Church Secretary 255

than one year, of any ecclesiastical prop~rty can take place with-
out the consent of the Diocesan Authonty.
The newly created office of SECRETARY OF THE PAROCHIAL
CBUJlCB CoUNCIi. is more akin to the office of church secretary
that. i •. !the attenuated office of churchwarden. He has charge of

_=
th~:(~ta1rol1 and of all documents relating !O curr~nt
bIdiaIIIiiIi.·ofthe CoUncil. He issues notices of its meetmgs, which
~:",he1d 'at least once a quarter, records the minutes, keel?s
. .~ l ' '.' 'Of .the Diocesan Conference informed of his
genei'allycaiTies out the resolutions of the Council.
<thid••' . COuncil nor the churchwardens have any status as
' . ·.tJIe~appoibtment of an incumbent or in the selection of
"*Il.
~ d~ !' va~cy, all matters .pertaining. to the .pulpit,
,~ from ~onal CIrcumstances, bemg vested m the bishop .
., Nb ch.urdi~:lias a greater regard for the dignity of all that
appertain.: ,co. 'd!ttrch life than the Presbyterian Church. Its
Book of QtotJw,. an elaborately compiled volume of over 200
pages, cXmtIlnsl'lO less than 570 by-laws, and a complete Appendix
of formulaS. certificates, declarations, forms of minutes, and the
like. Tl1eehurch has two officers whose duties are not dissimilar
from those of a church secretary, namely the CLERK OF THE
SESSION and the CLERK OF THE DIACONATE (or managers). The
spiritual and general oversight of the congregation is vested in
its elders (Presbyters is a synonymous term, and both include the
minister),.. who constitute the governing body known as "The
Session." Elders are elected by the members of the congrega-
tion in full fellowship, and the election must be sustained by the
Session. In due course they are solemnly ordained or inducted
to their office in the presence of the congregation, usually during
one of the Sunday services, and in ordinary circumstances they
retain their position until they cease to be members of the con-
gregation in full fellowship. The clerk of the Session is appointed
by the Session, and his office is held in high repute. On him rests
the general responsibility for all matters which are under the
control of the Session, and he issues the various notices and
completes the forms required by the regulations of the Church.
Specific dl!ties assigned to him are: to keep the roll of members;
!o take mmutes of the proceedings of the Session; to preserve
ItS b<?oks, documents, and papers; jointly with the minister to
keep 10 touch with members moving.
D The clerk of the Diaconate is appointed by the Diaconate or
ea~ons' Court (terms used to describe the same body), which
conSists of the members of Session and the Deacons sitting
together. This office also is held in high repute, although it is
*. TheChurch
t enafl Book of O,der or Rules and Forms of Procedure of the Presby-
of EflglGnd. 1922.
256 'the Baptist Quarterly
not of the same importance as that of the clerk of the Session.
The Diaconate is charged· with the administration of temporal
affairs, and is responsible for the upkeep of the property, the
allocation of sittings, and the raising and due application of all
funds. Deacons elected for a limited time are set apart to their
duties with prayer in the presence of the congregation, usually
during one of the Sunday services; those elected for life are
ordained or inducted to their office in the same manner as elders.
The clerk of the Diaconate has general responsibility for all
matters assigned to the Diaconate, and in particular he keeps the
minutes of its proceedings and preserves its books, papers, and
documents, except those entrusted by the Diaconate to the
treasurer. Some congregations, instead of setting apart or
ordaining deacons, appoint a Board of Managers to look after
their temporal affairs. The powers and duties of the Board are
practically identical with those of the Diaconate, but its con-
stitution presents a somewhat different system. The office of
Clerk of the Board is similar to that of Clerk of the Diaconate.
The power to grant the use of Presbyterian church buildings
for meetings of a strictly religious, charitable, or ecclesiastical
character is vested in the minister alone, but for other meetings
the express sanction of the Diaconate or the Board of Managers
as well as of the minister is necessary. The erection of buildings
and the purchase and sale of property must receive the sanction of
the Presbytery, which also has control of public worship, and
at least once a year inspects the Communion Roll of the local
church. On a vacancy· arising in the pastorate, the Presbytery
appoints a neighbouring minister to act as interim moderator of
the Session, and when the congregation is ready te proceed to the
election of another minister, the Session intimates this to the
Presbytery, and requests the Presbytery to take the various steps
which are usual.
The stewards of the Wesleyan Methodist Church are four in
number: circuit, society, poor, and chapel, and their duties are
concisely stated in a valuable booklet* issued by the Methodist
Publishing House. The office dates from 1739, and did not
originate in any pre-arranged plan of church government, but
was created to meet a necessity. The circuit steward, the
society steward, and the chapel steward all attend to matters
which fall within the purview of a church secretary, but the
one whose duties approximate most closely is the SOCIETY
STEWARD. He is appointed annually at the first Leaders'
Meeting after the December Quarterly Meeting, being nominated
by the circuit superintendent, or a colleague acting under his
direction, and the Leaders' Meeting has the power to approve
* The Duties of Wesle:van Stewards, by Edward Workman.
 The Office of Church Secretary 257
or disapprove of the nomination.* Except in extraordinary cases
no steward, whether circuit, society, poor, or chapel, is allowed t~
remain in office for more than three years in succession (though
there is a tendency for many cases to be deemed extraordinary!)
and he must not hold ".opi':lions contrary to the tota~ depravity
of human nature, the dlVlDlty and atonement of Chnst, the in-
fluence and witness of the Holy Spirit, and Christian holiness,
as believed by the Methodists." t The duties of the society
steward are set out under twelve headings, which can be sum-
marised as follows: To co-operate with the ministers and leaders
in everything for the furtherance of both the spiritual and tem-
poral interests of those societies to which they belong; to supply
announcements in writing to the preacher before he enters the
pulpit, arrange hospitality, and see that some service is properly
conducted if a preacher fails to keep his appointment; to arrange
for baptisms and assist at the communion service; to superintend
admission to privileged occasions; to keep the minutes of the
Leaders' Meeting and attend the Quarterly Meetings; and to
supervise certain collections.
The responsibility for nominating to the Circuit Quarterly
Meeting a minister to labour in the circuit with charge of the
particular church, for giving the invitation to him after the sanc-
tion of the Quarterly Meeting has been obtained, for providing
a convenient house for his occupation and the regular payment
of his stipend, rests with the circuit steward. All questions con-
nected with the maintenance and repair of the buildings and
furniture and the general interests of the Trustees are the
concern of the chapel steward; but property can only be bought
or sold with the approval of the denominational Chapel
Committee.
From this review it is clear that in respect of the ministry and
trust property, the officers and members of the local Anglican,
Presbyterian, and Wesleyan Methodist Churches are placed in
a very different position from that of the officers and members of
the local Baptist Church. Subject only to the provisions of the
Trust Deed under which the property is held, and in the case of
aided churches, subject also to the measure of control given to
the Area Committee and the Executive Committee by the pro-
visions of the Ministerial Settlement and Sustentation Scheme,.
the members of a Baptist Church assembled in a duly converted
Church Meeting have absolute autonomy. They are free to invite
to the pastorate whom so ever they will, and to purchase, sell, or
otherwise deal with the property of the church, without the
* Minutes, val. xvii., p. 624.
t Minutes, vol. ii., p. 405.
17
258. The Baptist Quarterly
sanction of any bishop, presbytery, circuit, union, or association.
This absolute freedom and authority of the Church Meeting
imposes a respon~i?ility on those .who are privileged to serv:e
the church in posttions of leadershtp, graver than the responst-
bility vested in those who are unable to act in such matters
without the sanction and approval of others.
The absence of standard rules having authority in the church
or a modem treatise issued for the guidance of church officers*
makes it needful to refer to customs that receive general adher-
ence in Baptist Churches and to methods which, having proved
their value, are slowly permeating the denomination.
With few exceptions, Baptist Churches elect Deacons to serve
as their church officers, but, in the term and method of their
election, there is much variety. In some churches, deacons are
elected for life; in others for a term of from one to five years.
The various methods of election usually include some form of
nomination, either by the minister and existing deacons,. the
members at a church meeting, or the completion of an official
nomination paper, and some form of vcting by the members,
either by show of hands or ballot at a church meeting or the issue
.of voting papers to all members in full communion, to be re-
turned to a box at the church on a stated occasion. A practice
much to be commended which is receiving more widespread
support is that of publicly setting apart and welcoming the re-
elected and newly-elected deacons at the first Communion Ser-
vice following the election, prayer by the minister being offered
.on their behalf. The deacons fonn a very important part of
the church organisation. They are called to co-operation in
:Spiritual duties with the minister, who is chairman of the Deacons'
Meeting. They are further called to give supervision to all the
activities of the church, and the Congregational system of Church
(':rOvemment, which leaves each local church free to " frame its
own government, exercise its own discipline and work out its
.own ideals of worship and service, in the freedom and power
of the Spirit," t requires vision and leadership of no mean
.order.
From their number, the deacons nominate or appoint two
.officers, the CHURCH TREASURER, whose duties are financial, and
the CHURCH SECRETARY. The nominations or appointments are
* The Principles and Practices 0/ the Baptists, by Charles Williams, and
The Order and Administration 0/ a Church, by ]. R. Wood and Samuel
Chick are valuable, but both are out of date, having been published prior
to the twentieth century legislation of the Baptist Union dealing with
Ministerial Settlement and Sustentation, Ministerial Recognition, and
other important issues. A new work is needed along the lines of the
latter, but including other questions, and treating all somewhat more fully.
t Quoted in Congregationalism and the Church Meeting, by F. Wrigley.
 The Office of Church secretary
follo~ed by election ?r confirmation of the appointln~
the clrcumstanc~ req~1re at th~ next. church meeting. ' ·N . ........
in the secretary s appotntment gIVes hIm a position of au~
He is the servant of the church, called to the highest office in ~
gift of the church, nex~ to that of the minister, but his service la
rendered in counsel with and approval by the minister and hit
brother deacons. Certain clerical duties automatically fall to him •
he has general responsibility for all that comes before th~
Deacons' Meeting or Church Meeting, and the details of organisa-
tion and the business methods adopted are largely the result of
his initiative.
The first and primary duty of a church secretary is to have
a worthy conception of the church and of the vocation of the
ministry; to realise that the " character of the church is essen-
tially and supremely spiritual," * and that the minister is called
of God to " an office which no one elects to take for himself." t
With such a conception he will elevate his own office far above
that of a mere clerk, or recorder. Frank and cordial relationships
between the minister and church secretary are needful for the
harmony of the church, and must mark all their intercourse; a
fissiparous tendency will speedily manifest itself if there is
secrecy and suspicion. By earnest and cheerful co-operation,
the church secretary can do much to save the minister from
spending his time in the serving of tables. In some churches, it
is unfortunately necessary for the minister to take an active part
in the financial and other business arrangements, but these cases
should be the exception. In normal circumstances, the minister
should not be a member of the Finance Committee of the dia-
conate, he should not be expected to take a prominent part in
the organisation of a bazaar, and he should not be expected to
attend and preside at the committees and sub-committees of all
and sundry organisations. The intellectual demands on ministers
are heavy and with the diffusion of knowledge becoming wider
every year, they will tend to become more strenuous. Adequate
'study hours are therefore essential, and the wise church secretary
will strive to secure for his minister freedom from a welter of
business details.
Very important are the duties which fall to a church secretary
during an interregnum in the pastorate. Advice, wise and other-
wise, will reach him from many quarters, and for a time the
postman's visits will be more frequent than usual. The custom of
appointing an outside moderator is slowly spreading, but among
the larger churches it is the exception. The counsel of the
* The Proper ·Character and Function of the Church of Christ, by
Charles Brown.
t Heb. v.4, Moffatt's Version.
260 The Baptist Quarterly
~ene:al Superintendent is of. the greatest value, and his co-opera-
tIon 1S often sought; to f;ul to consult him is decidedly not a
sign of the possession of omniscient qualities. The first object
of the secretary will be to arrange among the deacons, and others
if necessary, for the discharge of duties which have been under-
taken by the minister, and hewiU also secure a rota of those
willing to provide hospitality ·for visiting ministers. Usually, a
committee consisting of the. deacons, or of a number of them, and
possibly a few church members, will be appointed to arrange for
the supply of the pulpit,and in due course to recommend a
minister. Their task is an exceedingly delicate and complex
one, and the Committee whil~ heing representative enough to
secure confidence should not be large. In carrying out the wishes
of this committee, it is the secretary's duty so to arrange the.
visits of supplies that the possibility of any "preaching compe~
tition" shall be elimiDate<l Under no circumstances should the
names of ·two or mQre possible ministers be before the church
at the same time. Such a course is a sure indication of
incompetent leadership, and can speedily divide a church. An
in~rregnum,particularly if it be at all prolonged, i$ a severe test
of the capacity of the secretary and the character of the diaconate.
Matters connected with the general organisation of the church
form an important part of the secretary's duties. They include
the care of the buildings and furniture; the preservation of all
books, papers, and documents; the oversight of the caretakers;
the efficient stewarding of the aisles; the allocation of rooms for
meetings; the effective advertising of the church services;
arrangements for baptismal services; and the like. It has been
,said that the really successful business man is not the one who
consistently believes in " Do it yourself," but the one who has the
capacity to inspire others to work. A similar principle applies in
church organisation, and the wise secretary will secure that the
duties are shared with others. Happy is he who does not find
public speaking an absolutely irksome task, for the occasions when
the secretary must stand up and give utterance are frequent. In
many churches it is the custom for him to make the announce-
ments at the Sunday services, and in most churches a carefully
prepared Annual Report is delivered in connection with either
the Church or Minister's Anniversary.
Only the faithful secretary is aware of the magnitUde of the
clerical work attaching to the office in a vigorous church. In
connection with members it includes the keeping of the Rol~
the appliCation for and the sending of transfers, the notification of
their appointment to visitors appointed to report on candidates
for baptism or membership, and a cordial letter to newly eled;ed
members giving them a welcome and inviting them to be present
 The Office of Chureli Secretary
at the next Communion Service to receive the right hand'of
fellowship from the minister. Correspondence deals with '.'
wo~~erful vari~ty of matters, and may a~ord unexpected oDPOr-'
tuntbes of serVlce~ Not long ago the wnter was introduced: to'a
Baptist church member who related an' experience that had
befallen him about three years earlier. For business reasons he
had desired to move to a district some two hundred miles from
his home. Not knowing anyon<;: in the new neighbourhood he
wrote to the secretaries of two Baptist churches in neighbouring.
towns explaining his difficulty, and asking their advice and
assistance. ·The one replied in a perfunctory way; the other
wrote a letter of greeting, spoke cheerfully of the life of his
church, and arranged for a local estate agent to send particulars
of properties. The result was that the member and his family
settled in the town of the latter secretary, joined the church; has
already rendered excellent service, and in addition for two years
in succession he gave a donation of fifty pounds to its funds. A
business expression is that " little fish are sweet": casual letters
may have great importance. The keeping of the minutes is not
the least important of the secretary's clerical duties, for they are
the history of the church and enshrine spiritual experiences. The
historian of a church at the jubilee or centenary celebrations
feels a debt of gratitude for carefully kept minutes, and added
interest is given to the minute book when reports of important
church functions which appear in the local newspaper are pasted
in. Old minute books occasionally afford delightful pictures of
church life, What, for example, could more vividly describe the
conditions in a poor village church in the early years of the last
century than the minute of the Moulton Church secretary, who
recorded of the " Meeting": "They ran a risque each time of
being buried in its ruins," and yet " whe met in peas and parted
in younity." *
Although, as already shown, the local church is self-contained
and self-governing, it is part of a much wider fellowship. It
therefore has obligations to support denominational activities,
and it falls to the secretary to see that these receive due considera-
tion. He should make himself well acquainted with denomina-
tional societies, and the service they can render to local churches.
The debt to the past and duty to the future require that church
buildings be safeguarded and kept well up to date. The need
for adequate insurance and consideration 9f matters connected
with the trust will come before him from time to time. An
opportunity to purchase adjoining property should always be
brought before the diaconate, and the opportunity should only be
passed over after the most serious consideration. With the
* William Carey, D,D., by S. Pearse Carey, M.A., p. 47.
262 The Baptist Quarterly
income to be received from the investment and the help afforded
by such an Institution as the Baptist Building Fund, the financial
question will not present an insuperable barrier to an energetic
diaconate. A far-seeing secretary will take care to place the
name of his church on the waiting list of funds like the one
named, so that when the need arises, the application for assistance
will not be delayed.
The secretary's office is one that brings with it many trials and
difficulties, but the joys and privileges of service far outweigh
them. The conscientious secretary will be well aware of the
danger that, amid all the details of organisation, his own inner
life and spirit may not be preserved, but he will seek never to
lose the vision of the One who inspires all his service, and who
said, " He that would be great among you, let him be the servant
of all."
SEYMOUR J. PRICE.