The Recording Secretary: Preserving Official Records
The Recording Secretary helps preserve the integrity and memory of the church by keeping accurate minutes, maintaining official records, and ensuring transparency in congregational life—all for the glory of Christ and the good order of His people.
Every church needs a clear and trustworthy record of its life together. From the earliest days of Israel to the formation of the New Testament church, God’s people have carefully recorded His works and their response to His leading. At First Free, this responsibility belongs in part to our Recording Secretary.
Stewarding the Church’s Record
The Recording Secretary attends Trustee Board and General Assembly meetings, keeps accurate minutes, and preserves official documents as prescribed in our Constitution. These include membership records, significant correspondence, and other documents necessary for the orderly life of the congregation.
Though often unseen, this ministry supports transparency, accountability, and historical continuity. Clear records protect the church’s integrity and provide a reliable testimony of decisions made under Christ’s lordship and the authority of His Word.
A Biblical Pattern of Recordkeeping
The practice of keeping faithful records runs deep in Scripture. Moses was instructed to “write this as a memorial in a book” (Exod. 17:14). Chronicles recorded the deeds of the kings “according to all that was written” (2 Chron. 33:18). Luke compiled “an orderly account” so that believers might have certainty about what they had been taught (Luke 1:3–4).
In each case, written records served the truth. They preserved the memory of God’s work and ensured accuracy in teaching and leadership. The Recording Secretary carries forward that same stewardship—helping the church to remember rightly, to act transparently, and to give a credible account of its life before God and one another.
Serving the Congregation
The Recording Secretary supports our church's ministry this by maintaining accurate minutes and preserving the official record of actions taken in designated contexts. This ensures that the church’s work is conducted “decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40) and that future generations can trace how we sought to follow the Lord’s direction.
The role requires diligence, discretion, and a commitment to truth, qualities befitting those who handle the household matters of God (1 Tim. 3:15).
Praying for This Ministry
Pray that our Recording Secretary, Ian Zajdel, will serve with attentiveness and integrity. Pray for wisdom in capturing details that matter, discernment in preserving what is significant, and joy in knowing that even administrative faithfulness brings honor to Christ.
This article is part of an ongoing series exploring biblical leadership in Christ’s church. May it deepen our understanding, strengthen our prayers, and help us all serve one another in love.