Records of Dismissed Congregations

The mission of the Presbyterian Historical Society is to support the record-keeping activities of all entities of the Church. For synods and presbyteries, it carries out that mission by providing storage for permanent records; advice on records retention, storage, and preservation; and access to records by means of reference service, microfilming, and image reproduction.

The Presbyterian Historical Society also provides a range of programs and services to help presbyteries work with their congregations to manage and preserve congregation records.

The staff of the Presbyterian Historical Society is pleased to help presbyteries and synods find more efficient and less expensive ways of managing and storing information and of getting rid of it when it is no longer useful. We also provide advice on the best methods for preserving records of permanent value.

Steps in a Records Management Program

1. Records Inventory: Determining the types and scope of the records
2. Records Retention: How long each type of record should be kept
3. Records Disposition: Where to keep records used frequently, records used infrequently, and records no longer used
4. Records Preservation: The care of historic and permanent records