A church secretary offers clerical support to pastors and deacons in a church’s administrative offices. The job description of a church secretary requires a strong attention to detail, the capability to communicate well with parishioners, and an ability to stay organized.
Position Description
The church secretary handles a wide range of office tasks, from filing to answering phones to responding to emails, and also acts as a liaison between the parishioners and church’s administrative branch.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities of a Church Secretary
- Answers phone calls in the church office.
- Completes clerical tasks as necessary, including typing, filing, and copying.
- Reads and responds to emails.
- Welcomes visitors, addresses questions, and assists them with any problems.
- Refers visitors and parishioners to pastors or other administrators when necessary.
- Assists in planning church events.
- Creates, updates, and helps distribute church event calendar.
- Distributes mail that is delivered to parish office to the proper employees.
- Acts as liaison to other volunteer organizations and church-affiliated committees.
- Maintains all church records, such as information regarding baptisms and marriages.
- Schedules meetings for church office employees.
- Attends parish meetings, takes minutes, and distributes minutes to the proper channels.
- Assists in writing, editing, printing, and distributing the weekly church bulletin.
- Arranges details for weddings, funerals, baptisms, and any other events that require the use of the church itself.
- Assists in hiring and scheduling junior secretaries, church volunteers, or student workers in the parish.
- Maintains the in-office calendar and keeps staff up-to-date on upcoming meetings and events.
- Assists finance manager in preparing payroll information, distributing checks, and maintaining office financial records.
- Sends out church mailings.
- Orders office supplies when necessary.
- Keeps office clean and orderly.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Demonstrates the ability to clearly and effectively communicate information to parishioners and visitors.
- Demonstrates patience and understanding when dealing with confused, grieving, or difficult visitors to the office.
- Is friendly and courteous, and works well with a wide range of different personalities.
- Possesses knowledge of publishing, word processing, and financial computer software, including Word, Excel, WordPress, Quicken, and Adobe.
- Exhibits strong organizational skills.
- Pays close attention to detail.
- Demonstrates familiarity with website building and html.
- Is capable of efficiently multitasking on a regular basis.
- Has the ability to think creatively, for purposes of designing the website and other widely distributed church materials.
Education and Experience
- Minimum of high school diploma required.
- Associates or Bachelor’s degree recommended.
- Basic office work experience required.
Work Environment
- The majority of the workday will be spent in an office setting.
- Some light walking and lifting is required.
- The workweek follows a traditional five days per week, 8 hours per day schedule.
Salary
- The median salary for a church secretary is $27,000.
- Lowest salaries are approximately $17,000, and the highest can be up to $41,000.
- Salaries fluctuate from parish to parish depending on the church’s annual revenue
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