Clerk
CLERK & SESSION DOCUMENTS & RESOURCES
2019 Manual for Clerks of Session & Session Moderators
Sample Church Manual of Operations
Annual Submission of Church Minutes due by December 31 [G3.0108(a)]: Please remember to send in your session & congregational minutes for 2024 by January 10, 2025, accompanied by the new Attestation Form (See next item below). PDF format via email or electronic folder link is best. Please do not submit attachments to the minutes, such as reports.
Annual Clerk of Session Minutes Attestation Form (revised 11-1-2024)
The form above has been changed to make it a bit simpler to prepare. This is the form that goes with the annual submission of minutes. If you have already used the old form, that is fine. You do not need to re-do it.
December 2023: Notes from Clerks’ Zoom
Selected 2023 Revisions to the Book of Order
What’s New in the 12th Edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised
Virtual & Electronic meetings resources
August 2021: Notes from Clerks’ Coffee Klatsch Zoom
Presbyterian Historical Society discussed what are important church records and more
Abstentions Where a Majority Vote is Required
online statistical reporting links
Office of the General Assembly (OGA) Statistics entry is open to churches beginning January 2. You do not need session approval to enter your report. Also, please note that once you click on “submit” your report becomes final. Accordingly, you may wish to skip clicking on “submit” until we are closer to the February submission deadline. Your report will be preserved in the system and you will be able to make changes any time up to the deadline.
Annual Statistical Report Deadline: February 7
Dear Pastors and Clerks of Session,
Links to annual statistical reporting are now online.
If you do not know your church's PIN number just EJ Lee know and she will get it for you. ejlee@seattlepresbytery.org. REMINDER!!! You may fill the form out over time during separate sessions in the form, but only if you do not press "Submit." Once you press "Submit" the form can no longer be accessed, and only the Office of the General Assembly can help you change it. We will be unable to help you. As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
The Clerk of Session is responsible for these reports, but if someone else is completing them, please let us know. If the Clerk does not respond, the Moderator of Session will be responsible. Other people can help, input data, etc., but the Clerk of Session is responsible to see that it all gets done.
All reports are linked on the Presbytery website: https://www.seattlepresbytery.org/clerk/.
ALL REPORTS ARE DUE FEBRUARY 7
-Annual Statistical Report (see below)
-2024 Necrology Report (To be reported to the Presbytery.)
Reports due March 31:
-Clergy Terms of Call. COM revised this form in 2021. Please use this version only for your Presbytery report. Any changes to terms of call must also be reported directly to the Board of Pensions. Due to matters of privacy, the Board of Pensions may not just report the information to the Presbytery.
Blessings,
Glen Ferguson
Stated Clerk
General Assembly annual Statistical Reporting
You may want to read FAQs first.
Annual Statistical Report - Due Feb. 7: complete online. DO NOT USE “SUBMIT.” This will allow you to make changes if needed…and your input is always live.
Need your user name and password? Contact EJ Lee.
Clerks Annual Questionnaire - No longer part of annual statistics.
Terms of Call (revised)
The SeaPres Commission on Ministry (COM) has revised this online form. Churches must report salary information for teaching elders (pastors and associate pastors) whenever there are changes (and at least annually even if there are no changes). Please submit each pastor's information as a separate entry every year (even if there are no changes to report). Terms of call must also be reported separately to the Board of Pensions.
Online submissions due: March 31
Resource: Understanding Effective Salary (Board of Pensions)
Necrology Report
Complete online form by February 7
This includes deaths of deacons, elders, and ministers from the prior year (example: for 2023, report 2022 deaths). The information is shared at the final presbytery meeting of the year.
Questions: clerk@seapres.org.