What is a "Church record"?

[Vort]

In another thread, someone wrote: "When disfellowshipped it goes on a persons church record."

I have heard this kind of thing all my life, but as I have never held a ward-level or higher priesthood leadership position, I have no direct experience with it. What exactly is a "Church record"? Is this to say that somewhere in Salt Lake, there is a file cabinet with forms that say, "Brother So-and-so was disfellowshipped at 24 for reaching down his fiancee's shirt"? What is this used for? Is it consulted if someone is called to a leadership position or something?

What else goes into your Church record? Is it like the "permanent file" that our grade school teachers always threatened us with if we didn't shape up? If you were an ineffective missionary, does your mission president write a note for your Church record about your lack of exhibiting leadership or getting things done?

I'm not saying I necessarily disagree with or disapprove of such a thing. I'm just curious what it is.

[Dravin]

I've always assumed it was a list of such things as Address, Age, Sex, Name (and family), Ordination, Baptism and Confirmation dates, Tithing, Fast Offerings and the like. Kinda like how they talk about transferring your records from one ward to another. Don't know if they append notes to it, and I've had it told me that Salt Lake has a department for lost records (Somebody isn't in the ward and we don't know where to send the records).

Don't know if all that stuff is backed up in Salt Lake, wouldn't surprise me though, you wouldn't want to have to remake all the records if a meeting house burned down.

[bmy-]

Originally Posted by Dravin

I've always assumed it was a list of such things as Address, Age, Sex, Name (and family), Ordination, Baptism and Confirmation dates, Tithing, Fast Offerings and the like. Kinda like how they talk about transferring your records from one ward to another. Don't know if they append notes to it, and I've had it told me that Salt Lake has a department for lost records (Somebody isn't in the ward and we don't know where to send the records).

Don't know if all that stuff is backed up in Salt Lake, wouldn't surprise me though, you wouldn't want to have to remake all the records if a meeting house burned down.

As far as i'm aware records are not sent to Salt Lake.. at least not always. I had to fill out my papers more than once because they got lost.

[Dravin]

Originally Posted by bmy-

As far as i'm aware records are not sent to Salt Lake.. at least not always. I had to fill out my papers more than once because they got lost.

My experience with records is as a Missionary and with lost records being them getting lost on the way to Salt Lake or on the way from Salt Lake to the convert's ward, which if you stop and think about it implies they don't have a back-up else they wouldn't recreate just resend in the latter case.

[Just_A_Guy]

As I understand MIS, there's actually a central server in Salt Lake that the local ward computer system will tap into. So, your records are technically both in SLC and in your local ward. When I was serving in the 3rd world, though, a lot of local wards weren't tied into MIS (I don't know if that has changed). I wonder if some membership clerks just have an aversion to dealing with the SLC bureaucracy over lost records and immediately throw in the towel when something doesn't look right.

The CHI mentions that some disciplinary actions--but not all--are going to be noted on one's membership records. It's been a while since I saw it (though it's available on-line via Wikileaks, if you have no moral compunctions about that sort of thing). My recollection is that informal probation is *not* noted on one's records, but that excommunication, disfellowshipment, and possibly formal probation are.

[YellowLight]

I know when we requested to have our names removed from church records, the local bishop had to send the records to SLC. However, I think it was more of a verification thing than anything.

[BenRaines]

While it is true that the "records" are kept in SLC and each ward, based on their ward id, is assigned those names residing in their geographical boundries. When someone moves and does not give a forwarding address, usually someone less active, then those records are sent to SLC, to a general account.

There are service missionaries who do all they can to find where these people have moved so that their records can be assigned to the ward where they live. This is true of all records.

As far as what information is on these records it is a record of ordinances and ordinations. For those who have had a disciplinary action it is a record of the result of that action. In the case of a Stake disciplinary action these records are kept in the stake where they happened. When a person comes back in for reversal of that action the records is sent to where they reside at the time and the Stake President where they reside contacts former Stake President, if possible to get any additional information.

It does not show callings held, How many years you were a tithe payor or not.

Ben Raines

[Mahone]

Originally Posted by Dravin

My experience with records is as a Missionary and with lost records being them getting lost on the way to Salt Lake or on the way from Salt Lake to the convert's ward, which if you stop and think about it implies they don't have a back-up else they wouldn't recreate just resend in the latter case.

Oh believe me, they have a backup With a database as large of the churches, it would cause utter mayhem if the data was lost - the IT team know this and I suspect they'd have backups made each day ranging back several months. I suspect the reason for recreating lost records is an administrative one. BenRaines is correct in everything he said as far as I know, I was the MIS operative for a while in my ward.

[foreverafter]

It would only be fair & right to let members read whatever their file says about them if they request it. I believe your bishop has the records for his own members. I don't think the church keeps anything secret on someone & wouldn't tell them. So if curious, just go ask your bishop to show you your record.

[Mahone]

Originally Posted by foreverafter

It would only be fair & right to let members read whatever their file says about them if they request it. I believe your bishop has the records for his own members. I don't think the church keeps anything secret on someone & wouldn't tell them. So if curious, just go ask your bishop to show you your record.

That is true. You are legally allowed that information here under the freedom of information act anyway. With few exceptions, you are allowed to see what data any company or organisation holds about you.