First Part of Meeting

• The first section of a church's meeting minutes should contain the church name, date, time and place of the meeting, the type of meeting being held (regular, emergency, special), the names of those attending, members present, and that a quorum has been reached. (A quorum is when a majority of the board members are present.) This section also should contain the results of any actions from the previous meeting and approve those minutes.
  
  

Second Part of Meeting

• The second section is the body of the meeting. Reception of members and prayer opening and closing should be included. Each individual motion should be recorded with exact wording, the voting count and the result (accept or decline). Properly spelled names, amounts of money and descriptions of each motion are very important. If the church is called to a court of law, the meeting minutes may be needed to prove or disprove a motion. Minutes reflect the spiritual nature of the church as well as becoming the voice of the church. The body of the meeting's minutes, when completed properly, includes all actions of the church from beginning to final resolution.
  
  

Third Part of Meeting and Signatures

• The last section should include who motioned for adjournment and the hour of closing. This section may also include the date, time and place of the next meeting. It's recommended that the secretary sign the meeting minutes. If the board so desires, the president may also sign the minutes, but only one signature is necessary. Typically, the minutes become official at the next meeting when they are approved. Until then, they are referred to as unofficial minutes. The minutes should be kept in a file cabinet or binder at the church's main location, filed in chronological order.
  
  

Things Not to Include

• Overly detailed reporting is not needed, but enough description to thoroughly describe the action is recommended. Opinions, judgmental phrases and discussion are not to be included. Remember that the purpose of meeting minutes is to record the actions/motions being taken. Withdrawn motions do not need to be included.
  
  

Robert's Rules of Order

• Most churches adhere to Robert's Rules of Order. Henry Martin created the rules as a way to keep a meeting calm and orderly. From the first edition in 1876, the "Rules of Order" have maintained a professional demeanor while providing an organized way to conduct meetings. Questions regarding governmental law are answered within the pages of the book. Each edition becomes more comprehensive as it responds to advances in technology and general business practices.