Church Secretary Resume Guide

Church secretaries are responsible for providing administrative support to the church, such as answering phones and emails, filing documents, scheduling appointments and meetings, maintaining records of finances and membership information, processing donations, handling correspondence with members or other churches in the area. They also oversee special events and activities associated with the church.

You have the perfect blend of office skills and religious knowledge to be a great church secretary. But potential employers don’t know you yet, so it’s up to you to write an impressive resume that will make them take notice.

This guide will walk you through the entire process of creating a top-notch resume. We first show you a complete example and then break down what each resume section should look like.

Church Secretary Resume

The guide is divided into sections for your convenience. You can read it from beginning to end or use the table of contents below to jump to a specific part.

Church Secretary Resume Sample

Norene Bernhard
Church Secretary

Summary

Driven church secretary with over four years of experience in administrative and clerical roles. Experienced in managing office operations, scheduling appointments, coordinating events, and providing assistance to the pastor. Received “Outstanding Employee” award for consistently completing tasks ahead of schedule while maintaining high levels of accuracy. Seeking a position at XYZ Church where I can utilize my exceptional organizational skills to help support its mission.

Experience

Church Secretary, Employer A
Glendale, Jan 2018 – Present

Revised and updated church membership records on a monthly basis, increasing accuracy by 30%.
Organized and managed the daily operations of the church office, delegating tasks to clerical staff members and successfully meeting all deadlines.
Filed confidential documents safely in accordance with data protection regulations; reduced document loss incidents from 10% to 2%.
Reliably responded to emails/calls within 24 hours for 150+ customers each month during peak season, providing timely answers tailored to their inquiries.
Scheduled weekly meetings between pastors & congregants while managing vendors’ contracts & payments efficiently; saved $1,200 on maintenance costs annually.

Church Secretary, Employer B
Irving, Mar 2012 – Dec 2017

Researched, compiled and maintained church documents for over 200 active members; decreased the filing time required by 50%.
Reorganized the entire office system to ensure an efficient workflow, resulting in a 20% decrease in errors.
Introduced new software systems that enabled easier management of church events and activities, leading to a $4,000 increase in revenue last year.
Competently handled administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments with pastors/ministers & updating member information databases; improved clerical accuracy by 33%.
Facilitated communication between church staff and congregation through emails & phone calls as well as face-to-face meetings; responded to all inquiries within 24 hours on average.

Skills

Nonprofits
Volunteer Management
Teaching
Data Entry
Pastoral Care
Fundraising
Church Events
Youth Ministry
Administrative Assistants

Education

Associate’s Degree in Office Administration
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011

Certifications

Certified Church Secretary
Church Administrators Association
May 2017

1. Summary / Objective

The summary/objective at the top of your resume is like an introduction – it gives the employer a snapshot into who you are and why you excel as a church secretary. This is where you can highlight your best qualities. For example, you could mention how many years of experience in office administration that you have, any recent administrative certifications that demonstrate your knowledge and skill set, or how well-versed in religious studies/theology that makes you uniquely qualified for this position.

Below are some resume summary examples:

Determined and organized church secretary with 5+ years of administrative experience. Seeking to leverage expertise in organizing and coordinating events, managing communications, and budgeting for XYZ Church. At ABC Church created a weekly newsletter that increased membership by 15%. Highly competent at developing relationships between members and the community while maintaining strong communication channels within the organization.

Well-rounded church secretary with 5+ years of experience providing administrative and clerical support to church pastors, staff members, and congregants. Looking to join ABC Church in order to provide essential services such as filing records, arranging meetings and events, managing multiple calendars, creating documents for ministry programs. Achieved a 90% customer satisfaction rating while increasing efficiency by 15%.

Proficient and organized church secretary with 8+ years of experience providing administrative, clerical and organizational support to religious organizations. Seeking the role of Church Secretary at ABC Church to utilize my skills in record keeping, event planning and data entry for a thriving community. At XYZ Church increased attendance by 25% through effective marketing campaigns utilizing social media platforms.

Passionate and organized church secretary with 5+ years of experience in office administration, bookkeeping, and event management. Proven ability to effectively manage multiple projects while providing timely support to staff members. Seeking the opportunity to join ABC Church as their next Secretary where I can utilize my exceptional organizational skills and interpersonal communication in a faith-based setting.

Reliable church secretary with 10+ years of experience managing the administrative aspects of a growing congregation. At XYZ Church, handled daily office operations including scheduling meetings and appointments, coordinating volunteers, collecting donations, and maintaining records. Fostered an environment of open communication between staff members while providing top-notch customer service to all visitors.

Energetic and organized church secretary with 10+ years of experience managing administrative tasks and providing support to the clergy. Proven ability to handle communication, scheduling, financial record-keeping, fundraising campaigns and event planning with a high degree of accuracy. Looking for an opportunity at ABC Church where my skills can be utilized in creating positive change for the community.

Committed church secretary with five years of experience working in a church office setting. Experienced in database and membership management, event organization, bookkeeping and accounting tasks, as well as providing administrative support for the clergy. Successfully managed the day-to-day operations of ABC Church while building relationships within the congregation to promote unity among members.

Professional and detail-oriented church secretary with 5+ years of experience providing administrative support to religious organizations. Seeking to join ABC Church and utilize exceptional organizational, communication, and customer service skills in a clerical role. Achieved high praise from pastors for maintaining accurate records, scheduling meetings and events, managing payrolls efficiently.

2. Experience / Employment

For the experience section, you should list your employment history in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job listed first.

When writing about what you did on each role, use bullet points to make it easier for the reader to digest. You want to provide detail and explain the results of your work; avoid general statements that don’t give a clear picture of what you achieved. For example, instead of saying “Organized church events,” try something like “Coordinated 10+ weekly church events and services by scheduling speakers/performers, arranging catering services, and managing volunteers.”

To write effective bullet points, begin with a strong verb or adverb. Industry specific verbs to use are:

Scheduled
Organized
Coordinated
Recorded
Compiled
Monitored
Answered
Typed
Filed
Processed
Prepared
Updated
Managed
Researched
Assisted

Other general verbs you can use are:

Achieved
Advised
Assessed
Demonstrated
Developed
Expedited
Facilitated
Formulated
Improved
Introduced
Mentored
Optimized
Participated
Presented
Reduced
Reorganized
Represented
Revised
Spearheaded
Streamlined
Structured
Utilized

Below are some example bullet points:

Developed an efficient filing system for church records, increasing accessibility and accuracy by 45%.
Streamlined office workflow processes to reduce clerical backlogs by 25% while ensuring that all tasks were completed in a timely manner.
Assessed church budgets quarterly, identifying $15K of savings opportunities without compromising on quality or services provided.
Participated actively in weekly staff meetings to discuss logistical issues and implemented new policies after receiving feedback from team members.
Accurately managed the scheduling of over 50 volunteers per week during special events; ensured that every volunteer was assigned their desired work shifts with 100% accuracy rate.

Compiled and updated weekly church bulletins, newsletters and other publications with information on church services and events; increased reader engagement by 10% over a 6-month period.
Successfully organized fundraising activities, such as bake sales, charity walks and auctions that raised $5,000 in donations for the local homeless shelter every year.
Structured an efficient filing system to store confidential documents securely while ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations; reduced file retrieval time by 30%.
Improved communication between pastors and members of the congregation via phone calls, emails & SMS messages resulting in greater participation at weekend services.
Coordinated logistics associated with special occasions including Sunday worship service preparation duties (bulletin printing/distribution), funerals & weddings which took place monthly on average.

Optimized church administrative workflow and office protocols to ensure smooth daily operations, resulting in a 15% improvement in productivity.
Proficiently managed church bookkeeping records; updated accounts receivables/payables on a weekly basis, ensuring accuracy of all financial information.
Achieved high levels of customer satisfaction by promptly responding to member inquiries via phone and email within 24 hours; reduced complaint resolution time by 50%.
Expedited clerical tasks such as filing documents, creating spreadsheets & designing brochures for upcoming events with efficiency & attention-to-detail; enabled smoother event planning process across the board.
Answered incoming calls from members regarding service requests or donations related queries while maintaining friendly demeanor throughout conversations; increased donation rate by 10%.

Presented weekly financial reports to church board, highlighting areas of improvement and providing detailed analysis on expenses; reduced overhead costs by 10% in the last year.
Diligently managed incoming/outgoing mail and emails for the church office, ensuring that all communications were answered promptly and professionally within 24 hours or less.
Demonstrated strong organizational skills when managing multiple calendars for various staff members, including scheduling meetings between pastors & other stakeholders with a 98% accuracy rate.
Processed membership applications accurately while maintaining updated records of each member’s information; increased new sign-ups by 5%.
Spearheaded several fundraising activities which generated $15,000 in donations over the course of 6 months towards charitable causes supported by the church congregation.

Reduced administrative workloads by 30% through the implementation of automated scheduling and filing systems.
Represented church on a variety of community outreach programs and initiatives, raising awareness for over 50 local charities in just two years.
Thoroughly completed all clerical tasks including data entry, document preparation, mail sorting & forwarding and office supplies ordering within tight deadlines; improved efficiency levels by 45%.
Managed day-to-day operations at the front desk such as answering phone calls, responding to emails & inquiries from members/visitors and directing them to relevant staff or departments accordingly.
Monitored budgeting activities for the church’s administrative department; identified potential cost savings opportunities resulting in an annual saving of $1,500+.

Formulated and managed church budgets in excess of $20,000 per quarter; reduced spending by 12% over the last year.
Advised and assisted members of the congregation with various administrative tasks such as registering for events and filling out forms; developed an online membership system that improved process efficiency by 20%.
Recorded minutes during staff meetings, distributed agendas prior to each gathering and electronically stored all meeting documents promptly after their conclusion.
Utilized different software programs to design promotional materials including flyers, brochures and newsletters which were used to advertise special services & functions held at the church; increased attendance rates by 10%.
Resourcefully handled incoming calls from potential donors while providing helpful information regarding donation procedures; successfully raised $15K in charitable donations within a 2-month period alone.

Mentored and trained 8 clerical staff in administrative procedures, increasing efficiency by 35%.
Typed and formatted over 150 documents for church members, including correspondence letters & weekly bulletins; reduced document-processing time from 2 hours to 45 minutes.
Assisted with the organization of special events such as bible study meetings, choir practices and fundraising campaigns; successfully facilitated 30+ activities within 6 months period.
Updated church membership records on a regular basis to ensure accuracy of information; identified discrepancies in data entry process that resulted in an improved system integrity by 25%.
Consistently provided professional customer service while handling inquiries from congregation members regarding religious topics or services offered at the church; resolved 95% of issues swiftly and effectively without management consultation required.

3. Skills

Skill requirements will differ from one employer to the next; this can easily be ascertained from the job posting. Organization A may require knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, while Organization B may require experience in bookkeeping.

It is important to tailor the skills section of your resume to each job you are applying for because a large number of employers use applicant tracking systems these days which scan resumes for certain keywords before passing them on to a human.

Therefore, it’s essential that you list any relevant skills and qualifications here; however, don’t just stop there – elaborate further by discussing them in more detail in other sections such as the summary or work history.

Below is a list of common skills & terms:

Administration
Administrative Assistance
Administrative Assistants
Biblical Studies
Church Events
Data Entry
Discipleship
Editing
Fundraising
Leadership Development
Newsletters
Nonprofits
Office Administration
Office Management
Pastoral Care
Preaching
Religion
Teaching
Telephone Skills
Theology
Time Management
Volunteer Management
Youth Ministry

4. Education

Mentioning an education section on your resume will depend on how far along you are in your career. If you just graduated and have no prior experience, make sure to mention your educational background below the resume objective. However, if you have several years of work experience as a church secretary already, there is likely no need for an education section at all.

If including an education section is necessary, try to list courses and subjects that are relevant to the job position such as clerical studies or office management.

Associate’s Degree in Office Administration
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011

5. Certifications

Certifications are a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in a particular field. By including certifications on your resume, you can show potential employers that you have the necessary skills and qualifications for the job.

Including any relevant certifications will help give hiring managers an idea of what areas of expertise you possess, as well as how up-to-date your industry knowledge is. This could be especially beneficial if there are certain requirements or qualifications listed in the job description that match one of your certifications.

Certified Church Secretary
Church Administrators Association
May 2017

6. Contact Info

Your name should be the first thing a reader sees when viewing your resume, so ensure its positioning is prominent. Your phone number should be written in the most commonly used format in your country/city/state, and your email address should be professional.

You can also choose to include a link to your LinkedIn profile, personal website, or other online platforms relevant to your industry.

Finally, name your resume file appropriately to help hiring managers; for Norene Bernhard, this would be Norene-Bernhard-resume.pdf or Norene-Bernhard-resume.docx.

7. Cover Letter

Writing a cover letter is an important part of the job application process. It is typically made up of 2 to 4 paragraphs and should be tailored for each role you apply for.

Cover letters give recruiters a better understanding about who you are and why you would make a great fit for their organisation. They also provide more details that weren’t mentioned in your resume, such as why this particular role caught your interest or what unique skillsets you possess that could benefit the team. Even if it’s not required by the employer, submitting one can help increase your chances at getting hired!

Below is an example cover letter:

I am writing to apply for the open Church Secretary position at Second Baptist Church. With more than 10 years of experience in administrative roles and a passion for organization, I feel confident that I would be a valuable asset to your team.

In my previous role as an Administrative Assistant at First Presbyterian Church, I was responsible for managing all office operations, including answering phones, greeting visitors, and maintaining records. My experience has taught me how to handle difficult situations with tact and diplomacy while remaining calm under pressure. In addition, my excellent written and verbal communication skills have allowed me to effectively communicate with church members, staff, and outside organizations.

As your Church Secretary, I will work diligently to ensure the smooth operation of your office while providing support to your Pastor and other church staff. I am confident that I can be an asset to Second Baptist Church and look forward to speaking with you about this opportunity in the near future. Thank you for your time and consideration!