The records management guides have been researched and produced by records and archive management specialists at the National Church Institutions. They have used expert advice from The National Archives, local record offices and the wider archive profession.

These guides are designed to help parishes, dioceses, bishops and cathedrals develop a consistent and best practice approach to looking after church records in their care, whether paper or electronic. There is a separate guide for each specific set of church records. Each guide contains some general records management advice along with detailed guidance on keeping records associated with each area and their retention.

Note: We are aware that the Keep or Bin guidelines have not been revised since 2009, these are still the most up to date guidelines. We are working to revise these by the end of 2023. If you have any specific questions, please contact us using the email address below.

These factsheets cover various records management topics in bite-size sections.

The House of Bishops has approved guidance for bishops regarding the content, management and sharing of clergy personal files, also known as 'blue files'.

If you are unable to print, paper copies of all our guides can be requested from the Lambeth Palace Library.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 020 7898 1400
Address: 15 Lambeth Palace Road SE1 7JT

Source URL: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/libraries-and-archives/records-management-guides