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Proposed

Church Record Database Management System


of the

for
West New Britain Province
New Britain New Ireand Mission
PNGUM

CONCEPT PAPER
Church Membership Database Management System Concept Paper

1. AIM
To create and establish an electronic Membership Database Management System for the
Seventh-Day Adventist Church in West New Britain Province.

2. OBJECTIVE
2.1. Capture membership records for a church for both baptized and non-baptized
members of a particular church.
2.2. Present updated records when needed.

3. PURPOSE
3.1. Capture Records
The electronic system purports to capture record of all members of the church
and be able to present updated reports on membership status for monitoring,
evaluation, reporting and planning purposes.
3.2. Store Records
The electronic system will store data in a systematic and efficient way. When
one member is either received into the church by baptism, letter or vote, or,
leaves the church by letter, vote or death, his or record be safely stored. Also,
personal and disciplinary records must be stored.
3.3. Manipulate Records
The electronic system ensures that new entries of records can be made,
existing records updated, as in deletion or being archived.
3.4. Secure Records
In the event of accessing the system and manipulating the data, the electronic
system should be highly secured. Records security and confidentiality is of
utmost importance to the Church.
3.5. Present Records
Retrieval and presentation of data is the whole reason why the electronic
system is established. The electronic system should be able to present specific
data where required and on time.
As long as the records are updated in the system when one is received or leaves, or is
disciplined, you can be certain that the statistical reports for membership of that particular
church can be presented with promptness when required at any time. Not only that, moreover,
the statistics will truly reflect the current membership status of the church.

4. BACKGROUND
The Seventh-Day Adventist Church developed a systematic approach in keeping membership
records with an objective of using the data as a tool to analyse church growth and forecast

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Church Membership Database Management System Concept Paper

planning for the Church. Manual as is it; the processes however are distinctively outlined in the
church manual and various resources (books) intended to guide us in managing church
membership records.
4.1. Manual Record Keeping
In Papua New Guinea setting, the Church has been far too long keeping membership
records manually with the formal Church Membership Record Book. This method is
however appreciated as technology (in Papua New Guinea back then) was not initially
developed as it is today. Still many churches in remote parts of this country cannot resort
to an electronic data keeping system as electricity and technical support are major
setbacks.
4.2. Guides and Tools
Simple guidelines were provided by the Church to be used as tools to effectively manage
church membership records. These are:
 Church Manual
 Baptismal Certificate
 Church Membership Record book
 Membership transfer forms
 Discipline Record book
 Sabbath School rolls
 Etc…
There should be no excuses for a church to be erring in keeping its record and presenting
non-updated and ill information to the authorities or the Mission at large when required.
4.3. The System
Membership record keeping concept initially gave rise to the way records should be kept
and managed in the church. In other words, a system was born to capture and manage data.
Its base is the church and the responsible officer in charge is the Church Clerk. In brief this
is how it looks:

VOTE
 The Sabbath School Department is the main feeder of
the church membership.

RECIEVE STATUS

BAPTISM LETTER
CENCORSHIP Here it shows how records of membership structure is
kept.

CHURCH
MEMBERSHIP
(BAPTIZED)
The church is the base of these records.
SABB SCHOOL
DISCIPLINE STATUS
 Members received in three methods; baptism. Letter
DISMISS STATUS
(transfer case) and vote (where no transfer can be
LETTER DEATH DISFELLOWSHIP sought from the members original church).
 Dismissal is likewise threefold; letter, death and missing.
Disfellowship also comes in from Disciplinary status.
MISSING

5. HOW DO CHURCH GOERS


BECOME CHURCH MEMBERS AND WHAT SPECIFIC RECORDS DOES THE
CHURCH NEED?
The church has two categories of memberships if you realise. But which of the two categories
does the church interest lies in?

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Church Membership Database Management System Concept Paper

5.1. Membership Definition (Baptized Members)


Church membership as defined by our Church Policy (Church Manual), explicitly
refers to only baptized members of a particular organized church. It does not include
non-baptized church members, or other faithful church members who might for that
matter be only Sabbath School members.
5.2. Non-Baptized Members
This group of members mostly make up more than 50% of the church population. Of
course, the Sabbath School Department of the church keeps record of these members.
But they are not doctrinally and administratively church members as made clear by the
definition of a church member.
5.3. Baptized Church Members versus Non-Baptized Members Statistics
From the above (two points) we can see that church membership only takes in baptized
members. So, what about the non-baptized members, where do we take them in?
Statistically, records of membership (baptized members) of a local church in reality are
less than non-baptized members. The Sabbath School membership statistics includes
both baptized and non-baptised members. The questions that lie unanswered, and
probably not looked into seriously are; as a church, are we interested in their status? Do
we have records of these members? Since they are not doctrinal members (baptized
members), where do we record them in our church record?
5.4. Ill Representation of Church Membership Statistics
Updating membership records is not taken seriously as the business of the church by
appointed officers. As a result, the church and the mission at large are fed with non-
updated data, resulting in ill-presentation and non-representation of church membership
statistics. This need to be corrected and manned.
5.5. Actual Church Population Statistics
One may ask, what is the actual population of an organized church? A report furnished
by the Church Clerk to the Mission may only portray the baptized members as recorded
in the Church Membership Record Book. This report does not truly represent the
church as it does not really present the actual population of the church.
The actual population of an organized church involves both the baptized members plus
the sabbath school members. Having in mind that the population attending the church
does not and is not limited only to baptized members.

6. INTENTION OF THE DATABASE


This database system aims to NOT only include baptized members, but also non-baptized
members.
The electronic database system objectifies to have records of all members attending a church,
from infant to toddler, teens and adults, and both baptized and non-baptized members. This
completes the actual population of the church.

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Church Membership Database Management System Concept Paper

Thus, when we are required to present the actual population of our local church, we can be certain
that our reports presented will statistically reflect the actual and updated population of the church;
the population that comprises of both baptized members and non-baptized members.

7. ELECTRONIC DATABASE SYSTEM NOT A REPLACEMENT OF MANUAL (CONVENTIONAL)


RECORD KEEPING SYSTEM

This proposed electronic membership database management system is not intended to replace the
conventional record keeping system that was initially introduced by the church. Rather, it aims to
help organize records in a more convenient way to efficiently store, manipulate and present
updated reports on time with accuracy. This can only be only achieved if the database system is
constantly updated by the Church Clerk or the Church Communication team.

8. JUSTIFICATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ELECTRONIC DATABASE


SYSTEM

The conventional record keeping system (Church Membership Record Book) of the church
system. They work hand in hand and should balance up when presenting required reports on
membership status. It is the blueprint of the electronic system that is developed. Should the
Mission review (add or subtract) this conventional system and produces a revised version of the
Church Membership Record Book, then it must be reflected in the electronic system.
This justifies that the electronic database system is only a reflection of the original Church
Membership Record Book. We must still maintain the conventional hard copies with utter care as
it is blessed and is mandated as a church asset and guide to keeping membership statistics.
In fact, the Membership Record Book, plus other church documents relating to keeping
membership statistics will be the number one referential guide to designing and producing the
electronic database system. The concept is derived from those documents after all.

9. ADDED FEATURES
Apart from just keeping membership statistics, we try to add some more features into the database
system to help make reporting easier for responsible departments within the local church.
9.1 Church Incomes
9.1.2 Tithe Records
a. The church is keen on collecting tithes and reporting it to the Mission but most times
fails to report back to the individual tithe payer how much total he had paid in quarter
or year, or for that matter the duration of the time he is church.
b. All tithes paid be receipted (in the book) as usual, but the treasurer will have to enter
the receipt number against the member’s name, date, and the amount paid into the
system.
c. The system should be able to generate each member’s personal tithe statement when
requested for by date, lesson, quarter or year.

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Church Membership Database Management System Concept Paper

d. The system should be able to generate reports of total tithes paid in by date, lesson,
quarter or year.
9.1.3 Offering Records
e. Offerings of different categories (FNF, AY, Divine Service, Sabbath School Weekly,
Sabbath School Thanks, Investment, thirteen sabbath) will have different account
ledgers.
f. Each offering collected will be entered into each respective account ledgers.
g. The system should be able to automatically divide the offering amounts on a 50%
basis for the mission and local church.
h. From these account ledgers, the system should be able to generate a report or
offering statement for each category by date, lesson, quarter or year.
9.1.4 Other Incomes
i. Departmental registrations, donations and sales should have their own ledgers under
Other Incomes.
j. The system should generate reports of sub categories by date, lesson, quarter or year.

9.2 Church Expenditures


9.2.1 Items of Expenditure

 The church (with the help of the treasurer or an accountant) should come up
with items of expenditure list for accounting purpose. The expenditure items
must be grouped in categories so that each item will have each own ledger to
fill in the expense details.

 Examples are; fixed costs, utilities, stationaries, fuel and transport, salaries
and allowances, office materials, food, etc. These should be coded.
9.2.2 Actual Expenses
Whenever an expense is made, it must be committed under the right item of expenditure.

 This means, the church must be more organized in keeping its expenses in a
more transparent and accountable manner.

 The church should come up with custom-vouchers so that each Department


should fill the vouchers to request funds to the treasurer.

 The system should be able to generate reports on each expense by item


categories or by departments and by date, lesson, quarter or year.
Disciplinary Records
1. Members Disciplinary Cases
a. Membership disciplinary records are important for the church to justify standing of
members in the Organization.

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b. Sometimes unjustified claims on censorship duration of a particular member cause


disagreement in the local church. This means there are no proper records to justify
how long should a member be disciplined should there be a second disciplinary case
arises.
c. The system should have provision for keeping church disciplinary records. From
whence the discipline is effected, it should automatically calculate number of
disciplinary days and the date at which the discipline will end. There should be a
section also to record the act or the cause of the discipline.
d. The system should be able to generate a report or statement of personal disciplinary
record when a member is queried in his standing in the church.

Membership Status Record


As per the Church Membership Record book, all information should be designed and entered exactly
as they are. On every header statement of reports of receive types and dismiss types, a statistical
summary of gender and sub-total must be projected. The details should be in the body of the report.
1. Received Status
a. Members received by baptism, letter or vote should be recorded accordingly and the
date in which the member is received.
b. The system should be able to generate a report or statement of personal received
status of a member.
c. The system should be able to generate a report or statement of the list of received
members’ status by baptism, letter or vote.
2. Dismiss Status
a. Members dismissed by letter, vote, missing or death should be recorded accordingly
and the date in which the member is dismissed.
b. The system should be able to generate a report or statement of personal dismissal
status of a member.
c. The system should be able to generate a report or statement of the list of dismissed
members’ status by letter, vote, missing or death.

MEASURES FOR IMPOROVEMENT (WAY FORWARD)


1. Propose a committee to the PCC to coordinate membership record amendment activity
and have approvement.
2. Team to coordinate and amend church records in every church in WNBP.
3. Set schedule for the project.
4. Finalise entities for the database and main domains for both membership and accounts.
5. Call in church pastors, elders, clerks, treasurers and communication leaders to conduct an
awareness on amending church membership records.
6. Create and distribute record capture forms.
7. Visit the churches to collect forms and verify correct entries.

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8. Get ID photos of every member of a church on a given date.


9. Enter the records into the Database.
10. Test the databases for each local church.
11. Append child-database to mother database.
12. Run queries and reports.
13. Present the database to authorities (possibly during the session).

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