Key point 6-12.02. Written minutes should be maintained for every church membership meeting. Minutes should reference (1) the date of the meeting, (2) the number of members present, (3) the progression of every action from motion to final action, (4) some statement that each adopted action was approved by the necessary number of votes, and (5) a verbatim transcript of each approved action.
The church secretary should prepare written minutes of every church membership meeting, being careful to note (1) the date of the meeting, (2) the number of members present, (3) the progression of every action from motion to final action, (4) some statement that each adopted action was approved by the necessary number of votes (a tally of the votes for and against a particular action should be inserted in the minutes if the vote is close or the action is of an extraordinary nature), and (5) a verbatim transcript of each approved action. Minutes should be signed by the church secretary, but this is not a legal requirement.395 Id.
The purpose of the minutes is to memorialize in a permanent and official form the actions taken by a church’s membership. It has been said that the minutes are the “voice” of the corporation, and that a corporation will be bound by representations contained in its minutes that are relied upon by outsiders, even if the minutes were irregular.396 FLETCHER CYC. CORP. § 2190 (perm. ed. 2008).