From a historical standpoint, the loss is much greater. Membership records often show when individuals joined the church and when and by what method they left the fellowship. In some rare cases, Baptist churches have marriage and death records. These also should be viewed as vital records as they can be of interest to family historians, as well as a help in documenting church and local history. Membership records also provide clues to the ethnic makeup of the church, where the early members came from, division or unity in the congregation at certain points in time, and other interesting and vital information about the congregation.
Legal documents are valuable to individuals and to organizations.
The church's deeds, mortgages, property abstracts, incorporation documents, and perhaps insurance policies fall into this category. In addition to these papers, some churches might have copies of bequests, annuities, trusts, or wills. These records document and describe legal and financial obligations related to the church. In case of legal action or the need for clarification on certain matters, these records or copies of these records should be accessible. The absence of these records could result in a financial loss to the church.