Effective secretaries get to work on time and are at their desks when expected. They are also diligent about following up on various tasks of office management. That doesn't mean that secretaries can't be sick or take vacation days or that they must perform flawlessly. It simply means that they should do their jobs consistently and reliably. From simple tasks, such as remembering to pass on phone messages, to more involved projects, such as assembling documents in time for an important meeting, reliability is a must.
Integrity is an important element of reliability.
The Hub of the Congregation A secretary who is discreet, willing to learn, caring, and reliable can be a real asset to a church. Some churches fail to hire adequate support staff, such as church secretaries, because they don't recognize what it takes to run a church smoothly and effectively. They may think that working in the church office means answering the phone a couple of times a day and running off the Sunday bulletins. Others know better. Mark Rowh is a freelance writer based in Dublin, Virginia.