Clerk

1. A clergyman or ecclesiastic.
2. A man who could read; a scholar; a learned person; a man of letters.
3. A parish officer, being a layman who leads in reading the responses of the Episcopal church service, and otherwise assists in it.
4. One employed to keep records or accounts; a scribe; an accountant; as, the clerk of a court; a town clerk.
5. An assistant in a shop or store.

In some cases, clerk is synonymous with secretary. A clerk is always an officer subordinate to a higher officer, board, corporation, or person; whereas a secretary may be either a subordinate or the head of an office or department.