Annual vestry meetings

Description

This article outlines the requirements and process for conducting an Annual Vestry Meeting in a parish.

Overview

Each parish must hold an Annual Vestry Meeting before 31 March each year, as required under section 17 of the Parochial Administration Ordinance.

Notice of the meeting must be given to the congregation on two Sundays before the meeting and must include general information on the business to be considered. More detailed procedures are found insections 17 and 19–27 of the Parochial Administration Ordinance.

The following matters are addressed at the meeting:

• Confirm the minutes of the preceding Annual Vestry Meeting (unless already confirmed by Parish Council)
• Receive reports from the Parish Priest, churchwardens, the lay Synod representative(s), and parish groups
• Receive a reviewed or audited statement of accounts of the parish, and of organisations connected with the parish
• Elect parish officers, including:
• Churchwardens,
• Members of Parish Council,
• Members of the Nomination Committee,
• Lay Synod representatives (every third year; next election in 2025)
• Consider recommendations from the Parish Council
• Consider the budget of income and expenditure presented by the Parish Council
• Other business as specified in the notice for the meeting

The meeting is an important opportunity for all members of the church to have a voice in shaping thepastoral, educational, evangelistic and missionary work of the congregation.

Who can vote

Eligible voters are those who qualify to vote in lay Synod elections, as defined in Parochial Administration Ordinance sections 6(1), 9(1) & 13(1) of the Constitution.

A voter must:

• Be a communicant (i.e. a church member who has received Communion at least three times in the past year)

 

• Be at least 16 years old
• Be a member of the parish and not a member of another parish in the Diocese
• Have signed the declaration in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution

Who can be elected

You can be elected as a churchwarden if you are:

• Churchwarden: Must be a communicant lay person aged 18 or older (s48 Parochial Administration Ordinance)
• Parish Council member: Must be a communicant lay person aged 16 or older (s28A Parochial Administration Ordinance)

Post-meeting checklist

After the meeting:

• Parish Council appoints a secretary, a treasurer, and a safe ministry coordinator (s32 Parochial Administration Ordinance).
• Provide a list of everyone appointed/elected to the Registrar & Secretary of Synod by completing this online form.
• wardens
• members of parish council
• members of the Nomination Committee,
• lay Synod members
• secretary
• treasurer
• safe ministry coordinator
• Send a copy of the approved accounts to the Finance Manager at finance@adelaideanglicans.com for assessment acquittal (s3(1) Assessment Ordinance).
• Submit the annual statistical return to the Secretary of Synod by completing this online form.

Related resources

• Declaration – Fourth Schedule
• Parochial Administration Ordinance