Clergy Annual and Sickness/Personal leave

As per the Status of Clergy Ordinance 2002, it is important to note that “the member of the clergy is not engaged in a contractual relationship with or as an employee of the Church or of any organ of it in order to perform this ministry”. The letter of offer sent to clergy by the Archbishop, once a nomination process has concluded, sets out any specific entitlements and expectations of clergy. Clergy are deemed officeholders and the broad functions and obligations of clergy are set out in the Status of Clergy Ordinance 2002. See related reference document below.

The standard entitlements are listed below:

Annual Leave entitlement

A clergy member whose paying authority is a Parish Council and who is in full-time service in that parish, is entitled to annual leave for four weeks (4) in each year (including 4 Sundays).
A clergy member whose paying authority is a Parish Council and who is in part-time service in that parish, is entitled to annual leave for four weeks (4) in each year (including 4 Sundays).

A Parish Priest (a priest who is a rector or priest-in-charge) must consult the Wardens and agree the time or times of the proposal annual leave.

A Parish Priest (a priest who is a rector or priest-in-charge) must inform the Archbishop of their intention to take annual leave.

The Annual Leave for a clergy person in a Ministry unit other than a Parish will be the same as above, but taking into account the governance structure of that Ministry unit.

Sickness / Personal Leave

There is no specific provision for sick leave for clergy. If a stipendiary clergy member is unable to perform his or her duties due to sickness or accident, the ministry unit or parish must continue to pay the agreed stipend and allowances until the clergy person recovers, or until clergy stipend insurance commences, or a course of action can be mutually agreed upon (eg. salary continuance or early retirement). Note clergy stipend insurance is enacted 90 days after the date of illness is notified. See support article on Clergy Stipend Continuance Insurance

Given the nature of stipendiary arrangements, clergy must discuss their need for sick or personal leave with their ministry unit or paying authority (Parish). Extended periods of sick or personal leave should also be discussed with the Archbishop.

Family and Domestic Violence leave

All clergy and employees can access 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave each year. This includes full-time, part-time and casual employees.
Employees must be experiencing family and domestic violence to be eligible to take paid family and domestic violence leave.
The entitlement to paid family and domestic violence leave comes from the National Employment Standards (NES). It’s a paid minimum leave entitlement, like annual leave or paid sick and carer’s leave.

Conferences and education leave entitlements

Clergy conference and retreat: Costs met by the parishes
Ministry Education Leave: 10 days including one Sunday in each calendar year

Other entitlements:

Surplice fees (the fees paid to the incumbent of a parish for rites such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals): Paid to RPE account

From January 2023, all Clergy and Lay Ministers are required to participate in the Ministry Wellbeing program, which includes:

A minimum of six hours of Pastoral Supervision each calendar year
Regular reflections in the form of annual ministry reviews
A minimum of ten hours of professional Development each calendar year

Check the Ministry Pastoral Supervision Policy.pdf and the Ministry Professional Development Policy.pdf for the current participation requirements and the responsibilities of Parishes to fund these.

The full-time stipend package for the current year can be found in the related reference documents below.

A Parish Priest (a priest who is a rector or priest-in-charge) must consult the Wardens and agree the time or times of the proposal annual leave.
A Parish Priest (a priest who is a rector or priest-in-charge) must inform the Archbishop of their intention to take annual leave.
The Annual Leave for a clergy person in a Ministry unit other than a Parish will be the same as above, but taking into account the governance structure of that Ministry unit.

As above, clergy are to consult with the Wardens and agree the time or times of the proposal annual leave. It is the responsibility of the Wardens to keep records of clergy leave. For other forms of leave an email request is sufficient to the ministry unit or paying authority. It is recommended that clergy seeking any leave, including notice of extended sickness leave, should advise the Payroll Officer (if their payroll is managed by Synod Office). The Payroll Officer can be notified at payroll@adelaideanglicans.com.