Dear Colleagues

I hope you have had some time off during the holidays and have come back refreshed in preparation for Synod. I managed one week of my three, away in Port Elizabeth with some good friends.

Annis Mirabilis
The first six months of this year have not been easy. There was a serious complaint against a priest and three parishes with leadership conflict. The consequences of all four incidents still reverberate in my soul and in the Diocese. Personal interventions in two parishes involving senior colleagues were painful, stressful and disappointing.

Lessons learnt. What I observed was a breakdown of good working relationships between the clergy and the Wardens. There were many reasons for this state of affairs – over involvement, with no quality time to listen and collaborate; a flouting of Diocesan rules and Canon law; a mistaken understanding of roles and responsibilities; financial matters; abuse of power, and irresponsible actions and decisions.

Good Governance. My understanding of the governance structures of the Church is that the Bishop delegates full responsibility and oversight to the Rector for the material and spiritual well-being of the parish and its people. Together with a democratically elected Parish Council and Wardens, the Rector and Parish Council carry out their joint responsibilities as stated in the Canons. The role of the Wardens are clearly stated in the Canons.

Procedures. All Pastoral and financial planning and decisions are discussed in Council and properly minuted for the audit. Decisions, pastoral and financial, are monitored and caused to happen by the executive, consisting of the Rector and Wardens. Bookkeepers and Treasurers are not part of the Executive.

Wardens. The Wardens are responsible for the proper administration of the finances of the parish – the counting and banking, requisitioning of cheques, carrying out Diocesan requirements, payments of bills, providing monthly statements of income and expenditure for Council Meetings, budgets, preparing for audit, reporting to Vestry and giving account. Everything is paid by cheque or stop order and not cash and is sanctioned by Council. Safeguards around signatories are maintained. Any decision taken by the Executive between Council Meetings must be ratified and minuted at the next Council.

Rector. The Rector always maintains a watchful oversight. The buck stops with him/her. Accountability and integrity is essential.

Treasurers. Treasurers or bookkeepers are appointed by Council and may be invited to report to an Executive Meeting or a Vestry. Here is potential for power games and conflict.

Council. The Election of Parish Councillors and particularly Wardens, is very important and great care should be taken to elect suitable persons. Rectors or Archdeacons should not be afraid to challenge an election, as is their Canonical right. If the clergy are fully focused on the parishes to which the Bishop has appointed them, and are trying as best they can to conform to requirements of the Canons and the Acts of the Diocese which are there to protect them, then there is a reasonable chance for good governance and good working relationships.

I am aware of the other pressures of ministry that you all have to contend with, but we will not add to them if we are compliant with the rules. Our people will not tolerate autocratic and dictatorial styles of leadership. Nor will they tolerate clergy who flout the rules or who are non-productive or obstructionist. Nor should we tolerate similar behaviour from our lay leaders. We should be encouraging each other so that we may together build God’s Kingdom and serve the world.

Vestries
I said this long ago and I remind you again – do not hold Vestry Meetings within the context of the Eucharist. It is manipulative and restrictive of full involvement by the people. I know all the arguments. People are not fools. A Vestry or AGM needs to be properly and thoroughly prepared for. There is a set agenda in the Canons, Audited Financial Statements must be ready. Reports of the Rector and Wardens must be given, budgets discussed etc. before elections take place. Nominations to be carefully examined etc. no relatives of clergy should be allowed, no parish paid lay person should hold office – no recently arrived or new convert should be considered. A Vestry could be held after a service so that people are allowed the freedom to leave, or at any other conveniently prepared time. It could be done in stages on different days – a time for organization and reports and discussion etc. followed by the finances and elections. Speak to Byron or Cliff Felix. But you must follow the rules completely otherwise you might have to do it all over. It is a legal, Canonical process.

Lease of Diocesan Properties
All properties are vested in the name of the Trustees of the Anglican Church – be it Diocesan or Provincial. Therefore any lease agreement of a curate’s house, for example, must be signed by at least one member of the Diocesan Trusts Board. It is invalid if signed by the Wardens or Rector. The Rector and Wardens should inform the Trusts Board of the wish of the parish to lease the property (usually a short term lease) and the Administrator and Registrar will cause that to happen.

Confirmations
Please try to observe the following if I am presiding:

a) Let me have a list of candidates in the week before Confirmation for my prayers.
b) The colour is usually white (if red, let me know before hand).
c) Use the Readings of the day if it’s a Sunday or readings for Confirmation if a weekday.
d) Let me know before hand if there are adult baptisms,
e) or people to be admitted from other Churches.
f) There should be no or limited interruption like liturgical dancing, anthems etc..
g) Let me know if you want me to stay for Lunch.
h) Have the registers ready for me to sign and give me the Diocesan returns for Sandra.
i) Could you or one of the Wardens announce that the collection for the day goes to the training of priests.

I am grateful that much of the above is already observed and also for the help of the Wardens and the Chaplains on my arrival.

Lenten Appeal and Confirmation Collections
Could I gently remind you about these two important sources of income for development and training in the Diocese.

Tribunal
I have had to reconstitute the Diocesan Tribunal. The Archbishop has nominated the Dean of the Province, Bishop Paddy Glover to preside. It will unfortunately only reconvene on 29 September. Please pray for the process.

I want to thank you all for your loyalty and support. One of the responsibilities of the Bishop is to care for the clergy. I have tried to do this in many ways even to the point of absorbing insult and misinformation. I cannot defend the indefensible and those who think they have no need of help.

Our first Clergy Forum recalled us all to the basics of our ministries. Each time I license you to a pastoral charge, you submit yourself anew to live by the pastoral standards in Act 15 of the Canons.

I urge you to remain faithful to the call of Christ on your lives, to remain united and to resist division and to be alert to negative spins that seek to destabilize the Church.

I alert you to Joy! Magazine and the Movement of Confessing Anglicans. I have written to the Archbishop.

I know we are going to have a good Synod. Pray for it and also for the Synod of Bishops meeting in September.

Love and prayers


BISHOP MERWYN E CASTLE