Vestry

Holy Innocents Vestry

The Canons (laws governing) the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland & Labrador spell out the workings of the vestry and the various components that make up the vestry. There are the two Wardens (People’s & Rector’s), a treasurer, a secretary, and 12 members of the vestry. If you wish to read the function of a vestry and its many members please go to the Diocesan Website at www.anglican.nfol.ca/ look up the constitution under the Resource tab and read the many functions and jobs carried out by vestry members.

THE CHURCH WARDENS

The Church wardens shall have equal status and responsibility in the congregation in which they serve. In the exercise of their general responsibilities they shall act jointly. They shall act in consultation with the Incumbent and the Vestry of the congregation in the advancement of the Kingdom of God in that congregation. They shall exercise leadership, and with the Incumbent act as executive officers of the Vestry of the congregation in the supervision of all matters relating to that congregation; and they shall have general responsibility for all matters relating to the congregation that are not expressly the responsibility of the Bishop or the Incumbent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Church wardens shall have the following as party of their mandate: Leadership in Church life, Concerning Worship, Work of the Church, Finances, and Church Property.

At Holy Innocents we are blessed to have as the:

Rector’s Warden: Mr. Rick Langer

People’s Warden: Mr. David Jarvis

TREASURER OF THE CONGREGATION

Each congregation shall have a Treasurer, who may be appointed by the Vestry at its first meeting following the Annual Congregational Meeting, or elected at the Annual Congregational Meeting. The Treasurer shall be appointed for a two-year term, and may be re-appointed. After serving three consecutive two-year terms, the Treasurer shall retire and shall not be eligible for re-appointment until one year shall have elapsed. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer: To keep proper account of all money belonging to the congregation; To report regularly to the Incumbent, Churchwardens, and Vestry on the financial affairs of the Congregation; To provide information and advice for the preparation of the budget of the congregation, To ensure that all money contributed for special purposes are duly applied to such purposes, and, where applicable, remitted promptly; To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Vestry from time to time. The Treasurer shall be responsible to the Vestry through the Churchwardens.

At Holy Innocents we are blessed to have as the:

Treasurer: Ms. Christine Cull

SECRETARY

Each Vestry shall, at the first meeting following the Annual Congregational Meeting, appoint a Secretary. The Secretary shall be appointed for a one-year term, and may be re-appointed. After serving three consecutive one-year terms, the Secretary shall retire and shall not be eligible for any office or membership on the Vestry until one year shall have elapsed. It shall be the duty of the Secretary: To keep minutes of all meetings of the Vestry and of the congregation; To keep a record of the terms of office of all Vestry members whose terms of office are subject to specific tenure; To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Vestry from time to time.

At Holy Innocents we are blessed to have as the

Envelope Secretary: Mrs. Cynthia Carter

Secretary: Randy Higdon

Honorary Solicitor: Susan Fisher

THE VESTRY

In every congregation there shall be a Vestry, which shall consist of members of the congregation as follows: Ex-officio members: the Incumbent, the Curate(s), persons licensed by the Bishop and working full-time in the parish, the Churchwardens, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and, where there is only one congregation in the parish, the Lay Members representing the parish in Synod; At least one elected member of the Vestry shall be at least sixteen years of age, but no older than twenty years of age, at the time of election. Term of Office of Vestry Members Elected members of the Vestry, including the representatives of congregational organizations, if any, shall serve in that capacity for three consecutive years; following which, if they are not appointed or elected to one of the positions of ex-officio membership, they must retire and shall be ineligible to serve as a Vestry member until one year shall have elapsed. Elected members, at the expiry of their three-year terms, may be appointed or elected to one of the ex-officio memberships; however, at the expiry of the term of that ex-officio membership they are not eligible for appointment or election to any other position on Vestry, ex-officio or elective, until one year shall have elapsed. One-third of the elected members of the Vestry, as nearly as may be, shall retire annually, and their successors be elected at the Annual Congregational Meeting or selected by congregational committees and/or organizations as the case may be. In order to maintain this practice without interruption, current elected members of Vestries at the coming into effect of this Section shall continue in office until the expiration of the terms to which they were elected.

The duty of the Vestry: is the Work of the Church; Finances; Property and Employees and Committees. The Vestry shall meet at least twice a year. The Incumbent shall call the meeting, or, if someone other than the Incumbent Chairs the Vestry, by the elected Chair in consultation with the Incumbent. A meeting shall be called at the written request of at least five members of the Vestry.

At Holy Innocents we are blessed to have the following members of vestry:

David Blagdon

Russell Fiander

Rod Healey

Heather Herridge

George Jones

Timothy Morgan

Kim Quinton

George Sheppard

Keith Sheppard

Joyce Smith

Denise Walsh

Our Vestry meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 8:00 PM in the Boardroom adjacent to the Parish Hall. For more information on the work of the Vestry in this Parish contact the church office at 782-3071.