Wardens' Handbook

What If?

The Parish Priest resigns …
All clergy resign in writing to the Bishop with a copy to the Wardens. At this point, it is duty of the Wardens and Parish Priest to decide when and how to tell the members of the Parish. A Canonical Committee will then be struck and will work closely with the Archdeacon and Bishop to select a new Parish Priest. During this time an interim Priest may be assigned to the Parish by the Bishop.

The Parish Priest becomes ill …
While the Priest is unable to continue, the Wardens work closely with the Bishop and Archdeacon to maintain continuity within the Parish, assisting with finding supply clergy if the Priest is unable to do so. It is the responsibility of the Wardens to arrange payment for the supply clergy. The Wardens or Treasurer should contact the diocesan Business Administrator or Treasurer regarding reimbursement for supply clergy in cases of absence due to illness or injury that is longer than four weeks.

Inappropriate physical or sexual behaviour occurs …
If the case involves a child, the Wardens or Parish Priest must immediately call the Child Abuse Hotline and then advise their Archdeacon and the Chair of the Diocesan Response Group. All other cases must be considered very serious issues and should be dealt with in consultation with the Archdeacon and Diocesan Response Group. There is a Diocesan Policy and it must be adhered to for the safety of all!

A member of the congregation is upset about worship or parish concerns …
A situation like this involves the two most difficult tasks of any Warden: maintaining requested confidentiality while being as open as possible, and helping people to see that not all persons within the parish want the same things. What to one person is a joy may be a burden to another. If you believe that the concern is felt by a number of parishioners, you should discuss it with your Parish Priest and the other Warden(s) without necessarily indicating who actually voiced the concern. If you feel that the majority of the parishioners are happy with the way things are, you must try to explain this without hurting the parishioner’s feelings. The parishioner may just want to be heard.

While the Parish Priest has the responsibility for worship, it is a concern for the whole church community. If a worship concern is expressed, it may be suitable to ask the parishioner if you can ask the Priest to get in touch with him or her to discuss the issue. This could indicate whether the person has already spoken to the Priest and wants to make this an issue or is just not comfortable taking the concern directly to the Priest.

Whatever the problem, it cannot be swept under the rug or ignored in the hope that it will go away. If you cannot reach a conclusion that is satisfactory to everyone, seek help. Bring in someone from outside the parish who may be able to view the problem from a different perspective. Depending on the situation, there are members of the Diocesan staff who might be able to help, or your Regional Dean or Archdeacon will be able to make arrangements for assistance.

I start to dread Sunday mornings …
There are times when every Warden feels that he or she is running a gauntlet just to get to the service. Remember that you are not alone—you are part of a team of at least three: two Wardens and the Parish Priest. Work with your fellow Warden(s) to develop the best routine for dealing with the ongoing concerns of parishioners. Don’t forget that prayer is of enormous help to everyone involved.

Our Parish Priest seems overwhelmed …
If you see that the Parish Priest is being overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to talk about arranging for a supply clergy once in a while so the Priest can have a vacation or study–leave week. Remember that the Parish Priest is entitled to one week’s education leave yearly and should be encouraged to take it regularly. Accumulation of education (study) leave should be discussed and agreed to by both Wardens and the Priest involved and should be reviewed with the Bishop.

I can’t say no …
This is something you will have to practice—diligently. It can be very easy to get into a situation where you spend the entire week running from one meeting to another. This is exhausting whether you are working in or outside the home or supposedly are retired. Your family starts to feel that they never see you, and you start feeling that you should just move into the church hall. This is not good for anyone! You are part of a team—you have to learn to communicate well within the team, and delegate. You are a leader—not the only doer in the parish. If you need someone to do a certain job, see who is waiting to be asked. You will be amazed at how many people will say yes to a short–term job or even sit on an interesting committee if asked. If another meeting has been called, ask if it is really needed or if it could it be an agenda item at a regular committee meeting, or if it could it be handled by phone or e–mail.

We can’t agree …
There are times when even good communication and teamwork just cannot solve a problem. Remember that you have a large group of people who can and will help you in any circumstances. You have a Regional Dean, your Archdeacon and the Diocesan staff to assist. We have been worshipping in this diocese since 1914, in over 50 parishes; it’s likely that your situation has come up in some form in the past. And if it is entirely different to anything that has come before, it will be a new challenge for everyone.

We need to hire new parish support staff …
Advertise, describing the job, expectations, responsibilities and remuneration. It is required that a police check be undertaken for all new support staff, and that the results be communicated to the Diocesan office. This can be arranged through the local police department.

I would like to suggest improvements/updates to this handbook …
Please contact the Diocesan Business Administrator at the Synod Office at 439–7344 or 877–494–8890

Installation of Church Wardens

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Notes to the reader: Throughout this document the word "responsible" is used when defining a warden’s functions and duties. This does not mean that the warden must carry out a specific function or duty; rather, the warden must ensure that the function or duty is carried out.

It is our intent that this document will be reviewed and updated at a minimum of every ten (10) years.]