TITLE II
Administration of Parishes
CANON I
SECTION 1. Every congregation regularly and canonically formed in this Diocese, for receiving the administrations of the Church and for the worship of Almighty God, according to the faith and doctrine of the Church, and under the discipline and liturgy of the Church, shall constitute a Parish.
SECTION 2. All Parishes in this Diocese shall be governed by the Canons of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church.
SECTION 3. A "Parish" of this Diocese shall:
(a) be incorporated in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania;
(b) call a Rector and financially support said Rector to the extent the Parish is served by such Rector, in accordance with Title IV, Canon II, of the Canons of this Diocese;
(c) elect and assemble a Vestry, in accordance with the Canons of this Diocese and the By-laws of the Parish, which Vestry shall:
(i) cooperate with the Rector in promoting the spiritual welfare of the Parish and shall aid the Rector in the initiation, conduct, and development of the program of the Church, both within and without the Parish;
(ii) accept responsibility for the mission of the Church in the community, the Diocese, the nation, and the world, and shall be a means by which the Church and the Diocese communicate with the Parish;
(iii) represent the Parish in its relations with the Rector, and serve as a council of advice for the Rector upon the Rector's request, or whenever in the judgment of both Wardens, there are matters that should be brought to the Rector's attention;
(iv) encourage fit persons, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to enter the ministry of the Church, and share, with the Bishop and Rector in the training and guidance of postulants and candidates of the Parish in accordance with the Canons of this Diocese and the Church;
(v) review the Rector's stipend annually and communicate the information to the Bishop and report immediately, to the Treasurer of this Diocese, any change, increase, or decrease in the salary or other benefits of the Rector and other clergy persons as paid by such Parish; and
(vi) be the agents and legal representatives of the Parish in all corporate matters, subject to the Canons of this Diocese and the Church and the appropriate laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(d) provide representation to any Diocesan Convention, in accordance with the Canons of this Diocese; and
(e) hold its property and endowments, if any, in trust for this Diocese.
SECTION 4. Call of a Rector
(a) When a Parish anticipates or has a vacancy, the Wardens shall immediately, in writing, notify the Bishop of this Diocese. Thereupon, the Bishop, or his representative, and the Vestry shall meet to agree upon a search and call process.
(b) No vacancy shall be filled by a Vestry until the name of the priest whom it is proposing to elect has been made known to the Bishop, and the Bishop has been given a mutually agreeable time to concur. In the event of the Bishop's non-concurrence, the nomination procedure set forth above, shall begin again.
(c) When, in the opinion of the Rector of a Parish or the Vestry of a Parish, it is desirable to consider the dissolution of the pastoral relationship, it will be handled as set forth in the National Canons, Title III, Canons 20 and 21.
SECTION 5.
(a) Each Parish shall hold an Annual Meeting of the Parish between Nov. 1 and April 1, prior to the next annual Diocesan Convention. The congregation shall receive at least thirty days written notice of the Annual Meeting. The agenda for the Annual Meeting shall include at least the following items:
(i) a report by the Vestry, including full financial disclosure of the income, expenses, assets, debts, and liabilities of the Parish since the previous Annual Meeting, and a budget, (which shall be voted upon at the Annual Meeting) presented for discussion and information to the Parish;
(ii) the election of new Vestry members by eligible voting parishioners, following a public nominating process, which shall be publicized by the Vestry for at least two months prior to the Annual Meeting; and
(iii) the election of delegates and alternate delegates to Diocesan Convention by eligible voting parishioners, following a public nominating process, which shall be publicized by the Vestry for at least two months prior to the Annual Meeting.
(b) Those parishes whose annual meeting falls outside the above timeframe shall hold a special meeting between November 1 and April 1 to elect delegates and alternate delegates to the Diocesan Convention in accordance with 5(a)(iii) above.
CANON II: Parochial Reports
A report of every Parish shall be prepared annually for the year ending December 31 preceding, upon the form or forms prepared by the General Convention, and shall be sent, in duplicate, to the Bishop of the Diocese, not later than February 1. The preparation and delivery of this report shall be the joint duty of the Rector and the Vestry. In default of a complete report, the Bishop shall cause a report to be made or completed, as the case may be, from the best obtainable data, and such report shall stand for the year covered.
CANON III: Incurring of Debt
SECTION 1. No indebtedness shall be incurred by a Parish without the approval of the Bishop and Finance Committee, in accordance with the policies and procedures as developed by the Finance Committee.
SECTION 2. No Parish shall acquire, or commit itself to acquire, by purchase, exchange, or otherwise, any real estate, without the consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld, of the Standing Committee of this Diocese, nor shall any Parish alienate or encumber any real estate held by it or for its use, without the consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld, of the Standing Committee. In case any Parish shall be dissolved, it shall be the duty of the Bishop and the Standing Committee to take such action as may be necessary and proper to vest all of the Parish's property, real and personal, in the corporation of this Diocese.
CANON IV: Imperiled Parishes
SECTION 1. A Parish may be declared to be an Imperiled Parish, under Section 3 below, when one or more of the following conditions exist:
(a) any of several conditions which would render a Parish liable to action under the Constitution or Canons of the Diocese or the National Church, including employing a member of the clergy under ecclesiastical censure or process, permitting a church edifice to be used for purposes incompatible with its consecration, or any persistent course inconsistent with the doctrine, discipline, or worship of the Church;
(b) the Parish shall refuse or neglect to assemble and elect a Vestry, as provided in these Canons, or shall fail to provide representation at any Annual Convention of this Diocese, or shall neglect to pledge and provide its Fair Share Contribution to the mission of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania;
(c) the Parish shall have failed to search for and call a Rector after a reasonable period of time;
(d) the Parish shall have failed to comply with the provisions of the Canons of this Diocese pertaining to Clergy Stipends, Incurring of Debt, or Church Pension Fund;
(e) the Parish shall fail to make timely reports as required by the Canon II, "Parochial Reports"; or
(f) financial reports reveal invasion of the principal portion of endowment funds, or other evidence of financial instability, sufficient, in the judgment of the Bishop and the Standing Committee, to warrant action under this Canon.
SECTION 2. In the event that the conditions specified shall persist, the Bishop, with the consent of the Standing Committee, may declare the Parish to be an Imperiled Parish, and require the application of one or more of the following measures to restore health to the Parish:
(a) appointment, by the Bishop, of five (5) or more adult communicants of the Parish to govern the affairs of the Parish as the vestry, during the pendency of these conditions, and notwithstanding any other provisions for such governance or the election of a Vestry in the Canons of this Diocese;
(b) designation of the Rector as Vicar, during the pendency of these conditions;
(c) conveyance of title of all real property to the Incorporated Trustees of the Diocese, who shall hold the same, in trust, during the pendency of these conditions;
(d) such other measures, during the pendency of these conditions, which the Bishop, with the concurrence of the Standing Committee, determines to be appropriate.
SECTION 3. It shall be the obligation of all parties to labor to restore the Parish to a greater degree of health, setting forth problems to be addressed in an open, honest manner, and working toward the resolution of such problems in a climate of respect and charity, and for the greater good of the Church's witness to its Lord.
SECTION 4. Extinguishment of a Parish
(a) No Parish shall be declared to be extinct, except upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members of any Convention of the Diocese, and in conformity with the further provisions of this Canon.
(b) Such vote shall be upon a special report of the Committee on Constitution and Canons, which shall, upon the petition of the Bishop or the Standing Committee, consider the question, with all the evidence tending to prove or disprove the existence of the facts upon which a declaration of extinction could be made. Such report shall contain a statement of the evidence placed before the Committee.
(c) Upon the affirmative vote of the Convention, as aforesaid, such Parish shall become and be extinct, and title to all property thereof shall at once vest in the Incorporated Trustees of the Diocese.
CANON V: Church Pension Fund
Each Parish shall be governed by the Canons of the General Convention relating to the Church Pension Fund.
CANON VI: Offerings
The open plate offerings made in each Parish at the time of the visitation of the Bishop to such Parish shall be given to the Bishop for the Bishop's Discretionary Fund.
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