Parish Officers

Per the Parochial Administration Ordinance, a parish or congregation elects or appoints various officers. These officers help to ensure the church is effective and to fulfil the responsibilities involved in the day-to-day running of the church. These positions include:

• Wardens – a  People’s Warden, elected at the Annual Vestry Meeting, and a Priest’s Warden appointed by the minister/priest.
• Members of Parish Council.  The Parish Council  (together with the minister/priest) is responsible for the parish’s worship, ministry and mission. 
• Members of the Nomination Committee, to select a new minister/priest if required.
• A Parish Treasurer, to maintain accurate financial records and to report as required to the Vestry, the Parish Council, and the Australian Taxation Office
• A Parish Secretary, who acts as the contact point for Diocesan notices and correspondence.  The Parish Council may ask the Parish Secretary to perform other duties, which should be minuted.

These positions are usually elected at the Annual Vestry Meeting, or appointed by the Parish Council or the Rector/Priest-in-Charge. The number of people who make up the Parish Council is not fixed by the Ordinance but is determined by the Vestry. The Ordinance provides (in section 42(2)) that for every three elected members of the Parish Council, the minister/priest can appoint one member.

As the Diocesan Office will often need to communicate with parish officers, parishes must let the Diocesan Office know when new parish officers are elected or appointed and that they provide the Diocesan Office with up-to-date contact details for their parish officers.  

Notification of New Parish Officers may be done via the Parish Portal using this link: Parish Officer Notification Form.

To access the Parish Portal you will need to log in using your email address and one-time access code. Details of this process can be found here.