Who Decides and How

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The Diocese

As an Anglican parish, Christ Church belongs to the Diocese of Calgary, a geographic association of some 65 parishes in southern Alberta. A diocese is the basic organizational unit in the Anglican Church, and each diocese is subdivided into parishes.

The person with oversight of the diocese is the diocesan bishop. In the Anglican tradition he or she takes counsel from the clergy of the diocese, and lay representatives of the parishes, who gather together on an annual or biennial basis as the “Synod” of the diocese.

The bishop has a special responsibility to see that there is adequate ministry provided to all the Anglicans in the diocese. This is usually accomplished by appointing a priest (or priests) to serve as the principal leaders in each of the parishes. All priests swear an oath of allegiance and obedience to their bishop, and it should be understood that clergy are servants of the diocese who are shared with their parish, rather than servants of the parish who are shared with the diocese.

The diocese sets policy with regard to temporal matters, such as the investment of shared funds, the payment of clergy, maternity leaves and so on. It also implements decisions taken at the national level, exercising whatever discretion is entrusted to it.

The Parish

Within parishes, the rector (or priest in charge) has full jurisdiction over the spiritual life of the parish, including worship, music, and education. Usually, clergy delegate some of this responsibility to other clergy or qualified lay leaders, and they also seek the advice and wisdom of other members of the parish.

The temporal affairs of the Church are ultimately the responsibility of all worshipping members of the parish. This is why Anglican parishes call an Annual General Meeting each year. Between AGMs, the temporal leadership of Christ Church is entrusted to two groups, who work in concert with each other: a "Board of Management," and a "Parish Council." 

The Board of Management

Once a year, at the Annual General Meeting, members of Christ Church elect approximately 10 people to serve on the Board of Management.  This groups meets monthly, and is is accountable on behalf of the parish with respect to all matters relating to finances, property, and personnel.

The Parish Council

The Parish Council has a particular interest in maintaining and enhancing parish programs, in thinking ahead, and in learning about issues which cross natural “boundaries” in our parish life. The Council consists of both appointed and elected members. The appointees come from each of the major areas of ministry (for example, Worship, Outreach, Education, Pastoral Care).  In addition, a further 6 - 8 members are elected at the Annual Meeting of the parish, in order to ensure that the Council is representative of the demography and views of the parish at large. 

What if I have a great idea and want to get something done?

Christ Church is a large enough parish that we are able to sustain many initiatives, so long as they have adequate leadership, and do not run at cross-purposes with programs or plans which are already in place.

It is often helpful to run an idea past the clergy, who are generally aware of competing claims on the parish’s time, and of who might provide assistance.

Most areas of the parish’s corporate life are entrusted to some group or committee, as described at Parish Life. Working with a group which is already in place is usually an effective way to move a project forward. Individuals should feel free to approach the designated leaders of such groups. Ideas and initiatives which do not clearly "belong" anywhere are best brought to the attention of the Board of Management, or the Parish Council. 

Of course, individuals (and groups) should expect to be accountable to the larger “agenda” and plans of the parish (we can’t have a parish picnic on Good Friday!), but within these parameters, Christ Church welcomes the initiative, and energy, and godly creativity of all its people.

What if I need to let off steam?

The short answer to this question is, Do.

Part of the richness of our human life is that we don’t always agree with each other; and part of the frailty of our human condition is that we sometimes hurt one another. No good is served by pretending that things are otherwise.

At Christ Church, we first encourage people to speak directly, and in charity, with the person whose opinion or action has caused distress. In those rare, but important, cases where this is simply not wise or possible (for example, should there be an allegation of sexual impropriety), comments should be directed immediately to the clergy or one of the wardens.

If one’s complaint or criticism has to do with some decision or direction of the parish, it may be helpful to seek out a member of the Parish Council, or Board of Management, or one of the clergy. Generally, the Parish Council is responsible for program matters; the Board of Management is responsible for temporal matters (property, finance, personnel); and the clergy are responsible for spiritual matters.

At Christ Church, we encourage people with a criticism or grievance to speak directly to the person of their choice, and to avoid letter-writing and emails.

Anglican Churches, of course, are not “congregational” – we belong to a wider fellowship, which is embodied for Christ Church by the Diocese of Calgary. In situations where individuals believe that the very integrity of the Anglican Church is at stake, they may (and should) appeal to the Bishop of the Diocese for assistance.

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