PARISH ELECTIONS

At every annual meeting, a congregation elects members of the vestry or mission committee. Depending on its bylaws, either the congregation or the vestry also elects the wardens and the convention delegates. This information must be certified and on file with the diocese.

FILING THE FORMS

All forms connected with parish elections must be dated and certified by the rector, senior warden or secretary of the vestry.

Once the forms are on file with the diocese, wardens and delegates will start to receive information about upcoming events and training sessions. All delegates and alternate delegates must be certified no later than 30 days prior to Convention.

Wardens and delegates are eligible to vote at Pre-Convention Forums (formerly known as Regional Assemblies) in the fall, and should plan to attend. Only delegates are eligible to vote at the annual meeting of the convention.

Our canons provide that if a warden is also a delegate, that the Vestry may appoint an additional delegate so that the parish may have full representation at the Pre-Convention Forum, i.e., clergy, wardens and delegates. If this is the case for your parish, please be sure that the person you’ve selected as alternate is reflected in our records.

A list of the current delegates, and alternates can be found here (updated 01/12/2021).

Following the election of vestry (or mission committee) and convention delegates by each congregation, the following forms must be completed and filed with the diocese office.

Election Forms

Vestry Election Form
Mission Committee Election Form
Certification of Convention Delegates Form

FAQS ON ELECTION FORMS

Can I submit these forms online?

Yes. It is no longer necessary to complete the forms by hand — and, in fact, our preference is that you complete the forms online. If for any reason you feel you need to file a paper copy, please contact Kimberly Vaughn to make arrangements.

Can I send my own file instead of filling in the form?

Yes. When you fill out the online form there is an option to attach your own file.

What do I need to report?

If you are working to gather your information before sending your report, you need to collect the following information: Election Date, Name, Address, Phone (including type), and E-mail for all vestry positions, convention delegates, and alternate delegates.

Positions to Report:

Convention Delegates
Alternate Convention Delegates
Senior Warden (or Vice-Chair Mission Committee)
Junior Warden
Secretary of Vestry (or Committee)
Treasurer
Finance Committee Chairperson
Stewardship Chairperson
Christian Education Chairperson
Outreach Chairperson
Youth Ministry Contact
Vestry Members
Music Staff (Director of Music, Choir Director, Organist, etc.)

Who can certify the forms?

Either the rector, senior warden or secretary of the vestry must certify the form. Note that the rector doesn’t have to complete the form, only approve the certification. There is a box on the form to capture this certification.

If our annual meeting is in January, can the delegates elected then be seated at the Convention at the end of the month?

No. Delegates and alternates must be certified no later than 30 days prior to the Convention.

How are delegates allocated to parishes?

Each year, the diocese calculates the median average Sunday attendance in the diocese across all parishes. Congregations with median attendance or below are entitled to one delegate. Those with between the median and twice the median attendance are entitled to two delegates, and so forth up to five delegates for parishes with four times the median attendance. The apportionment is updated annually and is recorded in Table 3 of the Journal.

How many alternate delegates should a parish elect?

Our canons do not address this. If your bylaws don’t address the election of alternate delegates, a rough rule of thumb is to have an equal number of delegates and alternates.