The following overview of the duties of the rector comes from my years of experience as a rector and my observations from working with congregations.
The Annual Meeting: A Rookie Anglican Guide
If the Super Bowl is within sight, it is usually time for congregations to have their Annual Meeting. It is often mandated by order of the church’s bylaws or parish or diocesan tradition. Still, it does make sense to gather the faithful members of the flock once a year to review the year past, assess…
The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop: A Foreword by Bob Duncan
Anglican Compass is proud to publish the Rev. Canon David Roseberry’s new book, The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop. It is already getting widespread acclaim from rectors, vestry members, and bishops throughout the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Below is the forward to the book by none other than the founding Archbishop and…
Praise for The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop
Anglican Compass is excited to announce our publication of The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop by the Rev. Canon David Roseberry, now available in paperback and on Kindle. It is a second, significantly expanded edition of his book The Rector and the Vestry. The first edition has been used for teaching, training, and orientation…
9 Best Practices for Your Church Vestry
It is that time of year when new Vestry members are elected, selected, and then seated as their congregation’s leadership board. Usually, there is an outgoing class of three or four making up one-third of the total Vestry. And of course, after the election or selection process in a parish, there is an incoming class…
Five Awkward Questions Your Church Needs to Answer (Part Four)
So far, we’ve talked about awkward questions that boil down to money. And surely, money can be an uncomfortable topic to tackle. Who should have access to the giving records? How much should we pay the pastor? Does the pastor need a retirement fund? Toss those questions out in your next board or Vestry meeting…
Five Awkward Questions Your Church Needs to Answer (Part Three)
The awkward questions are easy to ignore, but leaders can’t shy away from topics that have the potential to cripple ministry if left unaddressed. What goes unspoken can create divisions and spread distrust. If you haven’t caught up, here’s what we’ve discussed: Now, we turn to the future. For some, it’s a looming question that…
The Vestry: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Tonight, I have another vestry meeting, maybe my 350th monthly meeting of the elected leadership of Christ Church. The vestry in an Anglican church meets routinely, usually monthly, to give leadership and oversight to the congregation’s mission and ministry. Over the years, Christ Church has undergone many phases of vestry development, involvement, and leadership—not all…
