01 jan 2014 cal times web

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Caledonia Times

January 2014 - New Year’s Edition The Diocesan Section of the Anglican Journal

Diocesan Exectuive Meets for 2014 Budget The Diocesan Executive Committee met on November 15th in Terrace to discuss matters of life and ministry within the Diocese. What follows is a thumbnail of the meeting’s minutes and the matters into which their time and energy was spent:

The Bishop introduced our new SecretaryTreasurer, Mrs. Audrey Wagner, to the Executive Committee. Time was taken to go around the table and introduce everyone so that in the days ahead Audrey can put a face to a name when talking to people on the phone when they call. Audrey came to the Synod Office in August, to succeed Michelle Tangauy who left at that time to take employment elsewhere. The Bishop also took the time to introduce the Rev. Canon Dr. James Nuzzo, who was visiting the Diocese for the Clericus and was going to spend some time in the Cathedral Parish, including preaching on Sunday Morning. Canon Nuzzo serves the Bishop as Canon Theologian and as an honourary Assistant at the Cathedral when he is here from his native Boston.

The Budget was discussed in detail and approved for 2014, including grants to various parishes worth about $95,000. The National Block Grant has been cut from $250,212 in 2012 to $234,996 for 2014. And there are going to be cuts of at least 5% per year to the Diocese to 2017. These cuts were agreed to as part of an arrangement with the Council of the North and the Council of General Synod, where funding levels were held for five years and then cut by 5% per year for a five year period. There is a concern that the Diocese is drawing down its reserves too quickly and must take some actions soon to stem this trend. There

stipend or insurance can result in the clergy getting layoff notice or the buildings being locked up until the finances are brought up to current because of the costs and legal commitments the diocese has to the clergy. The insurance covers not only the building, it also covers the officers of the parish for various things, including directors’ insurance if the parish is every sued.

Diocesan Executive at the November 2013 Meeting was also a provision to use money that would send the Editor to the annual Editors’ Conference (to be held in Niagara Falls in June 2014) to be diverted and used to facilitate a clergy gathering in 2014. The Diocese will be moving from three separate payments of Stipend, Insurance, and Diocesan Fair Share to a single unified monthly payment: The Bishop noted a growing concern over the number of congregations that are not meeting it commitments to the Diocese for the big 3 (1) Stipend, (2) Insurance, and (3) Diocesan Fair Share. The first two are contract obligations and must be paid. Failure on the part of the parish to pay

The Bishop and the Clergy gather at Camp for Clericus

There have been a number of changes in life and ministry in the North Peace Parish – end of the relationship with St. Luke’s United congregation and property matters: The Bishop noted that the legal transactions ending the relationship between St. Martin’s Congregation and St. Luke’s United Church have finally been finished. The diocese paid out about $350,000 for the lands, buildings and legal fees. Executive has chosen to work with St. Martin’s congregation over the next year on how the money will be repaid. In the meantime, the parish has been led by the Rev. Jacob Worley who spent six months with the parish as an interim priest. The Bishop announced that he has appointed the Rev. Enid Pow from the Diocese of Chelmsford (UK) to the Parish. Rev. Pow is due to arrive in Fort St. John in mid-January. There was discussion around the future of the “Caledonia Times” and the Future of Communications within the Diocese: Some time was given to discussing the ongoing work of the Caledonia Times. There has been an going concern amongst the diocesan editors that the Anglican Journal may change its format from the current newspaper format published 10 times each year to (1) an electronic/web based reporting or (2) more recently to a quarterly magazine or (3) publishing fewer papers, down to every other month or six times a year from ten issues per annum. Our editor is working on a plan that would see the Cal Times become a journal/magazine that could be produced and mailed more easily from within the diocese should the new format of the Anglican Journal not allow us to publish with them. The largest challenge for the Cal Times is the lack of stories from the papers. The editor will update the situation when there are more developments.

The Bishop and clergy gathered at Camp Caledonia for a two day face to face meeting to discuss a variety of issues that face the clergy on a day to day basis - everything from building issues to self care to relationships with the National Church life and local ministry in the diocese. they took time to poses for this photo. - Ed Happy New Year 2014 Caledonia - may it be blessed for you!


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