Overview Parish Officer Handbook Parish Annual Meetings Synod Financial Resources for Parishes Parish Statistical and Financial Returns Mission Action Plan Worship Supplies Cemetery Management Parish Registers Indigenous Territorial Acknowledgement Parish Advisory Committee Closure of Church Buildings and Dissolution of Parishes

The Parish Register system was approved by Diocesan Synod in June 2005; the contents of which are set by Canon Five (s. 6).

Register pages, printed on acid free paper and holed for the vestry books, are available from the Bishop's Office by contacting Cheryl. Replacement binders are also available. If you need to print a copy of a page, please refer to the clergy administrative downloads page.

Notes on the Use of Parish Registers

  1. Information recorded: Specifics of information being recorded in parish registers are set by Canon Five (s. 6). Registers containing personal information are to be treated with the utmost of care and in keeping with the principles of the diocesan Privacy Policy.
  2. Importance: Parish records are of importance in the present as they track the current activity of divine service and liturgical / pastoral ministry. They are important in the future as they are referenced by individuals requiring proof of the integrity of personal information, including sacramental verification upon which other events depend. Records eventually prove invaluable in research efforts in the areas of genealogy, church history and sociological study.
  3. Responsibility: The parish incumbent is responsible to see that they are maintained with care and accuracy as the permanent record of life events of the People of God.
  4. Entry of records: Use of a black fine point pen will avoid smearing or blotting and greatly increase the permanence of the record. Never use a marker, red or peacock blue ink. Write clearly or print to assure maximum legibility. 
  5. Completion of records: Complete all information requested by the register entry to the best ability of the recorder as soon after the liturgical event as possible. Financial information relating to offerings is entered at the church and before they leave the building as outlined in Canon Six s. 6(d) and the recommended financial controls and procedures in the Diocesan Parish Officer Handbook Part Two:
    • Offerings must be counted before they leave the church building.
    • The treasurer should avoid being a counter if at all possible.
    • The count information should be carefully reported on forms designed for that purpose, nicluding the parish vestry book, as soon as possible after the count is complete and before it leaves the church building.
    • The funds are to be deposited in the bank as soon as is possible (a night depository service will assist greatly).
    • the treasurer and envelope secretary are to be given copies of the count information for their respective purposes.
  6. Submission of records: Original register pages for each previous calendar year are to be returned to the Diocesan Archives through the Synod Office no later than March 15. If so desired, a photocopy may be retained for church files. If not previously sent, all registers from prior years should be forwarded to the Archives as soon as possible.
  7. Retrieval of records: Recorded information for the purpose of the issue or reissue of certificates, or for other uses, is easily obtained by the incumbent or parish corporation by contacting the diocesan liaison at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick.