Parish Officer Handbook
Please refer to this page for information and synod polices, regulations and directives particularly relevant to parish corporations.
Parish Annual Meetings
Parishes are required to hold their Annual Meetings in January or February. Please refer to this page for further information and resources.
Parish Statistical and Financial Returns
Annual parish returns, including statistics and financial returns, are due March 15 each year. More information on this page.
Policy A-4 Obtaining Financial Assistance
DIMS - Diocesan Information Management System
DIMS is used in the Diocese of Fredericton to effectively maintain accurate real-time contact and role information for ordained and lay people and well as provide a simple method for capturing and reporting annual statistical and financial parish return information. If you have misplaced, forgotten or need the parish username and password, contact the Bishop's Office. Always keep your username and password secure. For a basic overview, please refer to this view in pictures.
Insurance Questions
Contact Synod Treasurer Heather Harris-Jones or Barbara McGuire of Marsh Canada at (902) 490-2106
Purchase or Selling/Leasing of Property
Please read the following policies and then contact the Property Committee:
- Policy A-3 Disposition of Real Property and Demolition of Buildings
- Policy A-9 Purchase of Real Property and New Construction and Renovation
Corporation Papers (e.g., for request from bank)
We are receiving more enquiries that banks wish to see corporation papers in order to change signing officers. Parishes do not have corporate papers in the ordinary sense, but are incorporated by special act of the Legislature, the Anglican Church Act, particularly a combination of s. 2 (4) and the list of parishes in the Schedule. You will also need to provide a Vestry resolution naming financial signing officers, which are the ones provided for in Canon Six.
Episcopal Visitation Form
Once Archbishop David has been scheduled to visit your parish, please complete this form to provide his office with worship and other details.
Political Activity
Parish corporations are reminded that their charitable status requires them to stay out of partisan political activity.
The Income Tax Act defines the partisan activity as “the direct or indirect support of, or opposition to, any political party or candidate for public office” (Income Tax Act, s. 149.1). Accordingly, parishes should not be renting their facilities to or allowing them to be used by political parties or candidates. The pertinent Canada Revenue Agency guidance bulletin indicates that a charity’s failure to treat political candidates with fairly precise equality would amount to the prohibited “support” of some candidate or party. It would seem, then, that renting parish facilities to one candidate among several would be caught by the prohibition. On the other hand, it would not violate the Income Tax Act to rent parish facilities for use as a polling place. It would also seem acceptable to host an all-candidates meeting provided all candidates were treated equally.
Video from the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada on what churches can and cannot do
Food Safety
- ABCs of Food Safety
- NB Public Health Resources
- NB Food Premises Regulation (as of August 2020)
Church Building Signs
Need a new standard Anglican Church of Canada sign for your building? Sign FX in Fredericton offers a good product for about $85.