Forms for parishes to enter their statistical and financial returns for 2024 will be available soon. Links will be sent by email when they are ready. Please do NOT try to enter this information in DIMS as this feature no longer works.
An important feature of DIMS for our work together is the parish assigning people to roles in order that we and you can generate contact lists.
Please continue to update the people in parish roles through the Parish (Maintain) menu item, particularly the changes made following your annual meeting (wardens, synod delegates, treasurer, etc.). Please include email addresses and ensure current values are up to date. For those who have no email address, ensure a telephone # is entered. The deadline for this is March 15.
*** We note, however, that the Add Person feature of DIMS is no longer working. If you have someone who does not currently have a record in DIMS but who you would like added/attached to a parish role, please send the following information to Cheryl:
For working purposes, you can print your current parish profile report from DIMS: Parish Reports > Parish Profile Report - Print and make note of changes required, including contact data.
An error occurs when trying to add a new baptism record in DIMS, but we trust that clergy are adding baptisms to the parish Baptism Registrar and so we believe we can proceed without this second measure.
Questions from this optional form used the last few years have been included in the new parish statistics return.
The DIMS issues are related to when one tries to add a new "record", e.g., a new person or a new statistics or financial report. Modifying existing records, however, does not present any difficulties.
Please do not hesitate to contact the synod office if you have questions,
In addition, please deliver or mail to the Secretary of Synod, one copy of the parish annual report, including the financial statements, duly reviewed per Canon Six s. 4 (1) (k.1). A financial review checklist and certification form is available here.
Canon Five s. 7: The Incumbent of each parish and mission shall forward annually to the Secretary of the Synod in a form and on a date prescribed by regulation: (a) an annual report, (b) a copy of the financial statements, accounts and other information received at the annual meeting of voting members of the parish or mission pursuant to clause 2(1)(d) of Canon Six, (c) an annual statistical return, and (d) a report of the election or appointment of wardens, lay delegates to the Synod, the Vestry Clerk and the Parish Treasurer.
This information is both canonically required and forms part of the annual diocesan reporting to the ACC national office.
Why we ask you to submit online
Using DIMS and the new online return forms to enter your parish contact data and annual statistics and financial returns saves on overall effort and will help to avoid transcription errors. If access to a computer and/or the Web is an issue, you may use the provided working forms to mail in. Please do NOT mail in the working forms if you have entered your data into DIMS or via the new online return forms.
The requirement for the submission of parish returns exists for all parishes, whether there is an incumbent appointed or not. If necessary, church wardens need to assure this task is completed. If help is needed and supply or interim clergy are unable to provide it, please contact the Synod Office prior to the submission deadline. We’ll be happy to assist.