DIOCESE of ATLANTA The Episcopal Church in Middle and North Georgia Letter of Agreement Between (The Parish) and (Priest-in-Charge) has been called to serve this Parish as Priest-in-Charge for a period of three years, with the understanding that after two years of this tenure, in mutual consultation among the Bishop, the Vestry, and Priest, his / her tenure may be changed to (1) Interim Priest-in-Charge for the last year at which time the parish shall begin a search for a Rector, (2) Priest-in-Charge as candidate for Rector, to be chosen from a group of nominees from Bishop s office, or (3.) Rector, upon nomination and election of the vestry. As Priest-in-Charge, the priest named herein shall serve for three years, pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement or until this Agreement is terminated by mutual consent, or as determined by the Church pursuant to procedures, directives, and decisions provided by the Canons and Constitutions of the Church, whichever occurs first. General Duties and Responsibilities The Priest-in-Charge shall lead the Parish, a part of the Diocese of Atlanta (the Diocese) of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America ( Episcopal Church ) as pastor, priest, and teacher, sharing in the councils of this Diocese and of the whole Church, in communion with the Bishop. By word and action, informed at all times by the Holy Scriptures, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Constitution and Canons of the General Convention and the Diocese, the Priest-in-Charge shall proclaim the Gospel, love and serve Christ's people, nourish them and strengthen them to glorify God in this life and in the life to come. In addition to the aforementioned duties to the Parish, the Priest in Charge shall also labor on behalf of the Diocese and in the general community.
Stages in the Priest-in-Charge Period During the tenure of the PIC, these four stages will assess the development of the parish during this time, and guide the discernment of the three year period: 1. Introductory Stage: Getting to know each other; building relationships; becoming familiar with and identifying conflicts/challenges; adopting a plan of action (first nine months). 2. Working Stage: Implementing ministry priorities; building trust; developing confidence in working together, using ministry review (10-18 months). 3. Discernment Stage: Vestry and clergy visioning/discerning relation to one another. Vestry (or committee) undertakes self-study (19-24 months): Where are we in our transition? What is our mission/ministry? What kind of clergy leadership do we need/want going forward? Is this PIC the right person to continue as Rector? PIC is doing his/her personal discernment about call to this parish, or to ministry elsewhere. In mutual conversation, clergy and vestry determine the appropriate ministry future for the congregation. The Bishop and Bishop s designee are involved in this discernment. Ministry Options for Mutual Discernment by PIC and Congregation Request that PIC be called as rector- New covenant of ministry is created; PIC is not called as rector but becomes Interim during clergy search; PIC completes covenant of agreement and an Interim or another PIC is Appointed; PIC s Letter of Agreement is renewed for an additional period. 4. Closure Stage: If PIC is appointed rector, focus becomes setting short/long-term goals and strategies. If PIC not appointed rector, and not reappointed, congregation discerns with Diocese what next steps might be. SECTION A Times of Work and Leave 1. The Priest-in-Charge will have the following periods of leave with full compensation. (a) One weekday off each week (i.e. Monday-Friday), as duties allow. He or she shall perform such duties on Saturdays and Sundays as necessary. (b) One day for each of the following National holidays, to be taken so as not to interfere with Sunday worship or worship for major occasions: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday; a day following Easter; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day and the day following Thanksgiving; a day following Christmas. (c) Four weeks, including Sundays, annual vacation on a calendar year basis. Unused vacation does not accrue and is not compensable.
(d) Two weeks for continuing education each year (unused time does not accrue). A written plan for continuing education must be submitted to the Vestry and the Bishop annually as required. (e) In addition to any such continuing education, the Priest-in-Charge is expected to participate in and complete the Diocese of Atlanta's Fresh Start program. (f) For the benefit of both the Priest-in-Charge and the Parish a sabbatical leave for no less than three months, following six full years in the parish as Priest-in-Charge or Rector, shall be provided in accord with diocesan policy. SECTION B Compensation 1. An annual aggregate compensation consisting of the following items shall be paid by the Parish to the Priest in Charge or on his/her behalf: Salary & Housing $ SECA (wages) $ (7.65% of salary & housing) Pension $ (18% of salary, housing & SECA) Medical $ (Type of plan) Dental $ (Type of plan) $50,000 Term Life $ Professional Expense Account $ Continuing Education $ 2. The Priest-in-Charge s salary will be reviewed annually. 3. In the event of the Priest-in-Charge s death, the parish will continue to pay the premiums for health and dental insurance to the Church Medical Trust for as long as the surviving spouse and dependents (if any) continue to qualify but not to exceed six months. 4. The Parish will reimburse the Priest-in-Charge for reasonable location costs in accord with needs as negotiated. An addendum on these agreements is / is not part of this Letter of Agreement. 5. The Priest-in-Charge shall not charge fees for performing rites of the Church such as marriages, baptisms and funerals, but may accept gratuities which individuals may wish to give. 6. The Parish will reimburse the Priest-in-Charge for his use of a personally owned vehicle for church business purposes for mileage incurred between the church and various locations (but not for personal commuting between the Priest-in-Charge s residence and the church). This reimbursement shall be at the then current rate as allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. The Priest-in-Charge will document such mileage on a reimbursement form provided by the Parish. 7. The Parish will reimburse the Priest-in-Charge for the actual cost of Parish related non-travel meals, up to $ per year. Receipts are required to document this reimbursement.
SECTION C Discretionary Fund In accordance with the Canons of the Church, in accord with the business practices of the Church, a Discretionary Fund will be established under the Priest-in-Charge's control from either or all of the following sources: loose cash from the collection plate on the first Sunday, or a designated Sunday of each month; gifts given for the purpose of such Discretionary Fund (first deposited to the accounts of the parish); a regular budgeted amount determined by the vestry from the operating revenues of the parish. The Discretionary Fund is the property of the parish, and will be audited annually. SECTION D Use of Buildings In addition to use and control of the Parish buildings for the discharge of the duties of the Priest-in- Charge's office, as provided by Canon Law, the Priest-in-Charge shall have the right in consultation with the Vestry to grant use of the buildings to individuals or groups from outside the Parish in accordance with the building customary. SECTION E Annual Ministry Review There shall be an annual mutual review of the total ministry of the Parish. This review may be done in conjunction with an annual Vestry retreat. A third party may be engaged to lead this retreat. It is the purpose of this mutual review to: Provide the Priest-in-Charge, Wardens and Vestry the opportunity to assess how well they are fulfilling their responsibilities to each other and to the ministry they share. Recognize and celebrate accomplished goals and success stories throughout the Parish. Isolate areas, which have not received adequate attention and may be adversely affecting the mission and the ministry of the Parish. Establish goals for the work of the Parish for the coming year. In order to accomplish all of the above, the Vestry and the Priest-in-Charge will establish in writing, as soon as practical, the short-term goals for the work of the Parish to form a basis of evaluation for the annual mutual review; one of the short-term goals will be the creation of a process for longrange planning for all areas of church life. SECTION F Church Canon Applications The Episcopal Church and the Diocese (collectively the Church ) have a Constitution and Canons, which apply to the Priest-in-Charge, and the Parish (collectively the Canons of the Church ). Under the Canons of the Church, certain procedures are available to deal with disputes regarding Priest-in- Charge s employment, including, but not limited to mediation and Godly Judgment by the Bishop. The existence, application, and interpretation of rights and procedures under the Canons of the Church, and of Church doctrine, and decisions by the Church and the Parish as to Priest-in-Charge s employment and tenure, are not subject to review of any authority outside the Church. SECTION G Revision This letter may be revised only by mutual agreement in writing. Compensation and expense revisions may be mutually agreed upon in a separate budget process.
SECTION H Agreements This Letter of Agreement shall be made part of the minutes of the Vestry meeting following its signing. The beginning date of employment:. Accepted and Agreed to this day of, 20 Priest-in-Charge Senior Warden The Right Reverend Robert C. Wright (date) Rev 2/2014