Covenantal Agreement
Between St. John’s (Warsaw) and North Farnham Episcopal Churches
Preamble
This Covenantal Agreement memorializes an existing relationship of interdependence between St. John’s Episcopal Church (Warsaw) and N. Farnham Episcopal Church, two Episcopal Churches in Richmond County, Virginia. The Churches are parishes within The Diocese of Virginia.
This Agreement reflects the Churches’ intent to continue each church’s independent legal status while continuing to share and build upon certain aspects of ministry characterized by an interrelationship that enhances ministry within the parishes and within the communities they are called to serve.
Our churches and their congregations have shared the same rector for much of their centuries-long history. In recent years we have developed an increasingly collaborative approach to ministry within a synergistic concept in which we experience that we are “more” together than we may be if only worshiping and working separately. Realizing that the true church is not made of brick and mortar but of human hearts, we worship as one, explore our faith together, and care for one another and the community in which we live and move.
Together we believe our Mission is to follow Christ’s commandments to love one another as He has loved us. We are committed to serving our church family, our community, and the world around us with courage and compassion, collaborating together to utilize the creative gifts fostered in us by the Holy Spirit.
We share significant Values which provide a foundation for promoting collaboration and facilitating a cooperative approach to shared ministry pursuant to this Covenantal relationship:
• Respect for the importance of laity and clergy as necessary partners in ministry and a teamwork approach to responding to God’s call to serve.
• Commitment to live into our Baptismal Covenant, seeking God’s will, help and grace in doing so.
• The importance of supporting and caring for one another and others with compassion and respect.
• A vision of our relationship as a “family” with the desire to operate in a way that is inclusive and that promotes health for its individual members and for the whole.
• Offering hospitality
• Missional in service to the community around us
We enter into this Agreement with the understanding that our Biblical Tradition and Scripture reflect we do so in the presence of God with whom we are in a Covenantal relationship and who is a party to our Agreement.
Separate Elements/Functions of Ministry
Vestries/Wardens/Registers
• Each Church has its own Vestry, Wardens and Register who operate pursuant to and with the authority vested in them by the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia. The separate vestries at the current time meet approximately monthly.
Membership:
• Parishioners who are already so identified or who have newly joined as “members” identify as a member of either St. John’s or N. Farnham and are treated as such in parish records and for pledging purposes.
• Annual Meetings of the members of the respective churches are held separately, allowing for the business of the church entity to be conducted including such aspects as adopting a budget, election of vestry members and such other decisions relevant to the separate church’s status.
• Delegate Status: The Churches select their own delegates for the purpose of representing each church based on membership (i.e. delegates for Diocese’s Annual Convention and the Northern Neck Region).
Finances:
• Pledges, Donations, Gifts, Endowments: These are made to the individual church entity or that church’s specified fund in the case of donations, gifts and endowments. These are reported as such on all official reporting documents (audits, parochial report etc.) of the separate church receiving funds.
• Treasurers: Each church has its own separate treasurers and an accounting practice that includes a separate receipts treasurer and disbursements treasurer.
• Income, Disbursements, and Budgets: Each church retains individual control over their income, disbursements, maintenance of their separate funds and budget process. They acknowledge that review of the Shared Budget anticipated under this Agreement is subject to review and possible revisions annually by each vestry at the time of that church’s determination of its budget for the coming year.
• Grants are applied for and implemented individually by each church, unless by agreement the vestries chose to join the churches in a grant effort for a shared ministry effort.
Committees/Altar Guild/ECW:
• Altar Guild: There is an Altar Guild and Altar Guild Chairman for each church. At the current time a shared function is storage of each church’s Communion vessels in a secured location with access coordinated by the two Altar Guild Chairmen.
• ECW: To date the ECW of each church has maintained separate status yet are experiencing increasing cooperation with some activities benefitted by sharing (i.e. some social events, community outreach, fund raising projects).
• Committees: Each church may have separate committees, however the use of joint committee structures when beneficial to both churches is not precluded by this Agreement.
Personnel
• Each church maintains authority over the selection and hiring of a sexton.
• The hiring, job description and compensation of the Churches’ shared clergy is considered a joint decision-making function of the vestries of the two churches. Likewise for shared personnel such as musicians, youth director and administrator/secretary, in consultation with the shared clergy (rector/priest-in-charge).
Shared Elements/Functions of Ministry
Priest: The Churches have shared the services of a rector, priest-in-charge or interim (transitional) priest for a majority of their history. The selection, compensation and expected duties and functions of the clergy person is considered a shared decision and planning effort of the Churches’ two vestries.
Personnel: The Parish Administrator/Secretary, Music Director and Youth Director are personnel whose compensation is shared by the two churches. Note: provisions for shared personnel above.
Parish Offices: The parish offices, including the Priest’s office, are located in the Parish House of St. John’s. The maintenance of the office, provision and expense of equipment and supplies needed for shared administrative functions of the churches are a shared budgetary expense of the churches.
Finances/Shared Budget: The Churches prepare a Joint Budget for shared operating expenses annually. Presented to and agreed to by the individual vestries, the shared budget is administered with the St. John’s Disbursements Treasurer paying the shared operating expenses from the funds provided by each church on a monthly basis. Expenses (with a few exceptions) are shared on a 50/50 basis.
Worship & Liturgy: During the past approximately ten years, the Churches have gradually developed and lived into a combined congregational Sunday worship and special other worship events schedule. At the current time this schedule includes combined services at St. John’s on the 1st and 3rd Sundays and at N. Farnham on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, with rotation between the two sanctuaries for the 5th Sunday of the month, for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday and the alternate year Bishop’s visitation. Generally, services on special liturgical calendar days (i.e. Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Christmas Eve) are duplicated at different times for each church). At the present time the Sunday liturgies include Holy Eucharist Rite II three times and Morning Prayer Rite II once per month. A Celtic liturgy (either HE or MP) may be used a few times each year and an occasional Evening Prayer or Compline liturgy accompanying a parish dinner.
Christian Education (Adult & Youth): These ministries and offerings are coordinated by the Priest and Vestries and shared by both Churches. These generally include bible studies/programs conducted by the Priest assisted by laity for adult programming and the shared Youth Director for our youth.
Community Outreach: Some community outreach activities are provided individually by one or the other church, however joint efforts are becoming the norm. Separately offered outreach efforts are generally the result of the larger parish hall space available at St. John’s, including AA meetings, provision of rehearsal and teaching space for the Rappahannock Concert Association’s Strings Crewe students, use of meeting space by community organizations, etc. Combined/shared community outreach currently includes assistance with Richmond County Salvation Army projects, drives and programs, support of local Richmond County Food Banks, fund raising efforts for local community organizations and the St. John’s/N. Farnham Priest’s Discretionary Fund which assists people and organizations in need, primarily in Richmond County. Fundraising events for community outreach, such as recent combined ECW events (Yard Sale; Dinner/Auction) are an important shared ministry of the churches ECW members.
Pastoral and Support Care: While pastoral care is anticipated to be a primary function of the Priest, the parishioners of both churches engage in care and support giving to those of both churches, reaching out in a variety of pastorally supportive ways (meals, transportation, visiting) when an individual or family need arises.
Fellowship & Special Events: Fellowship and special events, whether occurring or sponsored at either of the churches’ locations are highlights. Current regular events include but are not limited to: bonfire evenings at N. Farnham, potluck suppers/programs at St. John’s, community concerts at either church.
Communications: The Churches currently jointly produce, share, and maintain the following communication resources: website, Constant Contact distribution lists, a weekly E-pistle and a combined Parish directory.
Covenant Practices/Maintenance Provisions
Term: The term of this Covenantal Agreement shall be four years.
Review: Newly elected vestry members shall be given a copy of this Covenantal Agreement upon election. The churches are to review the provisions of this Agreement annually during the first joint vestry meeting of the year.
Monitoring and Implementation: The vestries of the respective churches are responsible for the monitoring and implementation of the provisions of this Agreement. It is anticipated that the vestries will conduct joint vestry meetings quarterly to make decisions affecting their shared ministry and relating to implementation of their covenantal relationship. Additional meetings are called as needed.
Changes to the Agreement: Changes to provisions of this Agreement may be requested by either vestry and/or by the Priest. Requests for changes are to be addressed promptly by joint vestry consideration and implementation as decided by a majority vote, defined as a majority of each church’s respective vestry.
Conflict Resolution: In the event the vestries are unable to reach a shared decision relative to the implementation of this Agreement or specific provisions, including shared financial arrangements, they agree to use a facilitative mediative conciliative process to resolve disagreement. Use of an individual experienced in such processes is encouraged. This may include the dean of the Region, a resource recommended by the Diocese, or a clergy or lay person familiar with Episcopal Church organizational functions and relationships.
Revised June 9, 2024