Planning guide for church earthquake preparedness.

Form to be filled out by employee as proof of childhood immunizations

Form to be filled out by health care provider for proof of childhood immunizations

The following job description is for Parishes only, not for Missions. If you are part of a Parish or Mission and would like to be connected with the Diocesan Chancellor, please contact the Bishop and/or the Canon to the Ordinary.

In February 2020 the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church (TEC) adopted a Model DFMS (Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society) Vaccination Policy for Youth Events, and encouraged dioceses and Episcopal Institutions to adapt it locally. Our Diocesan Council established a task group to adapt this into a diocesan policy, which was approved at the July council meeting.

As part of that action, the Office of the Bishop has been directed to issue written and online communications to all congregations directing them to initiate the five policies; the due date for implementation is June 1, 2021.

Provides a narrative overview of the diocesan governing bodies and the role of each.

The Canons and Constitution of the Diocese of Olympia describe various approvals required for certain financial transactions in congregations, including property transactions (buying, selling, remodeling, etc.), and loans (from the Diocese or from a bank).  The Diocese has had a policy in place for many years that describe these transactions and the required approvals (from the Board of Directors and/or the Standing Committee).  That policy was called the “Congregational Authority to Act”.

Over the last 18 months, the Board of Directors and the Standing Committee have been revising this policy. The new policy is called the “Guide to Congregational Financial Transactions”.  There were two primary reasons for rewriting this policy. 

First, the old policy was hard to read. The requirements for parishes and missions are different, and the old policy made it hard to see those differences.  The new policy separates out transactions that parishes and missions do.

Second, the Joint Finance Panel (JFP), which has existed for ten years, has taken on a new role. JFP is made up of members from the four governing bodies (Diocesan Council, Standing Committee, Board of Directors, and the Office of the Bishop).  Because JFP can bring to bear information from all four governing bodies, it is now one of the first steps in the process of getting approval for any of these financial transactions. JFP reviews the request and makes a recommendation to the Standing Committee and/or the Board of Directors (depending on the request and whether it is from a parish or a mission). The new policy makes it clear when requests must be referred to JFP.

Any parish or mission wishing to engage in any financial transaction should consult this Guide to find out what approvals are required and the steps to take to get those approvals.

Assessment Review Task Force interviews with congregations in the Diocese of Olympia

Assessment Review Task Force sample form for net operating expenses for assessment

Assessment Review Task Force comparison of assessment methods

Assessment Review Task Force congregation assessment profile

Assessment Review Task Force assessment history by size of congregations

Assessment Review Task Force interviews with other dioceses regarding their assessment policy

Report to the Bishop and Diocesan Council – Part One Assessment Review Task Force

Governance chart for the Diocese of Olympia

These guidelines are for use by the requesting mission and the reviewing committee appointed by the Office of the Bishop