At the 63rd Diocesan Convention in October, Convention delegates approved Resolution 2023-1 to amend Canon 16.4 to allow for inflation regarding mission congregation expenses.
Sec. 4. Duties of and Limitations on Bishop’s Committee. The Bishop’s Committee, under the direction of the Bishop and his or her Vicar, shall attend to the ordinary business affairs of the Mission and also to those special matters as may be committed to it by the Bishop, or the Vicar, or by Canon, but in no case shall it enter into any agreement affecting its real or personal property without the advice and consent of the Bishop, and the Standing Committee, nor shall the Bishop’s Committee or the Vicar have any power or authority to incur any indebtedness or enter into any undertaking or obligation in excess of the sum of $2,500 a standard sum established by the Standing Committee each year (other than the salary or remuneration of the Vicar) without the express written consent of the Bishop and the approval of the Standing Committee.
At the November 30 meeting of the Standing Committee, the committee members approved a threshold of $7,500. Mission congregations are now permitted to spend up to $7,500 of their own funds for any repairs or other obligations without having to obtain approval from the Standing Committee.
The increase recognizes that many necessary repairs or other financial obligations are frequently in excess of $2,500 (the previous limit), and obtaining approvals from both the Finance and Standing committees may cause unnecessary delays.
All congregations are expected to follow good business practices such as obtaining multiple bids, using licensed contractors, etc, to ensure good financial stewardship of the congregation’s resources.
If you have any questions, please contact Patti Henderson, Director of Finance and Property (patti@azdiocese.org), or Toni Murdock, Finance Assistant for Property (toni@azdiocese.org).
~Suzy Mortenson, Treasurer