Committees, Commissions, and Boards: Diocesan Council

The Diocesan Council develops, administers, oversees, coordinates, and evaluates the program of the Diocese and maintains general supervision over the Diocese's budget and financial affairs. Members must be canonically resident in the Diocese.åœ They should be knowledgeable about and active in diocesan programs.

Time of meeting
Diocesan Council meets about ten times a year, usually on the fourth Tuesday. On occasion the date may be changed. Phone Diocesan House, 1 877 394-5281, for confirmation of date.

The meetings are open to everyone.

Meeting reports
Below you'll find reports of Diocesan Council meetings for the last two years. The most recent summaries are first. If you'd like to read Diocesan Council reports from earlier years, click the year that interests you:

2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

2011

Report from the December 2011 Meeting of the Diocesan Council

At a meeting of the Diocesan Council on December 13, 2011, the Council:

• Received a report on the Nets for Life Program presented by the Rev. Frank Crumbaugh, III.
• Approved grant requests for the Board of Missions for 2011 in the amount of $271,000.
• The following resolutions were adopted regarding environmental audits:
  • that the Loan and Grant Committee urge all congregations (parish or mission) requesting a loan or grant to get an environmental audit, the cost of which would be included in the loan or grant, and subsequently send a report to the Diocese on what actions the congregation plans to take in response to the environmental audit
  • that the Board of Missions also urge missions seeking funding from the Board of Missions to have an environmental audit and include any actions taken in response to the environmental audit in future reports or requests.  Missions are strongly encouraged to include environmental audits in their budget.
• Approved the recommendation of the Millennium Development Goals subcommittee to designate the Diocese’s MDG funds (0.07% of pledge income) to go to Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD).           

Report from the November 2011 Meeting of the Diocesan Council

At a meeting of the Diocesan Council on November 15, 2011, the Council:

• Christ Church, Magnolia - approved final payment in the amount of $41,583.58, fully utilizing (but not exceeding) the total amount available from the proceeds from the Collingswood sale.
• Approved grant requests for the Board of Missions for 2012 in the amount of $267,000.  Mr. Bathurst noted that the Finance & Budget Committee needs to approve the Board of Missions request at their December 7th meeting.  A motion was made, seconded and passed to table the motion to the December 13, 2011 meeting. 
• Endorsed resolution by Diocesan Council Task Force “Working with Deans to Promote Collaboration on a Local Level” to change Canon 19, Section 2a (5) as follows:  Members elected by the Convention for a full term shall be eligible to succeed themselves for a second term – limited to two consecutive terms. The ballot for candidates who are running to succeed themselves will indicate that they are incumbents.
• Recommended that the vacancy in the lay order of Diocesan Council (Class of 2014) due to Kevin Thompson’s resignation be left vacant until the unexpired 2-year term is elected at Convention 2012.

Report from the October 2011 Meeting of the Diocesan Council

At a meeting of the Diocesan Council on October 26, 2011, the Council:

• Ratified the unanimous e-mail vote taken to approve payment of Highlighting Construction, Inc.’s Applications #6 and #7 ($54,842.02 and $65,726.88, respectively) for Christ Church, Magnolia.
• Approved the timeline for making sure that we will act on a draft for action on the resolutions regarding the Extinct Parish Fund Report and the St. James Fund Report at the December meeting and have a final report voted on in January 2012. 
• Recommended asking the Rev. Dirk C. Reinken to fill the vacancy in the clergy order (Class of 2013) until Convention 2012 when the one-year unexpired term will be filled. 
• Approved the Loan and Grant Committee’s recommendation for a $10,000 grant from the Capital and Revolving Fund for St. Clement’s Church in Belford, to be spent on repairs to the roof with the $750 balance of the grant to go towards repair or replacement of the rear steps to the vicarage.  
• Approved the Loan and Grant Committee’s recommendation to consolidate the two current loans of St. Stephen’s, Beverly, into one new 10 year loan at 4% from the Venture in Mission Fund, combining the remaining balance of its loan from the Capital and Revolving Fund and the balance of its loan from the Venture in Mission Fund.  One year’s simple interest on the balance overdue at 4% will be due when the new Promissory Note is signed by the rector.  
• Approved the Loan and Grant Committee’s recommendation for a loan of $65,000 to Holy Trinity Church, Spring Lake, for five years at 4% interest from the Venture in Mission Fund, with quarterly payments for the replacement of its slate roof.    
• Approved the Loan and Grant Committee’s recommendation for a loan to Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, for $103,000 for 10 years at 4% interest from the Venture in Mission Fund, with monthly payments, for its new heating system, with the condition that it have a full, professional inspection done of all of its buildings (with a copy to the diocesan office) within six months of any approval of this loan.

Report from the September 2011 Meeting of the Diocesan Council

At a meeting of the Diocesan Council on September 27, 2011, the Council:

• Approved the use of the balance of $19,759 allocated in the Elizabeth Clergy Fund for Grace Church, Elizabeth, to pay the carrying costs that have been assumed by the Diocese pending the sale of the property.  
• Approved retroactively the request from San Jose, Elizabeth, for $4,000 for families in need of tuition for Preschool from the Elizabeth Clergy Fund.
• Approved a $10,000 withdrawal from the Elizabeth Clergy Fund for St. Elizabeth’s, Elizabeth, for the chaplaincy at Kean University.

At a meeting of the Diocesan Council on June 21, 2011, the Council:

• Approved the Loan & Grant Committee’s recommendation that St. Mark’s Church, Keansburg, be granted $10,000 from the Capital & Revolving Fund for the replacement of the roof on the vicarage, with any balance left to go toward all necessary replacement of gutters and leaders on the church’s campus and then towards the replacement of storm windows in the vicarage. 
• Approved the Loan & Grant Committee’s recommendation that San Andrew’s Church, Camden, be granted $10,000 from the Capital & Revolving Fund for the expansion of its food pantry.
• Approved the Loan & Grant Committee’s recommendation that Church of the Holy Spirit, Tuckerton receive a $10,000 grant from the Capital and Revolving Fund and a $25,000 loan for 15 years at 2.5% interest, to be split between the Capital and Revolving Fund and the R. Bowden Shepherd Fund, for the roof repairs to the sanctuary and parish hall building. 
• Approved the Loan & Grant Committee’s recommendation that Trinity Church, Swedesboro, receive a $10,000 grant from the Capital and Revolving Fund to assist with the cost of removing underground gasoline storage tanks from its property in accordance with a municipal mandate. 
• Approved payments for Christ Church, Magnolia, not to exceed a cumulative total of $265,000 through the September Council meeting contingent upon receipt of signed Applications for Payment approved by the Architect. 

At a meeting of the Diocesan Council on May 24, 2011, the Council:

• Authorized the Trustees of Church Property to sell the property at Grace Church, Elizabeth, and to hold the proceeds until the next Diocesan Convention.  

At a meeting of the Diocesan Council on April 12, 2011, the Council:

• Diocesan Council Appointments were made for 2011:
• Visitation Committee Chair:  Mrs. Donna Devlin
• Recording Secretary: Mrs. Mary Ann Rhoads
• Corresponding Secretary: The Rev. Karin R. Mitchell
• Finance & Budget Committee: Ms. Cheryl Browne and Mr. Paul Cooper
• Board of Missions Representative: Dr. Karen Bemis and the Rev. Justin A. Falciani
• Audit Committee Representatives: The Rev. Joseph R. Parrish, Jr. and Mr. Paul Wolfgang
• Concurred with the recommendation of the Loan & Grant Committee to endorse a five-year loan for $15,000 at 4% interest from the Venture in Mission Fund, with a pre-approval of up to an additional $5,000, if needed to repair any damage revealed upon removal of the roof for the Church of the Ascension, Gloucester City.  
• Suggested that the Church of the Ascension, Gloucester City, receive a recommendation to have an environmental audit of the building during the duration of the loan. 
• Received a report from Canon Kep Short, Director of Youth Ministry. Canon Short has submitted his resignation effective May 6, 2011.

At a meeting of the Diocesan Council on March 15, 2011, the Council:

• Welcomed the new members of the Class of 2014 and offered a brief orientation.
• Approved the support to rebuild the Cathedral in Haiti in principle with details to follow. 
• Authorized funding not to exceed $65,000 to Christ Church, Magnolia for demolition and rebuilding.

[There was no meeting in February 2011 owing to Diocesan Convention in early March.]

At a meeting of the Diocesan Council on January 25, 2011, the Council:

• Received a report from Canon Perfater on the work of the Finance & Budget Committee.
• Authorized the reinvestment of funds in the amount of approximately $503,000 (the entire account balance) from the Merrill Lynch account entitled “Diocesan Fund” into the DIT in order that these funds can earn dividends to be made available for Diocesan Council use in the 2011 operating budget. 
• Authorized the use of dividends as noted on the 2010 and 2011 Trust Income reports for their intended purposes within the respective operating budgets for those years.
• Authorized the appropriation of the full amount of the 2010 surplus, currently anticipated to be $61,904, for use in the 2011 budget. 
• Approved the adjusted proposed 2011 budget and the preliminary 2012 budget.
• Supported the proposal to change Canon 30, Section 6 to read:  "The Dean and the Secretary shall be nominated by a Nominating Committee elected at the previous year's (or half-year's) Convocation meeting and consisting of three presbyters and three lay delegates of the Convocation."
• Approved the requests totaling $182,300 from the St. James’ Fund: St. Augustine’s, Atlantic City, $72,300; Epiphany, Ventnor, $60,000; and St. Mary’s, Pleasantville, $50,000. 

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