This may be something you've wondered about occasionally, either out of general curiosity or perhaps when considering whether to put yourself forward for election at the Annual Meeting of Parishioners. It's certainly something I used to think about on odd occasions, so here's a light-hearted look and personal view that I hope you will find informative and interesting... According to Churchwardens: A Survival Guide, the office of churchwarden is defined as having three aspects, namely being:
• Officers of the bishop;
• The parish priest's principal collaborators; and
• The principal representatives of the laity on the Parochial Church Council. We are, therefore, the eyes and ears of the bishop, a support for our clergy, and your voice on the PCC. We are responsible for the fabric of the church and in us is vested the property of the church (e.g. the chalices and other plate, ornaments and other moveable goods) though such items cannot be disposed of or sold without the consent of the PCC and authority of a faculty - so the silver in the safe is safe! In practice, at St Nicolas, I've found that being churchwarden has a number of practical aspects, including:
• Wearing out my pockets by carrying around a very large bunch of keys;
• Being a parking attendant (unlocking the Newbury Building Society car park for congregational use on a Sunday morning, and locking up afterwards);
• Keeping good order within the churchyard and church (something that I'm glad to say is normally not a problem, and I am indebted to our sidesmen and others in the congregation for the odd time when I've had to get involved in such matters);
• Ensuring everything is switched off and the building is safe / all doors locked on a Sunday (when not in use for services!);
• Signing cheques (normally every Sunday between or after services);
• Testing my numerical, observational and recording skills by counting the number of children and adults at the Sunday morning services and noting this in the services register;
• Looking out for potential hazards, and generally the safety of anyone who comes into the church, and the list would not be complete without, of course,
• Attendance at meetings (e.g. PCC, Finance Committee, and occasionally the Standing Committee). There are various returns that have to be made to the Diocese, but I'm glad to say that as I'm the new boy on the block, Nigel Freeman has dealt with these to date. It is a great relief that we are both supported superbly by Sue Elliott and many others working behind the scenes in the Office and elsewhere. With Belinda Bowrey looking after things as our Facilities Manager, most day-to-day maintenance and other building-related issues are dealt with. Occasional advice and guidance is required, or confirmation on certain courses of action. Having said that, I have recently enjoyed something less cerebral, namely working on the exterior doors (with Peter Robinson) and protecting our lead roof (with a number of keen and fit members of our congregation). I'm looking forward to the autumn, when I hope we will be doing some severe shrub pruning in the churchyard so that the church is more visible to the general public passing by on Bartholomew Street. On a less material note, I am privileged to work with Nigel in trying to support and encourage our Rector, David Stone. Periods of change are always unsettling, and I try to be sympathetic, understanding and aware of people's concerns, so that I can both constructively represent these to David, as well as representing the reasons / aims of any change back to members of the congregation. My aim in this is to avoid misunderstandings and strive for harmony. I'm sure the above is just scratching the surface, but I thought I'd try and keep the article shorter than the 142 pages in the Survival Guide. Two years in, I'm still coming across new things to be dealt with. If asked to summarise what it's all about, I think I'd probably say that what a churchwarden does is actually very simple - anything that can't be ducked! Nic Cope |
