Our AGM (Annual General Meeting) is booked for Sunday, 16 March from 11:30 am in the Octagon at All Saints' Church.
AGMs are not everyone's cup of tea. There are elements of them that are formulaic and institutional and they do not capture the missional heartbeat of the church well. And yet, without them, that heartbeat can easily fade. With no attention or care given to the 'behind the scenes' life of the parish, it is easy for both leadership to go astray and for direction to be lost. An AGM gives the leadership of the parish a chance to speak of where they think we are heading, to identify the fruit of that path and strategy, and for the people of the church to engage and to hold those leaders accountable for what they have said they will do.
To help that happen, we produce a significant number of reports that try to tell the story of where we are pushing ahead and where we are finding challenges. These can all be read within the 2024 Yearbook. This can be accessed by clicking here, or by visiting www.taradaleanglican.church/agm
What is still missing from these reports is the finalised version of the 2024 end-of-year finances. These are prepared and finalised by the shared services team at the Diocese of Waiapu and are audited within the wider body's accounts each year. Our financial reports paint a picture of our institutional health and also of our priorities as a parish. We hope to have these by Friday, 7 March and have them published on the AGM website (as above) by Saturday.
Alongside reporting and financial records, the AGM also elects members of the Vestry and a Peoples' Warden. The Vestry is the governance body of the parish, charged with making decisions and setting strategic direction for the executive, which involves the Vicar, the Vicar's Warden and the Peoples' Warden. The governance of a church varies from place to place and depends on the need, but for our parish, this is a work that requires significant decisions that will not see fruit or even reality in some cases for several years. It contrasts with a management or staff team who are tasked with the day-to-day running and experience of the church. You can learn more about the governance of the parish by reading the Waiapu Guide to Vestries and Wardens. Click here for that booklet. Every other year, we also elect a Synod Representative who represents us to the Diocesan Synod. Our current representative, Sandi Hall, was elected in 2024 and will serve for another year.
We encourage you to come along on the 16th of March to our AGM. They tend to run for around 1.5 hours and involve at least one or two laughs, a chance to acknowledge the work of countless people in service and worship and to entrust to God once again the blessing of our parish.
Please keep an eye on www.taradaleanglican.church/agm for any updates and the posting of the annual financial report.
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