REOPENING - CONTINUING ANEW: FROM ARCHBISHOP SKELTON
Dear People of the Diocese of New Westminster,
After consulting with many in the Diocese and with the Provincial Health Officer’s updates in mind, I am extending the time for the suspension of in-person worship in our churches into June. For now, I am setting Sunday, June 14 as the date by which we might move back into our church buildings for in-person worship. Keeping this date will, of course, very much depend on what the Provincial Health Officer provides in both the written directives and in the daily updates all of us are watching. This date provides impetus for us to provide more enhanced on-line liturgies as well as a time-frame to consider what next from June 14 onward. Again, if anything changes that might move the date forward or farther out, I will let all of you know with enough notice for you to plan. I know that this time of suspending in-person worship has been difficult for many. I thank you for all you’re doing to help our parishes and people stay connected during this unprecedented and challenging time.
Ordinations to the diaconate are scheduled to occur on Saturday, June 20 at 10:30am in Christ Church Cathedral. This date will be kept for now and may require some further consideration as to the number of those who are able to attend.
Diocesan Confirmation has been moved forward to Sunday, September 27 at 3pm in Christ Church Cathedral.
ELIGIBILITY FOR 75% WAGE SUBSIDY
The Federal government has made favourable revisions to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). In response to an appeal made by Shailene Caparas, our Diocesan Director of Finance, and others across the Church, a change has been made to permit revenue reduction criterion for multiple employers that have a centralized payroll system (i.e., the Diocese of New Westminster providing payroll services to parishes under a single Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) payroll account). This strengthens our eligibility to qualify for the 75% subsidy of eligible remuneration up to 12 weeks from March 15-June 6, 2020.
The Finance Department at the Synod Office
will take care of subsidy applications for all clergy and lay staff under the Diocesan payroll account and will proportionately share it out to parishes. Since Diocesan Council has forgiven Parish Assessments through August 2020 and it
is subsidizing 100% of clergy salary and benefits in April and May for parishes with less than $750,000 in the CTF
, the share of parishes on government subsidies with respect to clergy salary and benefits will be subject for further discussion and approval by Diocesan Council. If your parish has its own payroll account at CRA, please apply separately for subsidy of employees under your own payroll account.
PARISH/COMMUNITY FOOD MINISTRIES
The questionnaire linked here is intended to guide your parish through all of the steps and decisions you will need to make to move ahead safely with your proposed Food Outreach program. It will also be used as a guide to allow Archbishop Melissa or her designate to consider your request for authorization, including any suggestions that staff may have to assist you in moving ahead.
A template for an indemnity agreement is available here.
VESTRY BOOKS
Remember that if you are offering live streamed/online worship services/liturgies (Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Compline, Eucharist), you should keep track of all of these in your parish's vestry book for the historical record of this unprecedented time. You might even add the number of viewers who viewed the service live and note in the comments section which social media platform was used.
TECHNOLOGY SURVEY
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
THE SYNOD OFFICE IS CLOSED
UPDATE CYCLES OF PRAYER
