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Savannah, Georgia 31401

Below are links to a library of PDF files and Word documents maintained on this website for your reference:

Diocese of Georgia Policy Manual

With information on both lay and ordained employees. Updated October 2020

Diocesan Financial Reports

A page maintained with current financial reports for the Diocese of Georgia. Updated after each quarter closes, once the Finance Committee has reviewed and approved the report.

Supply Clergy

This is the current list of those clergy available to serve parishes in the Diocese of Georgia.

Canons

Constitution & Canons of The Episcopal Church (2018)

These may be revised by the act of two consecutive General Conventions of The Episcopal Church which meets once every three years. The 2018 canons will remain in effect at least until the 2021 convention.

Diocese of Georgia Constitution & Canons (2019)

These will remain in effect until at least the November 2020 convention.

Handbooks

The guides below are important in naming norms of our diocese. They are working documents and so your questions and suggestions will help improve their useful. Direct any questions or concerns to the Bishop’s Executive Assistant, Maggie Lyons.

Priests’ Handbook

An overview of the norms for priests of the Diocese of Georgia. Updated Michaelmas, 2018.

Discernment & Ordination Handbook

For those who feel called to the ministry of deacon or priest and all who assist with the discernment of call, this is a guide to the norms of the Diocese of Georgia for this process. Updated October 18, 2016.

Addendum: Training of Bivocational Priests

Updated, January, 2017

Transition Handbook

A Guide for Vestries and Search Committees working through the transition from one head of the congregation to another. Updated October 2020

Liturgical Customary

The customary for liturgy in the Diocese of Georgia. Updated August 2010.

Documents for Priests

Minimum Priest Compensation

Revised as needed by Diocesan Council. This PDF is based on the September 2020 resolution which remains in effect through at least September 2021.

Full-time priest salary survey 2020

This chart compares priest salaries in the Diocese of Georgia by Sunday Attendance and budget size. See also the Full-time assisting priest salary survey 2020 for full-time priests in an assisting role. For comparison, the archived

Sample Letter of Agreement — This is the Diocese of Georgia’s standard Letter of Agreement for priests and congregations. Together with an attached compensation agreement (download Sample Priest’s Compensation Spreadsheet which is set to calculate pension and totals from basic information), this forms the contract signed by the priest, senior warden and bishop. Send all Letters of Agreement to the Bishop’s Executive Secretary, Maggie Lyons.

Family Leave Policy – This policy has been in effect since approved by Diocesan Council in September 2016 and is our Policy Manual and all Letters of Agreement.

License to Officiate — An Episcopal priest who is in good standing in one’s own diocese may apply for a License to Officiate in the Diocese of Georgia. Licenses are reissued every year on July 1. A report is due each June of the previous year’s sacramental acts in the Diocese. The report form is included with the license.

Marital Judgment – This page gives the Diocese of Georgia’s policies on remarriage after divorce within the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. There is also a link to the RTF (rich text format) file of the form that a priest or deacon need to complete together with a couple seeking remarriage. The petitioning priest or deacon must get the couple to complete the following forms, sign them and return the to the diocesan office:

Mutual Ministry Review

The Letters of Agreement for priests all call for an annual mutual ministry review. The following documents, which are in use at Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta are offered here as a model for creating documents for other congregations:

Overall
Mutual Ministry Review Overview
Sample letter that goes with forms

Self-Assessment
Sample form for vestry member self-assessment
Sample form for rector self-assessment
Sample form for staff member self-assessment

Reviews
Sample form for vestry review by a staff member
Sample form for review of a staff member by the rector
Sample form for review of a staff member by a vestry member
Sample form for staff member review of staff
Sample form for review of rector by vestry
Sample form for review of rector by a staff member

Helpful in this process is to work from a Vestry Job Description viewed by prospective members before election and agreed to by all who serve. To assist in the creation of this, Bishop Logue offers this Sample Vestry Job Description in PDF which is also available in Word vestryjobdescription.docx

Documents for Deacons

Deacon’s Agreement – The Letter of Agreement to be completed annually by vocational deacons together with the clergy where the deacon is assigned. Failure to have a current agreement on file will result in a deacon being moved to inactive status. The file linked above is a Word Document. You may also download a PDF: Deacon’s Agreement PDF. Updated September 2020

Deacon’s Requirements – Requirements and recommendations for those seeking ordination as vocational deacons in the Diocese of Georgia.

Guidelines for Deacons – Revised Advent 2013

Traditions of the Church Competencies
Updated September, 2019

Documents for Lay Ministers

Serving as a Lay Eucharistic Minister (chalice bearer) and Lay Eucharistic Visitor (taking the sacrament to those who could not attend a worship service due to health issues) is licensed by the Diocese of Georgia in accordance with the Canons of The Episcopal Church. The necessary application and information are available for download here as PDF files (revised April 2019): application.pdf, standards.pdf, and canons.pdf. Applicants should receive all three documents. All training for Lay Ministers may be completed in the parish. Some convocations also offer training days.

Liturgical Information

Virtual Visitation Customary – Bishop Logue’s customary in place for a way to be with congregations of the Diocese of Georgia even before we return to in-person worship.

Celebration of New Ministry – this Word file provides the liturgical text to use in creating a bulletin for the service when the Bishop comes to your parish to celebrate the new ministry of a Vicar or Rector.

Ordination Customary – The Diocese of Georgia’s customary for ordinations. Also available as a Word Document file here: GAOrdinationCustomary.doc Updated All Saint’s Day 2012.

Instructed Eucharist

Same Sex Marriages – As of Advent 1, 2015, and for the next three years, the following rites may be used by the presbyters of this Diocese with all persons who are legally and canonically eligible for marriage: The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage (2), which begins on Page 97 of the SCLM Report; and, if the couple has already been married civilly, The Blessing of a Civil Marriage, which begins on Page 103 of the SCLM Report. The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage (BCP, p. 423 ff) and The Blessing of a Civil Marriage (BCP, p. 433ff) are Prayer Book rites and thus should continue to be used as appropriate.

The following documents give the Diocese of Georgia policy, provide Model Congregational Guidelines, and give the text of the rites authorized for trial use in keeping with the policy:

Prayer Cycles

One Year Prayer Cycle for the Diocese of Georgia with 52 prayers for use in weekly liturgies. Updated December 31, 2019

Diocese of Georgia Prayer Cycle—Daily for 31 Days Updated May 31, 2020

Diocese of Georgia Clergy Spouses Updated May 31, 2020

Companion Diocese of the Dominican Republic Prayer Cycle

Ecumenical Prayer Cycle

Various Other Documents

Audit—Internal Controls Checklist – This checklist was created to assist a review committee in conducting an audit of church finances to ensure that the proper controls are in place. The checklist conforms to the Business Methods manual below.

Business Methods – The Episcopal Church’s official guide to overseeing the temporal affairs of your congregation.

Coaching for Congregational Leaders
This document lays out the goals, guidelines, and policies of the Diocese of Georgia.

Coaching Agreement
This is the standard Coaching Agreement for the Diocese of Georgia.

Parish Gift Acceptance Policy for Parish Guidelines

Primer on The Episcopal Church – This document is a primer of the governance of The Episcopal Church.

Hoornstra Fund Brochure – Created in thanksgiving for the ministry of the Rev. Paul Hoornstra, a priest and church planter who worked in this diocese, this fund supports new missions in the Diocese of Georgia.

Hospitality Checklist – This 3-page checklist takes a visitor’s encounter with your church from before they arrive until after they are home.

Bishop’s Letter RE: Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014
Bishop Scott Benhase sent this letter regarding the use of guns or firearms in churches in response to the Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014. The policy remains in effect in 2020 under Bishop Logue.

Sexual Conduct Guidelines
The Diocesan Council of the Diocese of Georgia approved a diocesan policy on the protection of children and youth from abuse. These policies are meant to be guidelines for churches and Episcopal organizations in the Diocese of Georgia. Individual churches may adopt their own policies using the diocesan policies as a guide.

Self-Enrolling in Safeguarding Online
Safeguarding God’s Children (SGC) is an indepth educational and training program for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse in everyday life and in ministry. This program was created by the Church Pension Group in association with Praesidium, Inc. in response to General Convention Resolution B008, Protection of Children and Youth from Abuse, which mandates training in sexual abuse prevention.