One of the great strengths of historic Anglicanism — and especially the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) — is that our common life is not built on personality or preference, but on order. Order is a gift. It protects the worship of the Church, the unity of the parish, and the peace of God’s people.
The following is based on an older pdf guide from the REC website.
Yet many Anglican newcomers understandably ask:
“How does the Vestry work?”
“What does the Rector actually decide?”
“Who handles finances, buildings, and discipline?”
So here’s a simple walkthrough of how parish government functionally works in the REC, and how this connects to our Anglican heritage.
The Rector’s Responsibilities: Worship, Sacraments, Teaching, and Discipline
The REC is unapologetically episcopal — meaning we are governed by bishops and clergy, not congregational votes.
That structure matters most in the realm of worship and doctrine:
“The Rector is solely in charge of the Worship in the life of the Parish… what services, when, and the kind of services, the music sung… along with the teaching ministry… the administration of the sacraments… [and] any Church discipline.”
This means:
• The Rector decides what liturgy is used
• The Rector oversees music and service schedules
• The Rector teaches and catechizes
• The Rector administers Baptism and Holy Communion
• The Rector oversees pastoral and church discipline when necessary
These are not matters for Vestry vote.
This model is consistent with historic Anglican polity, the English Reformation, and the wider catholic tradition. During the Reformation, “Check and Balance” mechanisms existed — but they never placed liturgy and doctrine in the domain of the laity:
“…the ‘Check and Balance’ in the Churches established at the time of the Reformation… never made the laity the final determining authority in matters of Worship, Teaching and Discipline.”
That responsibility rests with the eldership — priests and bishops.
The Vestry’s Responsibilities: Property, Finance, and Temporal Affairs
If the Rector tends the altar, the Vestry tends the roof.
The Vestry oversees:
• Financial stewardship
• Buildings & grounds
• Budgeting and expenditures
• Rentals and facility use
• Temporal property matters
The source puts it clearly:
“The Vestry is responsible for the Care of the corporate affairs of the Parish… administers the financial affairs… takes care of the Building and Grounds…”
The Rector chairs the Vestry, but the powers are distinct:
• The Rector cannot override Vestry financial authority
• The Vestry cannot override Rectoral liturgical authority
Healthy parishes honor that distinction.
The parish meeting provides the Vestry’s “check and balance,” just as the Bishop provides the Rector’s.
The Parish Council: Wardens as Advisors, Not Co-Rectors
The Parish Council consists of the Senior Warden (Rector’s Warden) and Junior Warden (People’s Warden). Their job is advice, not governance:
“The Parish Council… is a committee of advice to the Rector… [They] do not vote on matters, they simply advise.”
Their ministry is relational and supportive:
• Protecting the Rector’s time
• Sharing parish concerns
• Encouraging parish order
• Praying for families
• Facilitating communication
The Senior Warden advocates for the Rector’s needs before the Vestry, while the Junior Warden ensures the parish’s concerns are responsibly communicated.
Neither serves as a “lay-rector,” and neither operates as a rival authority.
Why Conflict Happens
If this model is biblically grounded and time-tested, why do parishes sometimes struggle?
Because the lines get blurred:
“Where problems… arise in Parishes is over the authority question… Does the Rector really have his assigned authority…?”
Parish dysfunction often looks like:
• Laity trying to direct worship or liturgy
• Vestries attempting to discipline clergy
• Rectors trying to control finances
• Wardens becoming adversarial
The document is blunt:
“Neither Warden is to be adversarial… There is never to be the attitude of party factions or an ‘us vs. they’ mentality.”
When these boundaries are honored, parish life flourishes.
The Bishop as Shepherd and Final Court of Appeal
In the REC, the Rector is not an independent contractor. He serves under episcopal authority.
If conflict arises:
• The Bishop is involved early
• The Bishop may mediate
• Appeals can go to General Council
This protects the parish from clerical abuse and protects clergy from congregationalism.
Why This Matters for Anglican Identity Today
For many who discover Anglicanism — especially those coming from congregational models — this can be a revelation.
The Reformed Episcopal Church preserves a distinct Anglican ecclesiology where:
• Worship is catholic
• Doctrine is historic
• Authority is ordered
• Pastors pastor
• Laity serve
• Vestries steward
• Bishops shepherd
This makes Anglican parish life stable, unhurried, and deeply sane.
Our task as parish leaders — clergy, wardens, vestry members, and parishioners — is not to reinvent Anglican polity but to inhabit it faithfully.
When we do, we experience the blessing of historic Christianity lived out in local parish life.
Leave a Reply